---
title: "8 Carbon Quotes By Sylvia Earle"
description: "8 Carbon quotes by Sylvia Earle. Plus more from Sylvia Earle and more Carbon sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/962/sylvia-earle-1756_also_every-fish-fertilizes-the-water-in-a-way_298264.jpg"
---

> [Every fish fertilizes the water in a way that generates the plankton that ultimately leads back into the food chain, but also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/every-fish-fertilizes-the-water-in-a-way-that-generates-the-plankton/)

[Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/962/sylvia-earle-1756_also_every-fish-fertilizes-the-water-in-a-way_298264.jpg)

> [The Arctic is a place that historically, during all preceding human history, has largely been an icy realm with an impact on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/the-arctic-is-a-place-that-historically-during-all-preceding-human/)

[Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b04/sylvia-earle-1756_arctic_the-arctic-is-a-place-that-historically_324215.jpg)

> [The burning of fossil fuels has altered the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere so rapidly and so abundantly that now,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/the-burning-of-fossil-fuels-has-altered-the-amount-of-carbon-dioxide/)

[Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8c/sylvia-earle-1756_alpine_the-burning-of-fossil-fuels-has-altered_439304.jpg)

> [It's an appreciation for life generally, every bit of life, the smallest creature that lives in the intestines of termites that make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/it-s-an-appreciation-for-life-generally-every-bit-of-life-the/)

[Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/223/sylvia-earle-1756_appreciation_it-s-an-appreciation-for-life-generally_504581.jpg)

> [Ocean acidification - the excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that is turning the oceans increasingly acid - is a slow but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/ocean-acidification-the-excess-carbon-dioxide-in-the-atmosphere-that/)

[Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/193/sylvia-earle-1756_acid_ocean-acidification-the-excess-carbon-di_946351.jpg)

> [Photosynthetic organisms in the sea yield most of the oxygen in the atmosphere, take up and store vast amounts of carbon dioxide,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/photosynthetic-organisms-in-the-sea-yield-most-of-the-oxygen-in-the/)

[Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a8/sylvia-earle-1756_amount_photosynthetic-organisms-in-the-sea-yiel_1537219.jpg)

> [We have an atmosphere that is roughly 21% oxygen. The rest of it is largely nitrogen. There's just enough carbon dioxide (CO2)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/we-have-an-atmosphere-that-is-roughly-21-oxygen-the-rest-of-it-is/)

[Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98e/sylvia-earle-1756_atmosphere_we-have-an-atmosphere-that-is-roughly-21_2170029.jpg)

> [The oxygen cycle, the nitrogen cycle, the carbon cycle, the water cycle - all of these are linked to the existence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/the-oxygen-cycle-the-nitrogen-cycle-the-carbon-cycle-the-water-cycle/)

[Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/519/sylvia-earle-1756_carbon_the-oxygen-cycle-the-nitrogen-cycle-the_2749822.jpg)

## Other authors on Carbon

## More by Sylvia Earle

> [We still have 10 percent of the sharks. We still have half of the coral reefs. However, if we wait another 50 years, opportunities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/we-still-have-10-percent-of-the-sharks-we-still-have-half-of-the/)

[Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/)

> [Health to the ocean means health for us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/health-to-the-ocean-means-health-for-us/)

[Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/)

> [Evolution is not something to be feared. It's to be celebrated, embraced, and understood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/evolution-is-not-something-to-be-feared-it-s-to-be-celebrated/)

[Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/)

> [We are depleting this immense diversity and abundance of life, and it matters tremendously for the future of the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/we-are-depleting-this-immense-diversity-and-abundance-of-life-and-it/)

[Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/)

> [My mother was known as the 'bird lady' of the neighborhood. Anything injured, or any unusual creature somebody found, they would always come to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/my-mother-was-known-as-the-bird-lady-of-the-neighborhood-anything/)

[Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/)

> [There is this sweet spot in time when we have an opportunity to stop killing sharks and tunas and swordfish and other wildlife in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/there-is-this-sweet-spot-in-time-when-we-have-an-opportunity-to-stop/)

[Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/)

> [The sudden release of five million barrels of oil, enormous quantities of methane and two million gallons of toxic dispersants into an already greatly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/the-sudden-release-of-five-million-barrels-of-oil-enormous-quantities/)

[Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/)

> [I've always said, 'Underwater or on top, men and women are compatible.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/i-ve-always-said-underwater-or-on-top-men-and-women-are-compatible/)

[Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/)

> [With respect to the ocean being the heart of our blue planet: We are often asked, 'How much protection is enough?' We can only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/with-respect-to-the-ocean-being-the-heart-of-our-blue-planet-we-are/)

[Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/)

> [If the sea is sick, we'll feel it. If it dies, we die. Our future and the state of the oceans are one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/if-the-sea-is-sick-we-ll-feel-it-if-it-dies-we-die-our-future-and-the/)

[Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/)

> [The ocean seemed like a sea of Eden. But now we are facing paradise lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/the-ocean-seemed-like-a-sea-of-eden-but-now-we-are-facing-paradise/)

[Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/)

> [When you think about the real cost of so-called cheap energy that has driven our prosperity to unprecedented levels, for some of us, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/when-you-think-about-the-real-cost-of-so-called-cheap-energy-that-has/)

[Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/)

> [When I arrived on the planet, there were only two billion. Wildlife was more abundant, we were less so; now the situation is reversed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/when-i-arrived-on-the-planet-there-were-only-two-billion-wildlife-was/)

[Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/)

> [I've had the joy of spending thousands of hours under the sea. I wish I could take people along to see what I see,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/i-ve-had-the-joy-of-spending-thousands-of-hours-under-the-sea-i-wish/)

[Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/)

> [The observations that have developed over the years have given us perspective about where we fit in. We are newcomers, really recent arrivals on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/the-observations-that-have-developed-over-the-years-have-given-us/)

[Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "ItemList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carbon/sylvia-earle/#itemlist",
            "name": "8 Carbon Quotes By Sylvia Earle",
            "numberOfItems": 8,
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "Every fish fertilizes the water in a way that generates the plankton that ultimately leads back into the food chain, but also yields oxygen, grabs carbon - it's a part of what makes the ocean function and what makes the planet function.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Sylvia Earle"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/every-fish-fertilizes-the-water-in-a-way-that-generates-the-plankton/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/962/sylvia-earle-1756_also_every-fish-fertilizes-the-water-in-a-way_298264.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/962/sylvia-earle-1756_also_every-fish-fertilizes-the-water-in-a-way_298264.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/962/sylvia-earle-1756_also_every-fish-fertilizes-the-water-in-a-way_298264.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“Every fish fertilizes the water in a way that generates the plankton that ultimately leads back into the…” — Sylvia Earle",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "The Arctic is a place that historically, during all preceding human history, has largely been an icy realm with an impact on ocean currents. That, in turn, influences the temperature of the planet. The Arctic is now vulnerable because of the excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, with a rate of melting that is stunning.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Sylvia Earle"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/the-arctic-is-a-place-that-historically-during-all-preceding-human/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b04/sylvia-earle-1756_arctic_the-arctic-is-a-place-that-historically_324215.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b04/sylvia-earle-1756_arctic_the-arctic-is-a-place-that-historically_324215.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b04/sylvia-earle-1756_arctic_the-arctic-is-a-place-that-historically_324215.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“The Arctic is a place that historically, during all preceding human history, has largely been an icy realm…” — Sylvia Earle",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "The burning of fossil fuels has altered the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere so rapidly and so abundantly that now, we are driving not just the warming trend, not just the sea level rise that is a consequence of the warming trend that is melting polar ice and alpine ice, but also [ocean acidification].",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Sylvia Earle"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/the-burning-of-fossil-fuels-has-altered-the-amount-of-carbon-dioxide/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8c/sylvia-earle-1756_alpine_the-burning-of-fossil-fuels-has-altered_439304.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8c/sylvia-earle-1756_alpine_the-burning-of-fossil-fuels-has-altered_439304.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8c/sylvia-earle-1756_alpine_the-burning-of-fossil-fuels-has-altered_439304.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“The burning of fossil fuels has altered the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere so rapidly and so…” — Sylvia Earle",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "It'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.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Sylvia Earle"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/it-s-an-appreciation-for-life-generally-every-bit-of-life-the/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/223/sylvia-earle-1756_appreciation_it-s-an-appreciation-for-life-generally_504581.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/223/sylvia-earle-1756_appreciation_it-s-an-appreciation-for-life-generally_504581.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/223/sylvia-earle-1756_appreciation_it-s-an-appreciation-for-life-generally_504581.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“It's an appreciation for life generally, every bit of life, the smallest creature that lives in the…” — Sylvia Earle",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 5,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "Ocean acidification - the excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that is turning the oceans increasingly acid - is a slow but accelerating impact with consequences that will greatly overshadow all the oil spills put together. The warming trend that is CO2-related will overshadow all the oil spills that have ever occurred put together.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Sylvia Earle"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/ocean-acidification-the-excess-carbon-dioxide-in-the-atmosphere-that/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/193/sylvia-earle-1756_acid_ocean-acidification-the-excess-carbon-di_946351.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/193/sylvia-earle-1756_acid_ocean-acidification-the-excess-carbon-di_946351.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/193/sylvia-earle-1756_acid_ocean-acidification-the-excess-carbon-di_946351.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“Ocean acidification - the excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that is turning the oceans increasingly…” — Sylvia Earle",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 6,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "Photosynthetic organisms in the sea yield most of the oxygen in the atmosphere, take up and store vast amounts of carbon dioxide, shape planetary chemistry, and hold the planet steady.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Sylvia Earle"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/photosynthetic-organisms-in-the-sea-yield-most-of-the-oxygen-in-the/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a8/sylvia-earle-1756_amount_photosynthetic-organisms-in-the-sea-yiel_1537219.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a8/sylvia-earle-1756_amount_photosynthetic-organisms-in-the-sea-yiel_1537219.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a8/sylvia-earle-1756_amount_photosynthetic-organisms-in-the-sea-yiel_1537219.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“Photosynthetic organisms in the sea yield most of the oxygen in the atmosphere, take up and store vast…” — Sylvia Earle",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 7,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "We have an atmosphere that is roughly 21% oxygen. The rest of it is largely nitrogen. There's just enough carbon dioxide (CO2) to drive photosynthesis. That has been, throughout the history of our species, pretty stable. Until recently.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Sylvia Earle"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/we-have-an-atmosphere-that-is-roughly-21-oxygen-the-rest-of-it-is/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98e/sylvia-earle-1756_atmosphere_we-have-an-atmosphere-that-is-roughly-21_2170029.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98e/sylvia-earle-1756_atmosphere_we-have-an-atmosphere-that-is-roughly-21_2170029.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98e/sylvia-earle-1756_atmosphere_we-have-an-atmosphere-that-is-roughly-21_2170029.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“We have an atmosphere that is roughly 21% oxygen. The rest of it is largely nitrogen. There's just enough…” — Sylvia Earle",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 8,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "The oxygen cycle, the nitrogen cycle, the carbon cycle, the water cycle - all of these are linked to the existence of life in the sea.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Sylvia Earle"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/the-oxygen-cycle-the-nitrogen-cycle-the-carbon-cycle-the-water-cycle/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/519/sylvia-earle-1756_carbon_the-oxygen-cycle-the-nitrogen-cycle-the_2749822.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/519/sylvia-earle-1756_carbon_the-oxygen-cycle-the-nitrogen-cycle-the_2749822.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/519/sylvia-earle-1756_carbon_the-oxygen-cycle-the-nitrogen-cycle-the_2749822.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“The oxygen cycle, the nitrogen cycle, the carbon cycle, the water cycle - all of these are linked to the…” — Sylvia Earle",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "CollectionPage",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carbon/sylvia-earle/#webpage",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carbon/sylvia-earle/",
            "name": "Carbon Quotes by Sylvia Earle",
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "mainEntity": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carbon/sylvia-earle/#itemlist"
            },
            "primaryImageOfPage": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/962/sylvia-earle-1756_also_every-fish-fertilizes-the-water-in-a-way_298264.jpg"
            },
            "description": "8 Carbon quotes by Sylvia Earle. Plus more from Sylvia Earle and more Carbon sayings from other authors.",
            "breadcrumb": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carbon/sylvia-earle/#breadcrumb"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carbon/sylvia-earle/#breadcrumb",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Topics",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Carbon",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carbon/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 5,
                    "name": "Sylvia Earle",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carbon/sylvia-earle/"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
