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?
From all these trees, in the salads, the soup, everywhere, cherry blossoms fall.
I want my body to help fertilize the growth of a cactus or cliff rose or sagebrush or tree.
Know, Nature's children all divide her care, The fur that warms a monarch warmed a bear.
Lord, I do fear Thou'st made the world too beautiful this year My soul is all but out of me-let fall No burning leaf; prithee, let no bird call.
I'm not over-fond of animals. I am merely astounded by them.
In the mountain, stillness surges up to explore its own height In the lake, movement stands still to contemplate its own depth.
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