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If my grandchildren were to look at me and say, 'You were aware species were disappearing and you did nothing, you said nothing', that I think is culpable. I don't know how much more they expect me to be doing, I'd better ask them.
David Attenborough
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote expresses a sense of responsibility towards future generations in addressing environmental issues.

David Attenborough reflects on the moral obligation to act against the decline of species and biodiversity. He conveys that inaction in the face of environmental crises would be seen as wrong by future generations, emphasizing the importance of awareness and proactive measures to protect nature for those who come after us.

Themes

EnvironmentResponsibilityFuture GenerationsSpecies ExtinctionAwareness

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in a speech about climate change at a conference.

More from David Attenborough

I don't think we are going to become extinct. We're very clever and extremely resourceful - and we will find ways of preserving ourselves, of that I'm sure. But whether our lives will be as rich as they are now is another question.
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I'm against this huge globalisation on the basis of economic advantage.
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I would be absolutely astounded if population growth and industrialisation and all the stuff we are pumping into the atmosphere hadn't changed the climatic balance. Of course it has. There is no valid argument for denial.
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There's a small worm called Loa Loa Filariasis. This parasite can survive in one environment exclusively- namely, underneath the skin and inside the eyes of human beings. Children and the elderly in tropical regions (usually the poorest) are the most widely affected. A painful, slow death is virtually certain. The worm can actually live in the host for 17 years before the host finally dies.
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The fundamental issue is the moral issue.
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It is vital that there is a narrator figure whom people believe. That's why I never do commercials. If I started saying that margarine was the same as motherhood, people would think I was a liar.
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