Ramez Naam Quotes

We woke up some years ago about the consequences of ozone depletion, the hole in the atmosphere. You can't see it. You can't taste it. You can't smell it. But now we do regard that as a key issue. It's a scientific finding.

I feel a desperation to make people see what we are doing to the environment, what a mess we are making of our world. At this point, the more people I reach, the more I accomplish. ... I miss Gombe and my wonderful years in the forest But if I were to go back to that, I wouldn't feel I was doing what I should be doing.

I think that the environment is very a complicated question. I am very sympathetic to people who support the environment who live in the United States. I am very sympathetic to people who don't support the environment who live in a very poor country.

It's become more and more of a priority for me to tread as lightly as possible in the world.

I'm an old member of Greenpeace. I worried intensely, as I think most of my friends did, that the world was coming apart.

You'll know the green revolution has been won when the word 'green' disappears.

Business is a subset of the environment, not the other way around. You can't have a healthy economy, you can't have a healthy anything in a degraded environment.

Maybe I should drive a hybrid. I do have a shirt that says, 'Go Green.'

I think the future of this planet depends on humans, not technology, and we already have the knowledge - we're kind of at the endgame with knowledge. But we're nowhere near the endgame when it comes to our perception. We still have one foot in the dark ages.

It is the individual who knows how little they know about themselves who stands the most reasonable chance of finding out something about themselves before they die.

I think humans have to learn a new way of dwelling on this earth. A way of living with their companions: animals, plants and fish.

I talk to fashion designers and say I want some money to save the rainforest, and they say, 'Oh, I agree with you completely Vivienne. Yes, climate change, it's definitely happening,' but they don't feel that they can do anything about it; they don't even think 'Well let's stop it!'

I resent the idea that somebody in Washington will protect our environment better than we can.

I ask not that you take your recycling out on Wednesday, but that you engage with every business leader, every technology leader, every government leader, and ask them, "Ma'am, sir, what are you doing to stabilize the climate?" It's just that simple. Because when enough people care enough, the politicians, most of whom won't lead on this issue -- but they will be led -- that will change this.

There's been a false sense of security in the American people when it comes to environment issues and our water, because they believe that the EPA is there to protect us, and unfortunately, that system's not working right now. They're overburdened, understaffed, and underfunded.

You want to keep the severity of our environmental problems in mind enough to keep yourself motivated but not enough to paralyze you into depression.

Every week in the Senate, I give a speech telling my colleagues it is time to wake up to the reality of a changing climate.

I believe the green movement is gaining momentum because people are becoming more educated about the real importance of living green.

Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Dhani Jones was so moved by 'An Inconvenient Truth' that he spent three days of his summer break attending Gore's grassroots tutorial. Now, Jones can present the movie's lecture and corresponding slide show on his own.

It is critical for us to cultivate consciousness and compassion towards our environment, create awareness, galvanize people, and build sustainable innovations for sustainable development.

There is nothing wrong with the planet. The planet is fine ... been here 4 1/2 billion years. We've been here, what, a 100,000 years, maybe 200,000. And we've only been engaged in heavy industry a little over 200 years. 200 years versus 4 1/2 billion. And we have the conceit to think that somehow we're a threat? The planet isn't going away. We are.

I think the world's still gonna be here in another 10, 20 years. But I'm not feeling great about things ecologically.

I fear for the future of the planet. But in a funny way, I'm even sanguine about that.

It is not an investment if it destroys the planet

As the Ambassador for WWF Earth Hour, I still vividly remember that there were only 80 buildings in China that participated the Earth Hour in its first year. Six years later, there were 170 cities and thousands of buildings that participated. We are still growing strong. I am encouraged by the accomplishments we have made together and they make me proud and more determined than ever.