Everywhere I look, I see something holy.
Terry PratchettRead
It is estimated that one-third of all reef-building corals, a third of all fresh-water mollusks, a third of sharks and rays, a quarter of all mammals, a fifth of all reptiles, and a sixth of all birds are headed toward oblivion. The losses are occurring all over: in the South Pacific and in the North Atlantic, in the Arctic and the Sahel, in lakes and on islands, on mountaintops and in valleys.
Interpretation
The quote highlights the alarming decline of various species across different ecosystems due to environmental threats.
Elizabeth Kolbert's quote serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing biodiversity crisis affecting countless species around the globe. By illustrating the specific percentages of various groups headed toward extinction, she emphasizes the urgency of addressing environmental degradation and conservation efforts to preserve our planet's wildlife and ecosystems.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of environmental conservation.
Everywhere I look, I see something holy.
We cannot interfere in one area of the ecosystem without paying due attention to both the consequences of such interference in other areas and to the well-being of future generations.
There will come soft rains and the smell of the ground, And swallows circling with their shimmering sound; And frogs in the pool singing at night, And wild plum trees in tremulous white; Robins will wear their feathery fire, Whistling their whims on a low fence-wire; And not one will know of the war, not one Will care at last when it is done. Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree, If mankind perished utterly; And Spring herself when she woke at dawn Would scarcely know that we were gone.
Nature promotes mutualism. The flower nourishes the bee. The river waters quench the thirst of all living beings. And trees provide a welcoming home to so many birds and animals. There is a rhythm to this togetherness.
The forests are the lungs of the world. I’ve always believed if you breathe, you’re an environmentalist.
It's probably hard to feel any sort of Romantic spiritual connection to nature when you have to make your living from it.
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