Look at a child and realize that their future is in your hands. It's not just those who will be here fifty years from now. The decisions we make in the next ten years will shape the next 10,000 years.
Sylvia EarleThere are a lot of smart creatures out there. Dolphins, elephants, and whales are smart. And there are some really smart birds. I know some really intelligent fish. But they cannot know what humans know and are incapable of inflicting as much damage.
Sylvia EarleEating wildlife is probably not the smartest thing that we can do in terms of maintaining the integrity of natural systems.
Sylvia EarleWe are depleting this immense diversity and abundance of life, and it matters tremendously for the future of the planet.
Sylvia EarleIt's an appreciation for life generally, every bit of life, the smallest creature that lives in the intestines of termites that make termite life possible - to the leaves that turn out oxygen and grab carbon dioxide and with water make simple sugars that feed much of the world. I mean, these are everyday miracles.
Sylvia Earle