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About this quote

What does it mean?
Warns that exploiting resources beyond human needs creates ecological imbalance and eventual scarcity for everyone.
In plain terms
Taking more than you need from nature hurts everyone in the long run.
What can you take from it?
Limit consumption to personal necessities to ensure sustainability.

Where it applies

  • policy making
  • personal consumption
  • environmental planning

Putting it to work

  • reduce waste
  • advocate for sustainable limits

Questions to consider

  • What do you truly need?
  • How does your consumption affect others?

Another view

Economic growth models often require resource use beyond basic needs.

More from John Muir

  1. As long as I live, I'll hear waterfalls and birds and winds sing. I'll interpret the rocks, learn the language of flood, storm, and the avalanche. I'll acquain…

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  2. By forces seemingly antagonistic and destructive Nature accomplishes her beneficent designs- now a flood of fire, now a flood of ice, now a flood of water; and…

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  3. Any fool can destroy trees. They cannot run away; and if they could, they would still be destroyed, chased and hunted down as long as fun or a dollar could be …

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