When civilization stands at the edge of a cliff, a step forward doesn't make much sense. Denis Hayes More Quotes by Denis Hayes More Quotes From Denis Hayes Listen up, you couch potatoes: each recycled beer can saves enough electricity to run a television for three hours. Denis Hayes beer running fun I feel more confident than ever that the power to save the planet rests with the individual consumer. Denis Hayes environmental economy individual We shouldn't fuel the future with the polluting methods of the past, ... We have the technology to power our future in ways that don't threaten our health or poison our planet. Let's choose to use it. Denis Hayes technology poison past The more subtle thing is more speculative. The world is well past its long-term carrying capacity for human beings living a European, much less an American, lifestyle predicated on planned obsolescence. International economic growth is largely a matter of accelerated movement of materials from mines and forests to the dump. Instead of saving and buying decent furniture we can pass on to our children, we charge our credit cards for shaped heaps of sawdust and glue that fall apart in less than three or four years. Denis Hayes children past fall By the year 2000, such renewable energy sources could provide 40 percent of the global energy budget; by 2025, humanity could obtain 75 percent of its energy from solar resources. Denis Hayes humanity wind years Make Earth Day Every Day.” While we might not always live up to this ideal, I try to keep this quote from Denis Hayes, founder of the Earth Day Network and president of Seattle’s Bullitt Foundation, in mind when I need a little extra motivation to be a better environmentalist: “Listen up, you couch potatoes: each recycled beer can saves enough electricity to run a television for three hours. Denis Hayes motivation beer running Under communism, prices were not allowed to reflect economic reality. Under capitalism, prices don't reflect ecological reality. In the long run, the capitalist flaw -- if uncorrected -- may prove to be the more catastrophic. Denis Hayes running long reality I would love to see a fundamental re-thinking of whether we truly want to be the world's largest debtor nation, feeding an insatiable desire for mall-crawling with cheaply made crap from all over the world. Denis Hayes debtors desire thinking As a student of conservation biology, I believe that characteristics with survival value will ultimately prevail. There is no survival value in pessimism. If you think failure is inevitable, that view will probably become self-fulfilling. Denis Hayes self believe thinking We got everyone's attention, but we didn't solve any environmental problems. Denis Hayes environmental problem attention It is already too late to avoid mass starvation. Denis Hayes earth-day mass too-late he economy favors throughput over quality and craftsmanship, and economists are terrified because the American savings rate has crept upward from about zero to almost five percent. But the mortgage crisis and the burgeoning credit card crisis are causing Americans to become wary of irresponsible debt. Denis Hayes quality zero cards I suppose I'd characterize myself as having a faith-based optimism. My faith is parental and Darwinian. Denis Hayes faith-based parental optimism These are not exhortations from overwrought extremists, but carefully phrased warnings from some of the world's finest scientists. Denis Hayes finest warning world Obama wants to build such things as smart electrical grids and high-speed rail lines, which will offer big environmental improvements. Another obvious thing is that large-scale project financing is virtually frozen, so a lot of renewable energy projects are on hold. If the system doesn't get unclogged before the developers run out of cash, they will be cancelled. Money matters, and we are racing against time. Denis Hayes obvious-things smart running Whether you are buying a car or casting a ballot, choosing a job or planning a family, follow your moral compass. Don't let others define you. Don't let advertisers mold you; don't let zealots ensnare you; don't let conventional wisdom trap you....you are part of a much larger whole. Denis Hayes casting car jobs We presently have the technology ... fuel cells, solar cells, hydrogen ... the opportunities are amazing for clean energy. Denis Hayes technology cells opportunity The easiest way to make something cool is to get cool people to do it. Part of this might mean the president has to forget tensions with opponents, or people like Arnold Schwarzenegger who has actually been decent with oil issues. Maybe he needs to pull some of the cool people in and make them model the right behaviors. Denis Hayes issues oil mean There are a few obvious consequences and perhaps one subtle possibility. One obvious thing is that, to stimulate the economy, President Obama has committed to creating millions of green jobs that will leave a legacy - much as Roosevelt's public works did during the new deal. Denis Hayes obvious-things creating jobs When we held the first Earth Day, everyone said it was a success because of the huge turnout. It was probably the largest planned event across the country. Denis Hayes earth-day events country
