--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is very possible to have lives that…" description: "\"It is very possible to have lives that are just as prosperous, and nicer, that use 5 percent of the fossil fuels and virgin materials we do now. But if..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e5/alex-steffen-10872_anything_it-is-very-possible-to-have-lives-that-a_778860.jpg" --- # It is very possible to have lives that are just as… ![“It is very possible to have lives that are just as prosperous, and nicer, that use 5 percent of the fossil fuels and virgin materials we do now. But if we're living anything like the average McMansion-ite, SUV-driving suburbanites, there's simply no way that can be powered in a climate-friendly way.” quote by Alex Steffen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e5/alex-steffen-10872_anything_it-is-very-possible-to-have-lives-that-a_778860.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e5/alex-steffen-10872_anything_it-is-very-possible-to-have-lives-that-a_778860.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e5/alex-steffen-10872_anything_it-is-very-possible-to-have-lives-that-a_778860.jpg) > “It is very possible to have lives that are just as prosperous, and nicer, that use 5 percent of the fossil fuels and virgin materials we do now. But if we're living anything like the average McMansion-ite, SUV-driving suburbanites, there's simply no way that can be powered in a climate-friendly way.” [Alex Steffen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-steffen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A modest lifestyle using minimal resources can be prosperous, but typical suburban habits are unsustainable for climate goals. **In simple terms:** Low consumption can still be comfortable. Key Takeaway Adopt sustainable habits. Themes environment sustainability consumption lifestyle climate Mood hopeful urgent Type opinion environmental When to use this quote - urban planning - personal budgeting - energy efficiency Key Concepts ecology economics Questions to Reflect On - What small changes can you make? - How can communities shift norms? A Different Perspective Changing entrenched habits requires systemic support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anything](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anything/) [Average](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/average/) [Climate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate/) [Climate Friendly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate-friendly-757303/) [Fossil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fossil/) [Fossil fuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fossil-fuel/) [Fossil fuels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fossil-fuels/) [Fuels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fuels/) [Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lives/) [Living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living/) [Materials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/materials/) [Materials Living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/materials-living-6005956/) [Nicer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nicer/) [Now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/now/) [Percent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/percent/) [Possible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possible/) [Powered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powered/) [Powered Climate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powered-climate-6005954/) [Prosperous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prosperous/) [Prosperous Nicer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prosperous-nicer-6005955/) [Simply](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simply/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Very](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/very/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [The most climate friendly trip we are ever going to take is the trip we never had to take because we were close to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-steffen/the-most-climate-friendly-trip-we-are-ever-going-to-take-is-the-trip/) [Alex Steffen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-steffen/) > [We Germans are particularly aware that you can only be successful on the global market over the long term if you offer energy-efficient products…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-schulz/we-germans-are-particularly-aware-that-you-can-only-be-successful-on/) [Martin Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-schulz/) > [More climate-friendly, coordinated laws, policies, and incentives are needed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-espinosa/more-climate-friendly-coordinated-laws-policies-and-incentives-are/) [Patricia Espinosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-espinosa/) > [We have to find climate-friendly ways of encouraging economic growth. 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And it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-steffen/there-are-a-lot-of-different-ways-of-building-a-prosperous-society/) [Alex Steffen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-steffen/) > [The brutal reality is that newer, more sprawling suburbs - and especially the cheap boom-years exburbs - aren't just a bit unsustainable, they're ruinously…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-steffen/the-brutal-reality-is-that-newer-more-sprawling-suburbs-and/) [Alex Steffen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-steffen/) > [Cities are responsible for the vast majority of the creation of the economy. They're also places into which we pour the vast majority of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-steffen/cities-are-responsible-for-the-vast-majority-of-the-creation-of-the/) [Alex Steffen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-steffen/) > [It's not that hard to imagine the natural world recovering it's health in our absence: it's more difficult, and more necessary, to imagine it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-steffen/it-s-not-that-hard-to-imagine-the-natural-world-recovering-it-s/) [Alex Steffen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-steffen/) > [There's no law of physics that says we have to be an unsustainable society - in fact, quite the opposite. The planet's ready to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-steffen/there-s-no-law-of-physics-that-says-we-have-to-be-an-unsustainable/) [Alex Steffen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-steffen/) > [We