100+ Quotes About Environmental Awareness: Spark Change with Inspiring Words

23 min read

Era DuBuque, Senior Writer

Published:

Embark on a transformative journey with our collection of 100+ Quotes About Environmental Awareness. Each line in this treasure trove is a call to action, an invitation to weave a greener narrative for tomorrow. From thought leaders to activists, these profound words are more than mere mottos; they are the clarion calls that ignite passion and spark change in the hearts of eco-conscious individuals. Delve into the echoes of wisdom that resonate with our planet’s plea for care and witness how inspiring words can cultivate a thriving environment for generations to come. Unleash the power of advocacy with every quote and join the ranks of those who dare to make a difference. Are you ready to be the change?

1. Quotes About Environmental Awareness for Inspiration

1. Quotes About Environmental Awareness for Inspiration

Absolutely! Here’s a curated list of quotes focused on raising environmental awareness and inspiring positive change:

  1. “The environment is where we all meet; where all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share.” - Lady Bird Johnson
  2. “The Earth does not belong to us: we belong to the Earth.” - Marlee Matlin
  3. “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” - Native American Proverb
  4. “What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another.” - Mahatma Gandhi
  5. “Nature provides a free lunch, but only if we control our appetites.” - William Ruckelshaus
  6. “It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment.” - Ansel Adams
  7. “The Earth is what we all have in common.” - Wendell Berry
  8. “Conservation is a state of harmony between men and land.” - Aldo Leopold
  9. “One of the first conditions of happiness is that the link between man and nature shall not be broken.” - Leo Tolstoy
  10. “A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.” - Franklin D. Roosevelt
  11. “He that plants trees loves others beside himself.” - Thomas Fuller
  12. “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” - Albert Einstein
  13. “Only when the last tree has died and the last river been poisoned and the last fish been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.” - Cree Indian Proverb
  14. “The proper use of science is not to conquer nature but to live in it.” - Barry Commoner
  15. “We have forgotten how to be good guests, how to walk lightly on the earth as its other creatures do.” - Barbara Ward
  16. “We won’t have a society if we destroy the environment.” - Margaret Mead
  17. “There is no such thing as ‘away’. When we throw anything away it must go somewhere.” - Annie Leonard
  18. “To damage the earth is to damage your children.” - Wendell Berry
  19. “Time spent among trees is never time wasted.” - Anonymous
  20. “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.” - Mahatma Gandhi
  21. “The ultimate test of man’s conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.” - Gaylord Nelson
  22. “To cherish what remains of the Earth and to foster its renewal is our only legitimate hope of survival.” - Wendell Berry
  23. “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” - Chinese Proverb
  24. “I only feel angry when I see waste. When I see people throwing away things we could use.” - Mother Teresa
  25. “Man is still the greatest miracle and the greatest problem on this earth.” - David Sarnoff
  26. “Nature doesn’t need people. People need nature.” - Harrison Ford
  27. “If you really think the economy is more important than the environment, try holding your breath while you count your money.” - Dr. Guy McPherson
  28. “Environmental protection doesn’t happen in a vacuum. You can’t separate the impact on the environment from the impact on our families and communities.” - Jim Clyburn
  29. “The good man is the friend of all living things.” - Mahatma Gandhi
  30. “If we do not permit the earth to produce beauty and joy, it will in the end not produce food, either.” - Joseph Wood Krutch
  31. “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” - Jane Goodall
  32. “The use of solar energy has not been opened up because the oil industry does not own the sun.” - Ralph Nader
  33. “It is our collective and individual responsibility … to preserve and tend to the world in which we all live.” - Dalai Lama
  34. “The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” - Robert Swan
  35. “Our planet’s alarm is going off, and it is time to wake up and take action!” - Leonardo DiCaprio
  36. “Be the change you wish to see in this world.” - Mahatma Gandhi
  37. “Every day is Earth Day, and I vote we start investing in a secure climate future right now.” - Jackie Speier
  38. “It is only one planet; there is only one chance.” - Carl Sagan
  39. “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” - George Bernard Shaw
  40. “It’s only one straw,” said 8 billion people." - Unknown
  41. “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” - William James
  42. “Climate change is no longer some far-off problem; it is happening here, it is happening now.” - Barack Obama
  43. “Sustainability is about ecology, economy and equity.” - Ralph Bicknese
  44. “Nature is not a place to visit. It is home.” - Gary Snyder
  45. “The most effective way to do it, is to do it.” - Amelia Earhart
  46. “Preservation of our environment is not a liberal or conservative challenge, it’s common sense.” - Ronald Reagan
  47. “Sooner or later, we will have to recognise that the Earth has rights, too, to live without pollution. What mankind must know is that human beings cannot live without Mother Earth, but the planet can live without humans.” - Evo Morales
