--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our gross national product, now, is over…" description: "\"“Our gross national product, now, is over eight hundred billion dollars a year, but that GNP--if we should judge America by that--counts air pollution ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ae/eric-liu-9463_air-pollution_our-gross-national-product-now-is-over-e_1515990.jpg" --- # Our gross national product, now, is over eight hundred… ![“Our gross national product, now, is over eight hundred billion dollars a year, but that GNP--if we should judge America by that--counts air pollution and cigarette advertising, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage. It counts special locks for our doors and the jails for those who break…” quote by Eric Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ae/eric-liu-9463_air-pollution_our-gross-national-product-now-is-over-e_1515990.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ae/eric-liu-9463_air-pollution_our-gross-national-product-now-is-over-e_1515990.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ae/eric-liu-9463_air-pollution_our-gross-national-product-now-is-over-e_1515990.jpg) > ““Our gross national product, now, is over eight hundred billion dollars a year, but that GNP--if we should judge America by that--counts air pollution and cigarette advertising, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage. It counts special locks for our doors and the jails for those who break them. It counts the destruction of our redwoods and the loss of our natural wonder in chaotic sprawl. It counts napalm and the cost of a nuclear warhead, and armored cars for police who fight riots in our streets. It counts Whitman's rifle and Speck's knife, and the television programs which glorify violence in order to sell toys to our children. Yet the gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education, or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages; the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither our wit nor our courage; neither our wisdom nor our learning; neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country; it measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile. And it can tell us everything about America except why we are proud that we are Americans.”” [Eric Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-liu/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that GNP is an inadequate measure of a nation's true well‑being, ignoring health, environment, culture, and moral values. **In simple terms:** GNP ignores health, environment, culture, and moral values. Key Takeaway Rethink how we measure progress. Themes economics environment ethics culture politics Mood critical reflective Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - policy making - education reform - community planning - environmental activism Key Concepts sustainable development human welfare social indicators Questions to Reflect On - What alternative metrics could better capture a nation's health? - How does focusing on GNP affect public priorities? A Different Perspective GNP can be manipulated and may mask underlying social problems. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Air pollution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/air-pollution/) [America Counts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america-counts-5591643/) [Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gross/) [Gross National](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gross-national-966140/) [National Product](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/national-product-1336300/) [Nuclear war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuclear-war/) [Patriotism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriotism/) [Year Gnp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/year-gnp-5591642/) ## Related quotes > [“Too much and too long, we seem to have surrendered community excellence and community values in the mere accumulation of material things. Our gross…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-f-kennedy/too-much-and-too-long-we-seem-to-have-surrendered-community-2/) [Robert F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-f-kennedy/) > [The gross national product includes air pollution and advertising for cigarettes, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage. It counts special locks for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/the-gross-national-product-includes-air-pollution-and-advertising-for/) [Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) > [The Gross National Product includes the destruction of the redwoods and the death of Lake Superior. It grows with the production of napalm and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/the-gross-national-product-includes-the-destruction-of-the-redwoods/) [Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) > [Gross National Product measures neither the health of our children, the quality of their education, nor the joy of their play. It measures neither…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-francis-kennedy/gross-national-product-measures-neither-the-health-of-our-children/) [Robert Francis Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-francis-kennedy/) > [The Gross National Product measures everything except that which makes life worthwhile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/the-gross-national-product-measures-everything-except-that-which/) [Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) > [...the gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education or the joy of their play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-gross-national-product-does-not-allow-for-the-health-of-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education or the joy of their play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/the-gross-national-product-does-not-allow-for-the-health-of-our-3/) [Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) > [The Gross National Product measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our learning, neither our compassion nor our devotion to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/the-gross-national-product-measures-neither-our-wit-nor-our-courage/) [Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) > [The substance of man cannot be measured by Gross National Product.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/the-substance-of-man-cannot-be-measured-by-gross-national-product/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [Gross National Product is our Holy Grail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-udall/gross-national-product-is-our-holy-grail/) [Stewart Udall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-udall/) > [“Even if we act to erase material poverty, there is another greater task, it is to confront the poverty of satisfaction - purpose and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-f-kennedy/even-if-we-act-to-erase-material-poverty-there-is-another-greater-2/) [Robert F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-f-kennedy/) > [“Even if we act to erase material poverty, there is another greater task; it is to confront the poverty of satisfaction – purpose and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nic-marks/even-if-we-act-to-erase-material-poverty-there-is-another-greater/) [Nic Marks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nic-marks/) > [“The Gross National Product does not include the beauty of our poetry or the intelligence of our public debate. It measures neither our wit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-brynjolfsson/the-gross-national-product-does-not-include-the-beauty-of-our-poetry/) [Erik Brynjolfsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-brynjolfsson/) > [“In a nutshell, Gross National Happiness seeks to measure a nation’s progress not by its balance sheet but rather by the happiness—or unhappiness—of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/in-a-nutshell-gross-national-happiness-seeks-to-measure-a-nation-s/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) > [We will find neither national purpose nor personal satisfaction in a mere continuation of economic progress, in an endless amassing of worldly goods. