When I kayak in Cardigan Bay, in Wales, what I hope to find above all else is dolphins. Sometimes I do, and these days are the waymarks of my life.
Interpretation
The quote expresses a deep appreciation for the joy and significance of encountering dolphins while kayaking, illustrating the importance of memorable experiences in life.
George Monbiot reflects on his kayaking adventures in Cardigan Bay, where the presence of dolphins becomes a symbol for the most cherished moments in his life. The encounters with these creatures not only bring joy but also serve as milestones, reminding him that it is such experiences that truly enrich our existence. This highlights how nature can provide us with profound experiences that we treasure and remember.
In practice
In a speech about the importance of nature conservation, one might quote Monbiot to highlight how meaningful connections with wildlife can shape our lives.
The notions that nature exists to serve us; that its value consists of the instrumental benefits we can extract; that this value can be measured in cash terms; and that what can't be measured does not matter, have proved lethal to the rest of life on Earth.
I believe that anyone who wants to stand in a national election should receive a course of psychotherapy. Completing the course should be a qualification for office. This wouldn't change the behaviour of psychopaths, but it might prevent some people who exercise power from imposing their own deep wounds on others.
I became an environmentalist because I love the living world, but I spend much of my life thinking about electricity, industrial processes and civil engineering.
Places that have become agricultural deserts, trashed by giant corporations, could be reforested, drawing carbon dioxide from the air on a vast scale. The ecosystems of land and sea could recover, not just in pockets but across great tracts of the planet.
Never underestimate the power of intrinsic values. They inspire every struggle for a better world.
Why is it so easy to save the banks - but so hard to save the biosphere?
Nature yields her most profound secrets to the person who is determined to uncover them.
I welcome all creatures of the world with grace.
Blessed be the Lord for the beauty of summer and spring, for the air, the water, the verdure, and the song of birds.
Oh, a dainty plant is the ivy green, That creepeth o'er ruins old! Of right choice food are his meals, I ween, In his cell so lone and cold. Creeping where no life is seen, A rare old plant is the ivy green.
There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream,_x000D_ _x000D_ The earth, and every common sight,_x000D_ _x000D_ To me did seem_x000D_ _x000D_ Apparelled in celestial light,_x000D_ _x000D_ The glory and the freshness of a dream.
Eventually, my eyes were opened, and I really understood nature. I learned to love at the same time.
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