Donella Meadows Quotes & Sayings

“Biodiversity can't be maintained by protecting a few species in a zoo, or by preserving greenbelts or national parks. To function properly, nature needs more room than that. It can maintain itself, however, without human expense, without zookeepers, park rangers, foresters or gene banks. All it needs is to be left alone.”

“You may be able to fool the voters, but not the atmosphere.”

“Scientists worldwide agree that the reduction needed to stabilize the climate is actually more like 80 percent.”

“Your paradigm is so intrinsic to your mental process that you are hardly aware of its existence, until you try to communicate with someone with a different paradigm.”

“The actions of my government are not bearable. They devastate our natural resources and deprive our people. The politicians speak piously while practicing greed and divisiveness. They care nothing for the nation. I want to do more than withdraw my support. I want to tar and feather them.”

“Calculating how much carbon is absorbed by which forests and farms is a tricky task, especially when politicians do it.”

“Glaciers are almost gone from Glacier National Park.”

“Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany have detailed plans to cut their greenhouse emissions by 20 to 50 percent.”

“A knowledgeable and courageous U.S. president could help enormously in leading the world's nations toward saving the climate.”

“I spent my time trying to understand grand jury procedure - a topic about which I never before had the slightest interest.”