  48. “I dream of a world of limitless possibilities for the arts, agriculture, education, and personal liberty through relentless optimism and global community collaboration.” - Jack Johnson
  49. “Every piece of plastic ever made still exists today, including the small amount that has been incinerated and has become toxic particulate matter.” - Unknown
  50. “The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world that it leaves to its children.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
  51. “The greatest danger to our future is apathy.” - Jane Goodall
  52. “Buy less, choose well, make it last.” - Vivienne Westwood
  53. “Reducing our levels of consumption will not be a sacrifice but a bonus if we simply redefine the meaning of the word ‘success.’” - David Wann
  54. “It is not enough to be compassionate. You must act.” - Dalai Lama
  55. “The fate of the living planet is the most important issue facing mankind.” - Gaylord Nelson
  56. “When the well’s dry, we know the worth of water.” - Benjamin Franklin
  57. “Environmentalism isn’t just about saving nature; it’s about saving people, too.” - Mark Tercek
  58. “The rich diversity of the world’s cultures reflects a corresponding diversity in the wilds that sustain them.” - Wade Davis
  59. “Do not wait for extraordinary circumstances to do good; try to use ordinary situations.” - Jean Paul Richter
  60. “We have met the enemy and he is us.” - Walt Kelly
  61. “The clearest way into the universe is through a forest wilderness.” - John Muir
  62. “We are the last generation that can end climate change. We can and we will.” - Kumi Naidoo
  63. “Nothing is more beautiful than the loveliness of the woods before sunrise.” - George Washington Carver
  64. “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” - Martin Luther King Jr.
  65. “The world is not a problem to be solved; it is a living being to which we belong.” - Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee
  66. “Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.” - Chief Seattle
  67. “Plant trees. They give us two of the most crucial elements for our survival: oxygen and books.” - A. Whitney Brown
  68. “Everything that is made beautiful and fair and lovely is made for the eye of one who sees.” - Rumi
  69. “What’s the use of a fine house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on?” - Henry David Thoreau
  70. “If conservation of natural resources goes wrong, nothing else will go right.” - M.S. Swaminathan
  71. “You can’t change what’s going on around you until you start changing what’s going on within you.” - Unknown
  72. “It’s not whether you can make a difference. You are making a difference. Make it a positive one.” - Unknown
  73. “A good planet is hard to find.” - Unknown
  74. “We do not see nature with our eyes, but with our understandings and our hearts.” - William Hazlitt
  75. “This world is but a canvas to our imagination.” - Henry David Thoreau
  76. “The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
  77. “Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.” - Khalil Gibran
  78. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead
  79. “To make a prairie it takes a clover and one bee, One clover, and a bee, And revery. The revery alone will do, If bees are few.” - Emily Dickinson
  80. “The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.” - Albert Einstein
  81. “Biodiversity starts in the distant past and it points towards the future.” - Frans Lanting
  82. “Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time.” - Aliyyah Eniath
  83. “Each one of us can make a difference. Together we make change.” - Barbara Mikulski
  84. “I’m often asked whether I believe in global warming. I now just reply with the question: Do you believe in gravity?” - Neil deGrasse Tyson
  85. “The best thing about nature is that it exists. The second best thing is that it’s free.” - Unknown
  86. “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” - Audrey Hepburn
  87. “Learn to listen to the trees, and they will tell you all the secrets of the world.” - Unknown
  88. “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” - African Proverb
  89. “Like music and art, love of nature is a common language that can transcend political or social boundaries.” - Jimmy Carter
  90. “We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.” - Martin Luther King Jr.
  91. “The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion.” - Paulo Coelho
  92. “The environment is in us, not outside of us. The trees are our lungs, the rivers our bloodstream. We are all interconnected.” - Tom Shadyac
  93. “The first rule of sustainability is to align with natural forces, or at least not try to defy them.” - Paul Hawken
  94. “Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” - Warren Buffett
  95. “If you are thinking a year ahead, sow a seed. If you are thinking ten years ahead, plant a tree. If you are thinking one hundred years ahead, educate the people.” - Kuan Tzu
  96. “The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” - Jacques Yves Cousteau
  97. “What makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well.” - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
  98. “No water, no life. No blue, no green.” - Sylvia Earle
  99. “An understanding of the natural world and what’s in it is a source of not only a great curiosity but great fulfillment.” - David Attenborough
  100. “Waste not the smallest thing created, for grains of sand make mountains, and atomies infinity.” - E. Knight
  101. “The future will either be green or not at all.” - Bob Brown
  102. “We do not need magic to transform our world. We carry all the power we need inside ourselves already. We have the power to imagine better.” - J.K. Rowling