don't know yet how to build a society which is environmentally sustainable, which is shareable with everybody on the planet, which promotes stability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-steffen/we-don-t-know-yet-how-to-build-a-society-which-is-environmentally/) [Alex Steffen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-steffen/) > [Cabbies in particular seem to like discussing the fate the Earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-steffen/cabbies-in-particular-seem-to-like-discussing-the-fate-the-earth/) [Alex Steffen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-steffen/) > [I think there's a gigantic generation gap in terms of how people understand the Internet and how much they think technology is an important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-steffen/i-think-there-s-a-gigantic-generation-gap-in-terms-of-how-people/) [Alex Steffen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-steffen/) > [Climate change is not a discrete issue; it's a symptom of larger problems. 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Another world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-steffen/we-have-to-craft-new-political-realities-not-only-in-places-like/) [Alex Steffen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-steffen/) > [Copenhagen has done a remarkable job creating streets that are focused on bicycles and pedestrians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-steffen/copenhagen-has-done-a-remarkable-job-creating-streets-that-are/) [Alex Steffen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-steffen/) [Explore all 63 Alex Steffen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-steffen/) ## More Anything quotes > [I guess I've never really wanted to be anything else. I've never even thought about having another job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-farrell/i-guess-i-ve-never-really-wanted-to-be-anything-else-i-ve-never-even/) [Owen Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-farrell/) > [I would give anything to be able to kick a ball with my son or read the kids a bedtime story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-burrow/i-would-give-anything-to-be-able-to-kick-a-ball-with-my-son-or-read/) [Rob Burrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-burrow/) > [Comfort food is really anything you want at that time. That said, I really love Naple-style pizza.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-zakarian/comfort-food-is-really-anything-you-want-at-that-time-that-said-i/) [Geoffrey Zakarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-zakarian/) > [I haven't shut any doors, and I'm really open to anything, so I think it's just about the material and what is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-panabaker/i-haven-t-shut-any-doors-and-i-m-really-open-to-anything-so-i-think/) [Danielle Panabaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-panabaker/) > [When it really comes down to it, the job you do is more important and is more representative of who you are than your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cudlitz/when-it-really-comes-down-to-it-the-job-you-do-is-more-important-and/) [Michael Cudlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cudlitz/) > [The reason I'm drawn to it is - both the off road racing and the motorcycles on the track - it takes a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dax-shepard/the-reason-i-m-drawn-to-it-is-both-the-off-road-racing-and-the/) [Dax Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dax-shepard/) > [I never did drama at school. I did it for one term, when it was compulsory, and I hated it. Tennis was the main…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-mitchell/i-never-did-drama-at-school-i-did-it-for-one-term-when-it-was/) [Luke Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-mitchell/) > [We live in such a special time when literally anything we can think of is possible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-willey/we-live-in-such-a-special-time-when-literally-anything-we-can-think/) [Daniel Willey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-willey/) > [You know, I'm from Baltimore; nobody has anything. When somebody had talent, I was hiring my uncle, my cousin, you know? Getting people that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sisqo/you-know-i-m-from-baltimore-nobody-has-anything-when-somebody-had/) [Sisqo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sisqo/) > [I said to my agent, 'I want short, sharp, well-paid jobs because I haven't got time for anything else.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-whitelaw/i-said-to-my-agent-i-want-short-sharp-well-paid-jobs-because-i-haven/) [Billie Whitelaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-whitelaw/) > [I think anything that anyone writes thats any good is going to have a lot of autobiography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-adly-guirgis/i-think-anything-that-anyone-writes-thats-any-good-is-going-to-have-a/) [Stephen Adly Guirgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-adly-guirgis/) > [If the Bible is correct, and the Earth is only 6,000 years old, that means there were no dinosaurs, and museum curators have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-shock/if-the-bible-is-correct-and-the-earth-is-only-6-000-years-old-that/) [Ron Shock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-shock/) > [Don't do anything drastic like getting your eyebrows tattooed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-lee/don-t-do-anything-drastic-like-getting-your-eyebrows-tattooed/) [Greta Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-lee/) > [Whenever you define family as anything other than a man and a woman married together, you have just introduced an ethical nightmare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-evans/whenever-you-define-family-as-anything-other-than-a-man-and-a-woman/) [Tony Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-evans/) > [No lusting after your neighbor's house - or wife or servant or maid or ox or donkey. Don't set your heart on anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moses/no-lusting-after-your-neighbor-s-house-or-wife-or-servant-or-maid-or/) [Moses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moses/) [Browse all 9,437 Anything quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anything/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is very possible to have lives that are just as prosperous, and nicer, that use 5 percent of the fossil fuels and virgin materials we do now. 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