We are now heading down a centuries-long path toward increasing the productivity of our natural capital - the resource systems upon which we depend to live - instead of our human capital.
Paul HawkenRead
Working for the earth is not a way to get rich, it is a way to be rich.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes that working with the earth enriches our lives in meaningful ways beyond material wealth.
Paul Hawken's quote suggests that engaging in environmental stewardship and sustainable practices does not lead to financial riches in the traditional sense, but rather offers a deeper, more fulfilling sense of wealth that comes from connection to nature and responsibility towards the planet. It highlights the idea that true richness comes from harmony with the earth and the benefits of working towards the well-being of the environment and society.
In practice
During a speech on sustainability at an environmental conference.
We are now heading down a centuries-long path toward increasing the productivity of our natural capital - the resource systems upon which we depend to live - instead of our human capital.
Inspiration is not garnered from the litanies of what may befall us; it resides in humanity's willingness to restore, redress, reform, rebuild, recover, reimagine, and reconsider.
We can no longer prosper by increasing human productivity. The more we try to do, the more poverty we will create.
At present we are stealing the future, selling it in the present, and calling it gross domestic product.
How much harm does a company have to do before we question its right to exist?
We have the capacity to create a remarkably different economy: one that can restore ecosystems and protect the environment while bringing forth innovation, prosperity, meaningful work, and true security.
It would be better if there were but one inhabitant to a square mile, as where I live.
Nothing could be more pleasant than to live in solitude, enjoy the spectacle of nature, and occasionally read some book.
Invariably our best nights were those when it rained.
When I first ventured into the Gulf of Mexico in the 1950s, the sea appeared to be a blue infinity too large, too wild to be harmed by anything that people could do.
Men need to know the elemental challenges that sea and mountains present. They need to know what it is to be alive and to survive when great storms come. They need to unlock the secrets of streams, lakes, and canyons and to find how these treasures are veritable storehouses of inspiration. They must experience the sense of mastery of adversity. They must find a peak or a ridge that they can reach under their own power alone.
If we want to address global warming, along with the other environmental problems associated with our continued rush to burn our precious fossil fuels as quickly as possible, we must learn to use our resources more wisely, kick our addiction, and quickly start turning to sources of energy that have fewer negative impacts.
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