I am not a conventionally religious man, but in the wilderness I have come closest to finding myself and knowing the universe and accepting God - by which I mean accepting all that I don't know.
Bob BrownExxon, Coca-Cola, BHP Billiton and News Corporation have much more say in organising the global agenda than the planet's 5 billion mature-age voters without a ballot box.
Bob BrownWilderness has become one of the world's fastest disappearing resources, and it is non-renewable. Yet unlike oil, gold or woodchips, it is essential to the wellbeing of humanity. We are made of it and fashioned by it...our psychological beings resonate with it.
Bob BrownRenewable energy is proven technology, the price is dropping, the rest of the world is going that way, that's where our investment should be going as well.
Bob BrownWith a small fraction of the hundreds of billions of dollars spent on the Iraq war, the US and Australia could ensure every starving, sunken-eyed child on the planet could be well fed, have clean water and sanitation and a local school to go to.
Bob BrownWe must have an expansionary vision, one that captures the imagination and diversity of the whole community, one which benefits a nation which has moved beyond the basics of literacy and numeracy and which wants to develop a learning culture.
Bob BrownI think I could have been quite difficult to fathom as a youngster, this kid who didn't talk about himself very much.
Bob BrownFor comprehensive Earth action, an all-of-the-Earth representative democracy is required. That is, a global parliament.
Bob BrownI've always thought, and it gets tested at times, that I have a great faith in the fundamental goodness of human beings.
Bob BrownWe are all born bonded to nature; that's why we put depictions of flowers and forests, rather than bulldozers or log piles, on our walls.
Bob BrownGlobally the Greens have arisen like a spontaneous combustion, a reaction to the narrow-minded state-backed exploitation of resources and wealth for a few at the expense of the many.
Bob BrownSeeing the whales off James Price Point, mothers, babies, bull whales, seeing the count, going up into the thousands of these whales, the assurance that they will be ok with a mega port, mega ships and a huge factory ashore, is now clearly proven wrong.
Bob BrownCoffee in Brazil is always made fresh and, except at breakfast time, drunk jet black from demitasses first filled almost to the brim with the characteristic moist, soft coffee sugar of the country, which melts five times as fast as our hard granulated. For breakfast larger cups are used, and they're more than half filled with cream. This cafe con leite doesn't re-quire so much sugar as cafe preto-black coffee.
Bob BrownWe people of the Earth exist because our potential was there in the Big Bang, 13.7 billion years ago, as the universe exploded into being.
Bob BrownI have seen such an immense change from the total repression and criminality of homosexuality in my lifetime. It does make me much more buoyant and optimistic about the future. If that change can occur in that time there's hope for many other changes.
Bob BrownI'm worried about the traditional media, but I think the new media is a plus for democracy.
Bob BrownAustralia must prioritise education spending. It is not a question of whether or not we have the money, it is a question of how we choose to spend it.
Bob BrownEvery time I get a bit worried about having made some second rate choices in life I go back and read about the Suffragettes or William Wilberforce, people who were "wrong" in their own time and think, ah well.
Bob BrownReal life security and contentment come not from putting a gun in the cupboard, but from taking a role in the world's future.
Bob BrownIn securing the future of the planet, we secure happiness for ourselves. One of the aims of the Greens is to turn around the tide of pessimism amongst the young people of the world.
Bob BrownThe Greens will continue to champion a fairer society rather than simply the economy and to champion the parliament rather than simply the stock exchange .
Bob BrownI'm a very great non-violent character. I would never resort to violence to change anything.
Bob BrownThe reality is that if we in this rich, lucky quarter of the planet cannot make a stand for the 30 million other species we share this planet with, let alone our own species, then who can?
Bob BrownSo far as we know, Earth is the only planet which supports life, and it is the only planet on which we can survive. Our bodies and our minds are fashioned by it. Our hearts resonate with it. There will be little joy for the human spirit if we destroy the natural fabric of Earth with nothing left to do but go shopping. When we imagine the world a century from now, when we look our great grandchildren in the eye and see them smiling back at us because they know we cared for them, we smile too!
Bob BrownWhereas our common past, out of Africa, saw a global diaspora of humankind, our common future depends on a global coming together and consensus, resulting in a more equitable distribution of the Earth's largesse. When Africa, which gave us the wealth of life, has that debt returned, the world will have come of age.
Bob BrownThere are better alternatives... Australia should be exporting its solar technology, not its uranium.
Bob BrownThe pursuit of eternity is no longer the prerogative of the gods - it is the business of us all, here and now.
Bob BrownThere's a presumption that somehow you calculate beforehand whether something is going to be good politically or not. I simply don't.
Bob BrownThere is a spiritual side to our connection with the planet. And in this material world, that's anathema. It is somewhat worrying. What I say.. it makes life. It gives us fulfilment. It makes us whole human beings. And without it, we make mistakes. And, boy, are the leaders of the world making mistakes at the moment.
Bob Brown