Accumulation Quote by Barry Commoner
“Our assaults on the ecosystem are so powerful, so numerous, so finely interconnected, that although the damage they do is clear, it is very difficult to discover how it was done. By which weapon? In whose hand? Are we driving the ecosphere to destruction simply by our growing numbers? By our greedy accumulation of wealth? Or are the machines which we have built to gain this wealth-the magnificent technology that now feeds us out of neat packages, that clothes us in man-made fibers, that surrounds us with new chemical creations-at fault?”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Environmental Address, 1970s, null
Human activity causes complex, hidden ecological damage that is hard to trace and attribute.
In simple terms: Our impact harms nature in hidden ways.
Key Takeaway
Identify and reduce hidden environmental harms.
Themes
environment
interconnectedness
impact
technology
consumption
Mood
concerned
urgent
Type
analytical
critical
When to use this quote
- policy making
- corporate sustainability
- consumer choices
- technology design
Key Concepts
Ecology
Systems thinking
Externalities
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we make hidden ecological impacts visible?
- What responsibilities do innovators have for environmental outcomes?
A Different Perspective
Complex systems can mask cause and effect, making accountability difficult.
