50 Environment Quotes About Our Planet

The environment and the importance of protecting it is on a lot of people’s minds lately, as you will see in these environment quotes.

These environment quotes prove it has been a topic of importance for years—as some are recent and some are several decades old.

What are the benefits of reading environment quotes?

Some of the environment quotes are about defining what the environment is.

Some are from authors and scientists, while others are from politicians.

Of course, there are varying opinions, but I think we can all agree the environment is an important topic.

Just what is ‘environment,’ though?

The environment encompasses everything that people, animals, and plants live or operate in.

This includes trees, nature, breathing spaces, bodies of water, and pretty much everything on the planet.

If you like this article, we suggest you explore our most popular quotes article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily encouragement. 

Look through our complete collection of inspirational quotes here.

Watch Captain Planet if you haven’t already!

If you have ever seen Captain Planet, then you know that the environment encompasses the elements of earth, wind, fire, and water.

The show added the element of heart, too.

It was a wonderful way to educate and promote activism for saving the planet.

Keep reading through these environment quotes.

You might even discover how to be a “planeteer” without a magical element ring!

Environment quotes by famous personalities

1. “The environment is everything that isn’t me.” — Albert Einstein

2. “Man is as yet the best marvel and the best issue on this planet.” — David Sarnoff

3. “The Environment has a skin, and that skin has maladies. One of its illnesses is called man.” — Friedrich Nietzsche

4. “The environment gives enough to fulfill each man’s needs, however few out of every odd man’s ravenousness.” — Mahatma Gandhi

5. “Where the personal satisfaction goes down for the Environment, the personal satisfaction goes down for people.” — George Holland

6. “I feel more certain than any time in recent memory that the ability to spare the planet rests with the individual buyer.” — Denis Hayes

7. “The only way forward, if we are going to improve the quality of the environment, is to get everybody involved.” — Richard Rogers

8. “The environment is the place we as a whole meet; where all have a common intrigue; it is the one thing we all offer.” — Lady Bird Johnson

9. “Environmental change is going on, people are causing it, and I think this is maybe the most genuine ecological issue confronting us.” — Bill Nye

10. “The worldwide condition emergency is, as we state in Tennessee, genuine as downpour, and I can’t stand the idea of leaving my youngsters with a corrupted environment and a lessened future.” — Al Gore

Short environment quotes

11. “Every drop in the ocean counts.” — Yoko Ono

12. “We must return to nature and nature’s god.” — Luther Burbank

13. “Good environmental policy is good economic policy.” — Bernie Sanders

14. “The environment has fallen to the wayside in politics.” — Craig Venter

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

16. “The Earth does not belong to us: we belong to the Earth.” — Chief Seattle

17. “You may be able to fool the voters, but not the atmosphere.” — Donella Meadows

18. “Moral codes adjust themselves to environmental conditions.” — Will Durant

19. “Unless we keep this planet healthy, everything else is for naught.” — Victoria Principal

20. “I can find God in nature, in animals, in birds and the environment.” — Pat Buckley

Environment quotes from authors and scientists

21. “Sadly, it’s much easier to create a desert than a forest.” — James Lovelock

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

23. “Try to leave the Earth a better place than when you arrived.” — Sidney Sheldon

24. “We could have saved the Earth but we were too damned cheap.” — Kurt Vonnegut

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

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

27. “If we do not permit the earth to produce beauty and joy, it will in the end not produce food, either.” — Joseph Wood Krutch

28. “Harmony with land is like harmony with a friend; you cannot cherish his right hand and chop off his left.” — Aldo Leopold

29. “Environmental concern is now firmly embedded in public life: in education, medicine and law; in journalism, literature and art.” — Barry Commoner

30. “The environment we misuse and the living things we murder will, at last, deliver their retribution; for in abusing their quality we are lessening our future.” — Marya Mannes

If you enjoy this article, check out our collection of sustainability quotes for a better tomorrow.

Environment quotes about the future and climate change

31. “I think the future for solar energy is bright.” — Ken Salazar

32. “The future will either be green or not at all.” — Bob Brown

33. “Try to leave the Earth a better place than when you arrived.” — Sidney Sheldon

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

35. “Within 10 years, it will be impossible to travel to the North Pole by dog team. There will be too much open water.” — Will Steger

36. “Journey with me to a true commitment to our environment. Journey with me to the serenity of leaving to our children a planet in equilibrium.” — Paul Tsongas

37. “I’m very concerned for the future of the earth and its amazing creatures. We’ve got to be careful and make sure we don’t foul our own nest.” — John Lithgow

38. “There are plenty of problems in the world, and doubtless climate change – or whatever the currently voguish phrase for it all is – certainly is one of them. But it’s low on my list.” — P. J. O’Rourke

39. “To be clear, climate change is a true 800 pound gorilla in the room. The effects of global warming threaten global environmental upheaval over the coming century.” — Debbie Wasserman Schultz

40. “Sustainable development is the pathway to the future we want for all. It offers a framework to generate economic growth, achieve social justice, exercise environmental stewardship and strengthen governance.” — Ban Ki-moon

Environment quotes about government and from politicians

41. “The environment has fallen to the wayside in politics.” — Craig Venter

42. “Much of the debate over global warming is predicated on fear, rather than science.” — Jim Inhofe

43. “It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment.” — Ansel Adams

44. “Mother Nature comes up against reality, and the reality is that the system doesn’t work.” — John Garamendi

45. “Local innovation and initiative can help us better understand how to protect our environment.” — Gale Norton

46. “I think the government has to reposition environment on top of their national and international priorities.” — Brian Mulroney

47. “Why has it seemed that the only way to protect the environment is with heavy-handed government regulation?” — Gale Norton

48. “The government should set a goal for a clean environment but not mandate how that goal should be implemented.” — Dixie Lee Ray

49. “Economic growth and environmental protection are not at odds. They’re opposite sides of the same coin if you’re looking at longer-term prosperity.” — Henry Paulson

50. “Liberals in Congress have spent the past three decades pandering to environmental extremists. The policies they have put in place are in large part responsible for the energy crunch we are seeing today.” — Marsha Blackburn

Ways you can help the environment

It is unlikely that we will all get a magical solution and a superhero to help us save the planet—but fear not, there are things we can do!

These small and simple measures would have a big footprint if we all worked together!

First, follow the three “R’s” — reduce, reuse, and recycle.

Basically, stop throwing away so much trash, use less disposable things, and recycle what you can!

It is a very simple step, but one that has an impact on our landfills and resources.

Second, volunteer to help clean up spaces like parks and beaches and plant trees!

Keeping trash out of nature and planting trees will keep things clean and help boost our food and oxygen supply!

Lastly, make conservative decisions.

For example, can you walk or bike somewhere and save gas? How about carpooling?

Are there ways you can use less water?

Whatever resources you can conserve, do so!

Even doing something like changing out the type of light bulbs you use can have an impact!

Your efforts might seem small, but collectively they mean a lot!

What other ways can we help the environment?

Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below!