These thought-provoking quotations can help ignite the passion for environmental stewardship and motivate action toward a more sustainable future.

2. Quotes About Environmental Awareness for Reflection

2. Quotes About Environmental Awareness for Reflection

  1. “The Earth does not belong to us: we belong to the Earth.” – Marlee Matlin

  2. “What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and one another.” – Mahatma Gandhi

  3. “It is our collective and individual responsibility… to preserve and tend to the world in which we all live.” – Dalai Lama

  4. “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.” – Mahatma Gandhi

  5. “Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty.” – John Ruskin

  6. “We won’t have a society if we destroy the environment.” – Margaret Mead

  7. “The environment is where we all meet; where we all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share.” – Lady Bird Johnson

  8. “Conservation is a state of harmony between men and land.” – Aldo Leopold

  9. “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” – Albert Einstein

  10. “One of the first conditions of happiness is that the link between man and nature shall not be broken.” – Leo Tolstoy

  11. “The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” – Robert Swan

  12. “Only when the last tree has died and the last river been poisoned and the last fish been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.” – Cree Indian Proverb

  13. “If conservation of natural resources goes wrong, nothing else will go right.” – M.S. Swaminathan

  14. “The good man is the friend of all living things.” – Mahatma Gandhi

  15. “Environmental pollution is an incurable disease. It can only be prevented.” – Barry Commoner

  16. “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” – Jane Goodall

  17. “A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

  18. “He that plants trees loves others besides himself.” – Thomas Fuller

  19. “Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time.” – Aliyyah Eniath

  20. “I only feel angry when I see waste. When I see people throwing away things we could use.” – Mother Teresa

  21. “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” – Native American Proverb

  22. “Man is still the greatest miracle and the greatest problem on this earth.” – David Sarnoff

  23. “If we surrendered to earth’s intelligence we could rise up rooted, like trees.” – Rainer Maria Rilke

  24. “There are no passengers on spaceship earth. We are all crew.” – Marshall McLuhan

  25. “Our task must be to free ourselves… by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.” – Albert Einstein

  26. “The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

  27. “Every time you buy organic, you’re persuading more farmers to grow organic.” – Mother Earth

  28. “We must return to nature and nature’s god.” – Luther Burbank

  29. “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” – Chinese Proverb

  30. “Everything in excess is opposed to nature.” – Hippocrates

  31. “It’s only one straw, said 8 billion people.” – Unknown

  32. “The proper use of science is not to conquer nature but to live in it.” – Barry Commoner

  33. “The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion.” – Paulo Coelho

  34. “What’s the use of a fine house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on?” – Henry David Thoreau

  35. “To damage the earth is to damage your children.” – Wendell Berry

  36. “Climate change is a terrible problem, and it absolutely needs to be solved. It deserves to be a huge priority.” – Bill Gates

