--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Zeroes are important. A million seconds…" description: "\"Zeroes are important. A million seconds ago was last week. A billion seconds ago, Richard Nixon resigned the presidency. A trillion seconds ago was 30,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b40/denis-hayes-16094_accuracy_zeroes-are-important-a-million-seconds-a_349108.png" --- # Zeroes are important. A million seconds ago was last week… ![“Zeroes are important. A million seconds ago was last week. A billion seconds ago, Richard Nixon resigned the presidency. A trillion seconds ago was 30,000 BC, and early humans were using stone tools.” quote by Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b40/denis-hayes-16094_accuracy_zeroes-are-important-a-million-seconds-a_349108.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b40/denis-hayes-16094_accuracy_zeroes-are-important-a-million-seconds-a_349108.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b40/denis-hayes-16094_accuracy_zeroes-are-important-a-million-seconds-a_349108.png) > “Zeroes are important. A million seconds ago was last week. A billion seconds ago, Richard Nixon resigned the presidency. A trillion seconds ago was 30,000 BC, and early humans were using stone tools.” [Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Time scales illustrate humanity’s brief impact; recognizing this urges urgent environmental action. **In simple terms:** Time shows our fleeting influence; act now. Key Takeaway Prioritize climate solutions. Themes environment time perspective urgency Mood urgent inspirational Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - policy making - personal lifestyle - education - technology development Key Concepts deep time anthropocene Questions to Reflect On - How does understanding deep time affect your choices? - What steps can you take today for climate health? A Different Perspective Long-term change requires sustained effort and cooperation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accuracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accuracy/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Presidency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presidency/) [Tools](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tools/) [Week](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/week/) ## Related quotes > [One of the simplest ways to get an idea of one trillion dollars is to consider the amount in terms of the passage of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-davis/one-of-the-simplest-ways-to-get-an-idea-of-one-trillion-dollars-is-to/) [Geoff Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-davis/) > [“Edward: We gotta make those four million seconds count. Just in case.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecilia-gray/edward-we-gotta-make-those-four-million-seconds-count-just-in-case/) [Cecilia Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecilia-gray/) > [“Let’s pause a moment to think about how much $1 trillion really is. Such large-scale economic matters are often discussed in terms of trillions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-boortz/let-s-pause-a-moment-to-think-about-how-much-1-trillion-really-is/) [Neal Boortz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-boortz/) > [There are over 7,000,000,000 or 7 billion people on this planet called Earth with each person saying millions of things for 3 billion seconds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mrawesome/there-are-over-7-000-000-000-or-7-billion-people-on-this-planet/) MrAwesome > [“I was given my life, some two and a half billion seconds: I did some reckoning, and I decided to do something with those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/i-was-given-my-life-some-two-and-a-half-billion-seconds-i-did-some/) [Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/) > [“A billion hours ago, human life appeared on earth. A billion minutes ago, Christianity emerged. A billion seconds ago, the Beatles changed music. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-standage/a-billion-hours-ago-human-life-appeared-on-earth-a-billion-minutes/) [Tom Standage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-standage/) > [That awkward moment when you are about to like someones Facebook status and then you see it was posted 43 seconds ago...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-awkward-moment-when-you-are-about-to-like-someones-facebook/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [By then she was dead. In fact, she may have been dead a while ago. Physically, several seconds ago, mentally, ages ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/koushun-takami/by-then-she-was-dead-in-fact-she-may-have-been-dead-a-while-ago/) [Koushun Takami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/koushun-takami/) > [On either side in Time, there's nothing similar to Now, only memories or imaginings . The place you were ten seconds ago has vanished,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-j-deikman/on-either-side-in-time-there-s-nothing-similar-to-now-only-memories/) [Arthur J. Deikman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-j-deikman/) > [If a guy says he's not in mood to talk with a girl. He probably have masturbated few seconds ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/if-a-guy-says-he-s-not-in-mood-to-talk-with-a-girl-he-probably-have/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [Up until like five seconds ago, I just took what jobs came along.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bettany/up-until-like-five-seconds-ago-i-just-took-what-jobs-came-along/) [Paul Bettany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bettany/) > [Don't judge me for what I did few seconds ago, I have changed since then.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dora-providence/don-t-judge-me-for-what-i-did-few-seconds-ago-i-have-changed-since/) [Dora Providence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dora-providence/) > [History happens as soon as I pick up my coffee cup - it happened 30 seconds ago. It's history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/history-happens-as-soon-as-i-pick-up-my-coffee-cup-it-happened-30/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) > [“Tristan was silent for a few moments, looking at the leaves before them. "Life isn't about the past and the future. It's about today."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-fine/tristan-was-silent-for-a-few-moments-looking-at-the-leaves-before/) [Chelsea Fine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-fine/) > [“How could Mark be halfway across the world when she would have sworn he'd been in this room with her only seconds ago?