Consider this: all the ants on the planet, taken together, have a biomass greater than that of humans. Ants have been incredibly industrious for millions of years. Yet their productiveness nourishes plants, animals, and soil. Human industry has been in full swing for little over a century, yet it has brought about a decline in almost every ecosystem on the planet. Nature doesn't have a design problem. People do. William McDonough
About This Quote

The first part of this quote is an undeniable truth. Scientists estimate that the biomass of all ants on the planet is greater than that of all humans. The second part of this quote, “human industry has been in full swing for little over a century, yet it has brought about a decline in almost every ecosystem on the planet,” is probably true as well. However, the main idea behind this quote is that we must acknowledge the fact that nature does not have a design problem and that we ourselves are to blame for our own problems.

We must become more aware of what we are doing and stop doing it. We cannot blame nature for our problems since nature is an integral part of our lives. Instead, we need to stop polluting our environment and start caring for it instead.

Source: Michael Braungart

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  3. We, in the interest of the so-called progress, have been persuaded to leave the production and at times the cooking of our food to companies whose owners and employees make a living by exploiting our busyness or laziness and our innate hunger to continue living. - Mokokoma Mokhonoana
  4. Are we, intellectual sirs, not actively or passively 'producing' more and more words, more books, more articles, ceaselessly refilling the pot-boiler of speech, gorging ourselves on it rather, seizing books and 'experiences', to metamorphose them as quickly as possible into other words, plugging us in... - Anonymous
  5. Don't mistake activity with achievement. - John Wooden
More Quotes By William McDonough
  1. I am a man who knows nothing, guesses sometimes, finds frequently and who's always amazed.
  2. I have come with this message: since our gods and our aspirations are no longer anything but scientific, why shouldn't our loves be so too?
  3. Within this new work of art a creature from beyond the reach of Humanity has insinuated herself and now lurks there at the heart of the mystery, a power unimagined before our time.
  4. Brunettes are full of electricity.
  5. Nature was quick to pass the sponge of her deluges over these awkward sketches (dinosaurs), these first nightmares of Life.
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