  37. “The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” – Jacques Cousteau

  38. “We have forgotten how to be good guests, how to walk lightly on the earth as its other creatures do.” – Barbara Ward

  39. “Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them.” – Albert Einstein

  40. “It’s better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war.” – Chinese Proverb

  41. “Birds are indicators of the environment. If they are in trouble, we know we’ll soon be in trouble.” – Roger Tory Peterson

  42. “There is no such thing as ‘away’. When we throw anything away it must go somewhere.” – Annie Leonard

  43. “An understanding of the natural world and what’s in it is a source of not only a great curiosity but great fulfillment.” – David Attenborough

  44. “Humanity is on the march, earth itself is left behind.” – David Ehrenfeld

  45. “When we heal the earth, we heal ourselves.” – David Orr

  46. “Nature shrinks as capital grows. The growth of the market cannot solve the very crisis it creates.” – Vandana Shiva

  47. “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” – William James

  48. “Saving one animal won’t change the world, but it will change the world for that one animal.” – Unknown

  49. “Nature’s beauty is a gift that cultivates appreciation and gratitude.” – Louie Schwartzberg

  50. “The environment, after all, is where we all meet, where we all have a mutual interest. It is one thing all of us share.” – Lady Bird Johnson

These quotes aim to promote contemplation and spark a deeper appreciation for our environment. Reflect on them and consider how you might contribute to the conservation and well-being of our planet.

3. Quotes About Environmental Awareness for Advocacy

3. Quotes About Environmental Awareness for Advocacy

Certainly, here are three quotes tailored to the topic of Environmental Awareness for Advocacy:

  1. “The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” — Robert Swan
  2. “Environmental protection does not happen in a vacuum. You can’t separate the impact on the environment from the impact on our families and communities.” — Jim Clyburn
  3. “We don’t inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” — Native American Proverb

These quotes emphasize the importance of individual action, the interconnectedness of environmental health with community wellbeing, and the responsibility we have to future generations to safeguard our planet.

4. Quotes About Environmental Awareness for Education

4. Quotes About Environmental Awareness for Education

Here are four quotes that relate to environmental awareness and can be particularly impactful for educational settings:

  1. “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” – Native American Proverb This proverb underscores the sense of stewardship and responsibility we must feel toward the next generation when it comes to caring for our planet.

  2. “The environment is where we all meet; where we all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share.” – Lady Bird Johnson This quote by the former First Lady highlights the universal nature of our environment and suggests that it should be a collective concern for all of humanity.

  3. “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself. In the end, we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught.” – Baba Dioum Baba Dioum, a Senegalese forestry engineer, eloquently connects education with the capacity to appreciate, understand, and ultimately conserve our natural world.

  4. “The ultimate test of man’s conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.” – Gaylord Nelson The founder of Earth Day, Gaylord Nelson, emphasizes the need for sacrifice and foresight when considering environmental conservation, illuminating the ethical imperative of thinking beyond our immediate needs and desires.

5. Quotes About Environmental Awareness for Action

5. Quotes About Environmental Awareness for Action

  1. “The environment is where we all meet; where we all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share.” - Lady Bird Johnson

  2. “What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another.” - Mahatma Gandhi

  3. “It is our collective and individual responsibility to preserve and tend to the world in which we all live.” - Dalai Lama

  4. “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” - Native American Proverb

  5. “The Earth does not belong to us: we belong to the Earth.” - Marlee Matlin

  6. “We won’t have a society if we destroy the environment.” - Margaret Mead

  7. “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” - Lao Tzu

  8. “Environmental protection doesn’t happen in a vacuum. You can’t separate the impact on the environment from the impact on our families and communities.” - Jim Clyburn

  9. “The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” - Robert Swan

  10. “Conservation is a state of harmony between men and land.” - Aldo Leopold

  11. “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” - William James

  12. “Every day is Earth Day, and I vote we start investing in a secure climate future right now.” - Jackie Speier

  13. “Time spent among trees is never time wasted.” - Anonymous

  14. “One of the first conditions of happiness is that the link between man and nature shall not be broken.” - Leo Tolstoy