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-medeiros/how-could-mark-be-halfway-across-the-world-when-she-would-have-sworn/) [Teresa Medeiros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-medeiros/) ## More by Denis Hayes > [Whether you are buying a car or casting a ballot, choosing a job or planning a family, follow your moral compass. Don't let others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hayes/whether-you-are-buying-a-car-or-casting-a-ballot-choosing-a-job-or/) [Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/) > [Environmentally, business in America in 1970 was very similar to business in China today. Even if a CEO wanted to be a responsible corporate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hayes/environmentally-business-in-america-in-1970-was-very-similar-to/) [Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/) > [When we held the first Earth Day, everyone said it was a success because of the huge turnout. It was probably the largest planned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hayes/when-we-held-the-first-earth-day-everyone-said-it-was-a-success/) [Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/) > [Asbestos, EMFs, and CFCs have given us a degree of humility. When yesterday's "triumph of modern chemistry" turns out instead to be today's deadly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hayes/asbestos-emfs-and-cfcs-have-given-us-a-degree-of-humility-when/) [Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/) > [Make Earth Day Every Day.” While we might not always live up to this ideal, I try to keep this quote from Denis Hayes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hayes/make-earth-day-every-day-while-we-might-not-always-live-up-to-this/) [Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/) > [America has the technology and resources to meet all its energy needs while safeguarding the earth's climate. The urgent question now is, 'Do we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hayes/america-has-the-technology-and-resources-to-meet-all-its-energy-needs/) [Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/) > [I suppose I'd characterize myself as having a faith-based optimism. My faith is parental and Darwinian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hayes/i-suppose-i-d-characterize-myself-as-having-a-faith-based-optimism-my/) [Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/) > [We need a firm cap on carbon emissions from fossil fuels. No coal, oil, or gas could enter the economy until the buyer had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hayes/we-need-a-firm-cap-on-carbon-emissions-from-fossil-fuels-no-coal-oil/) [Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/) > [We got everyone's attention, but we didn't solve any environmental problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hayes/we-got-everyone-s-attention-but-we-didn-t-solve-any-environmental/) [Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/) > [We've made some heroic efforts, but the Earth as a whole is in worse shape today than 30 years ago, ... There's been 30…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hayes/we-ve-made-some-heroic-efforts-but-the-earth-as-a-whole-is-in-worse/) [Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/) > [There are a few obvious consequences and perhaps one subtle possibility. One obvious thing is that, to stimulate the economy, President Obama has committed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hayes/there-are-a-few-obvious-consequences-and-perhaps-one-subtle/) [Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/) > [Sustainability requires that we demand enduring quality. Steve Strong has a slide presentation pointing out that much of Oxford was built 800 years ago.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hayes/sustainability-requires-that-we-demand-enduring-quality-steve-strong/) [Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/) > [f the government is going to put money into the automobile sector, it should break up GM and Chrysler as a condition of financial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hayes/f-the-government-is-going-to-put-money-into-the-automobile-sector-it/) [Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/) > [The sunshine that strikes American roads each year contains more energy than all the fossil fuels used by the entire world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hayes/the-sunshine-that-strikes-american-roads-each-year-contains-more/) [Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/) > [With time environmental issues got much more complicated. It is pretty easy, if you know what you are doing, to stop a company from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hayes/with-time-environmental-issues-got-much-more-complicated-it-is-pretty/) [Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/) [Explore all 41 Denis Hayes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/) ## More Accuracy quotes > [Talented people can predict with great accuracy what's about to happen just a tiny bit ahead of their competitors. 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In hardware if you screw it up you are dead. So accuracy really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-hoffman/in-software-speed-to-market-speed-to-learning-is-really-key-in/) [Reid Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-hoffman/) > [Lawyers tend to be bright people. They tend to be-much more than many journalists I've encountered-sticklers for detail and accuracy, and they have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/lawyers-tend-to-be-bright-people-they-tend-to-be-much-more-than-many/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [There's a simplicity in typography that demands absolute accuracy... the only way you can experience it is by doing it, and you can't do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-maag/there-s-a-simplicity-in-typography-that-demands-absolute-accuracy-the/) Bruno Maag > [“The only thing that words can do with any real precision or accuracy is hang together. Accuracy of description in language is not possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/northrop-frye/the-only-thing-that-words-can-do-with-any-real-precision-or-accuracy/) [Northrop Frye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/northrop-frye/) > [Am I accurately reporting what I see in such a blossom? The answer is no ... and yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-lacy/am-i-accurately-reporting-what-i-see-in-such-a-blossom-the-answer-is/) [Allen Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-lacy/) > [Only by being suspended aloft, by dangling my mind in the heavens and mingling my rare thought with the ethereal air, could I ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristophanes/only-by-being-suspended-aloft-by-dangling-my-mind-in-the-heavens-and/) [Aristophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristophanes/) > [Without much accuracy, with strangely little love at all, your family will decide for you exactly who you are, and they'll keep nudging, coaxing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-gurganus/without-much-accuracy-with-strangely-little-love-at-all-your-family/) [Allan Gurganus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-gurganus/) > [The federal government is starting to plan for climate change by making extended forecasts that can help people plan for extreme weather - because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/the-federal-government-is-starting-to-plan-for-climate-change-by/) [Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/) > [Nobody sees reality whole; we all need others to show us the parts of it that they see better than we do. Nobody sees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-b-smedes/nobody-sees-reality-whole-we-all-need-others-to-show-us-the-parts-of/) [Lewis B. Smedes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-b-smedes/) > [The state of empathy, or being empathic, is to perceive the internal frame of reference of another with accuracy and with the emotional components…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-rogers/the-state-of-empathy-or-being-empathic-is-to-perceive-the-internal/) [Carl Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-rogers/) > [What we have learned is that Roland-Jones is a very promising prospect. Because of the way he bowls, he will not blow batsmen away,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-agnew/what-we-have-learned-is-that-roland-jones-is-a-very-promising/) [Jonathan Agnew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-agnew/) [Browse all 388 Accuracy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accuracy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Zeroes are important. A million seconds ago was last week. A billion seconds ago, Richard Nixon resigned the presidency. 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