Don't just live the length of your life - live the width of it as well.
Diane AckermanRead
Nature is more like a seesaw than a crystal, a never-ending conga line of bold moves and corrections.
Interpretation
Nature is dynamic and constantly changing, just like a seesaw, rather than being static and unchanging like a crystal.
In this quote, Diane Ackerman illustrates the idea that nature is not a fixed entity but a fluid and ever-evolving system, likening it to a seesaw that requires constant adjustments and movements to maintain balance. This reflects the intricate interplay of forces in the environment and suggests that adaptability is key to understanding and engaging with the natural world.
In practice
This quote is perfect for an environmental awareness speech to highlight the importance of adaptability in nature.
Don't just live the length of your life - live the width of it as well.
We try to exile ourselves more and more from nature - not always consciously: We build houses; we dismiss nature; nature has to be outside, because we're inside. God forbid something like a cockroach comes inside, or some dust.
We ogle plants and animals up close on television, the Internet and in the movies. We may not worship the animals we see, but we still regard them as necessary physical and spiritual companions. Technological nature can't completely satisfy that yearning.
Because IQ tests favor memory skills and logic, overlooking artistic creativity, insight, resiliency, emotional reserves, sensory gifts, and life experience, they can't really predict success, let alone satisfaction.
American writer_x000D_ _x000D_ 1803-1882_x000D_ _x000D_ Play is our brain's favorite way of learning.
In rare moments of deep play, we can lay aside our sense of self, shed time's continuum, ignore pain, and sit quietly in the absolute present, watching the world's ordinary miracles. No mind or heart hobbles. No analyzing or explaining. No questing for logic. No promises. No goals. No relationships. No worry. One is completely open to whatever drama may unfold.
The religious environmental movement is potentially key to dealing with the greatest problem humans have ever faced, and it has never been captured with more breadth and force than in RENEWAL. I hope this movie is screened in church basements and synagogue social halls across the country, and that it moves many more people of faith off the fence and into action.
Nature does not make mistakes. Right and wrong are human categories.
It is evident that many wars are fought over resources which are now becoming increasingly scarce. If we conserved our resources better, fighting over them would not occur ... protecting the global environment is directly related to securing peace. Those of us who understand the complex concept of the environment have the burden to act. We must not tire, we must not give up, we must persist.
All our environmental problems become easier to solve with fewer people and harder - and ultimately impossible to solve - with ever more people.
Contrary to popular belief, we do not face a choice between economy and ecology, It is often said that protecting the environment would constrain or even undermine economic growth. In fact, the opposite is true: unless we protect resources and the earth's natural capital, we shall not be able to sustain economic growth.
I welcome all creatures of the world with grace.
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