  15. “The ultimate test of man’s conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.” - Gaylord Nelson

  16. “The fate of the living planet is the most important issue facing mankind.” - Gaylord Nelson

  17. “Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.” - Albert Einstein

  18. “To harm the earth is to heap contempt upon its creator.” - Wendell Berry

  19. “A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land.” - Franklin D. Roosevelt

  20. “Only when the last tree has died and the last river been poisoned and the last fish been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.” - Cree Indian Proverb

  21. “It’s only one straw,’ said 8 billion people.” - Unknown

  22. “The good man is the friend of all living things.” - Mahatma Gandhi

  23. “The Earth is a fine place and worth fighting for.” - Ernest Hemingway

  24. “He that plants trees loves others besides himself.” - Thomas Fuller

  25. “If conservation of natural resources goes wrong, nothing else will go right.” - M.S. Swaminathan

  26. “Be the change you wish to see in this world.” - Mahatma Gandhi

  27. “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” - Albert Einstein

  28. “I only feel angry when I see waste. When I see people throwing away things we could use.” - Mother Teresa

  29. “Man must feel the earth to know himself and recognize his values… God made life simple. It is man who complicates it.” - Charles A. Lindbergh

  30. “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” - Dr. Seuss, from “The Lorax”

  31. “Use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without.” - New England Proverb

  32. “We have forgotten how to be good guests, how to walk lightly on the earth as its other creatures do.” - Barbara Ward

  33. “There can be no purpose more inspiring than to begin the age of restoration, reweaving the wondrous diversity of life that still surrounds us.” - E.O. Wilson

  34. “An understanding of the natural world and what’s in it is a source of not only a great curiosity but great fulfillment.” - David Attenborough

  35. “Wilderness is not a luxury, but a necessity of the human spirit.” - Edward Abbey

  36. “Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time.” - Aliyyah Eniath

  37. “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” - Jane Goodall

  38. “It’s not whether animals will survive, it’s whether man has the will to save them.” - Anthony Douglas Williams

  39. “The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.” - Charles Darwin

  40. “A clean environment is a human right like any other. It is therefore part of our responsibility toward others to ensure that the world we pass on is as healthy, if not healthier, than we found it.” - Dalai Lama

  41. “Nature is not a place to visit. It is home.” - Gary Snyder

  42. “We need to respect the oceans and take care of them as if our lives depended on it. Because they do.” - Sylvia Earle

  43. “We have met the enemy and he is us.” - Walt Kelly

  44. “The world is not a problem; the problem is your unawareness.” - Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh

  45. “The proper use of science is not to conquer nature but to live in it.” - Barry Commoner

  46. “Like music and art, love of nature is a common language that can transcend political or social boundaries.” - Jimmy Carter

  47. “For in the end, we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we are taught.” - Baba Dioum

  48. “Sooner or later, we will have to recognize that the Earth has rights too, to live without pollution. What mankind must know is that human beings cannot live without Mother Earth, but the planet can live without humans.” - Evo Morales

  49. “A true conservationist is a man who knows that the world is not given by his fathers, but borrowed from his children.” - John James Audubon

  50. “Plans to protect air and water, wilderness and wildlife are in fact plans to protect man.” - Stewart Udall

6. Quotes About Environmental Awareness for Appreciation

6. Quotes About Environmental Awareness for Appreciation

Environmental awareness is crucial in today’s world. Here are 6 inspirational quotes that underscore the importance of cherishing and working to protect our natural environment:

  1. “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” – Native American Proverb
  2. “The Earth does not belong to us: we belong to the Earth.” – Marlee Matlin
  3. “What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another.” – Chris Maser
  4. “It is our collective and individual responsibility to preserve and tend to the environment in which we all live.” – Dalai Lama
  5. “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” – Albert Einstein
  6. “Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty.” – John Ruskin

Such quotes inspire us to reflect on the impact of our actions and the lasting legacy we leave for future generations. They are a reminder that each of us has a role to play in preserving the natural world’s beauty and bounty.

Era DuBuque, Senior Writer
Era DuBuque

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