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/we-will-find-neither-national-purpose-nor-personal-satisfaction-in-a/) [Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/) ## More by Eric Liu > [“There was an omnivorous intellect that won him the family sobriquet of Walking Encyclopedia.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-liu/there-was-an-omnivorous-intellect-that-won-him-the-family-sobriquet/) [Eric Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-liu/) > [Have you ever watched someone become American? Last week, at a national citizenship conference I organize, thirty immigrants from 17 countries swore an oath…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-liu/have-you-ever-watched-someone-become-american-last-week-at-a-national/) [Eric Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-liu/) > [It turns out umpires and judges are not robots or traffic cameras, inertly monitoring deviations from a fixed zone of the permissible. 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And there is no better way for them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-liu/americans-need-to-call-on-boomers-in-their-next-act-onstage-to-behave/) [Eric Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-liu/) > [Here's a proposal, offered only partly in jest: no resident of the United States, whether born here or abroad, should get to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-liu/here-s-a-proposal-offered-only-partly-in-jest-no-resident-of-the/) [Eric Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-liu/) > [Like the 'little emperors' of one-child China, too many Boomers were taught early that the world was made (or saved) for their comfort and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-liu/like-the-little-emperors-of-one-child-china-too-many-boomers-were/) [Eric Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-liu/) > [We're all better off...when we're all better off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-liu/we-re-all-better-off-when-we-re-all-better-off/) [Eric Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-liu/) > [In the end no segregationist scheme has withstood the force of a simple idea: equality under law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-liu/in-the-end-no-segregationist-scheme-has-withstood-the-force-of-a/) [Eric Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-liu/) > [From the right, you get demagogues shouting about brown-skinned anchor babies and clamoring to deport the undocumented. From the left, you get advocacy for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-liu/from-the-right-you-get-demagogues-shouting-about-brown-skinned-anchor/) [Eric Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-liu/) > [You want to defend citizenship? Don't persecute or isolate those without papers. Just live like a citizen. That'd be a first-class way to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-liu/you-want-to-defend-citizenship-don-t-persecute-or-isolate-those/) [Eric Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-liu/) > [In the end, a new Americanization movement can't just be about listing our privileges and immunities, which we catalog in our laws. It also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-liu/in-the-end-a-new-americanization-movement-can-t-just-be-about-listing/) [Eric Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-liu/) [Explore all 72 Eric Liu quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-liu/) ## More Air pollution quotes > [Transportation is responsible for half of our state's air pollution, and many suffer as a result. Children are more likely to develop respiratory illnesses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-padilla/transportation-is-responsible-for-half-of-our-state-s-air-pollution/) [Alex Padilla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-padilla/) > [Air pollution puts people at higher risks for cancer, heart disease, and premature death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-gallego/air-pollution-puts-people-at-higher-risks-for-cancer-heart-disease/) [Ruben Gallego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-gallego/) > [Air pollution is my biggest concern right now. Maybe because I live in Beijing, and in this city we have such severe challenges due…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-bingbing/air-pollution-is-my-biggest-concern-right-now-maybe-because-i-live-in/) [Li Bingbing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-bingbing/) > [You go into a community and they will vote 80 percent to 20 percent in favor of a tougher Clean Air Act, but if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ruckelshaus/you-go-into-a-community-and-they-will-vote-80-percent-to-20-percent/) [William Ruckelshaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ruckelshaus/) > [In my home state of Delaware, we've done our homework and worked hard and, as a result, we've made great strides in cleaning up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-my-home-state-of-delaware-we-ve-done-our-homework-and-worked-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For some time I watch the coming of the night? Above is the glistening galaxy of childhood, now hidden in the Western world by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-matthiessen/for-some-time-i-watch-the-coming-of-the-night-above-is-the-glistening/) [Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/) > [Nowadays a lot of what was wrong with me would no doubt be ascribed to Attention Deficit Disorder, tartrazine food colouring, dairy produce and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/nowadays-a-lot-of-what-was-wrong-with-me-would-no-doubt-be-ascribed/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [Carpooling is important for urban density, air pollution and other reasons, but carpooling is not the kind of thing that actually changes the energy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-shirky/carpooling-is-important-for-urban-density-air-pollution-and-other/) [Clay Shirky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-shirky/) > [Like air pollution, flood risk is a threat that government should be protecting us against.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-gardiner/like-air-pollution-flood-risk-is-a-threat-that-government-should-be/) [Barry Gardiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-gardiner/) > [Overpopulation in the United States will become THE single greatest issue facing Americans in the 21st century. We either solve it proactively or nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frosty-wooldridge/overpopulation-in-the-united-states-will-become-the-single-greatest/) [Frosty Wooldridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frosty-wooldridge/) > [Many people will never be bothered by air pollution because they don't stop talking long enough to take a deep breath.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/many-people-will-never-be-bothered-by-air-pollution-because-they-don/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [“Even if we act to erase material poverty, there is another greater task; it is to confront the poverty of satisfaction – purpose and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nic-marks/even-if-we-act-to-erase-material-poverty-there-is-another-greater/) [Nic Marks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nic-marks/) > [“Pages could be written on the immense losses of productive soil that occur annually in almost every continent of the earth; on lethal air…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-bookchin/pages-could-be-written-on-the-immense-losses-of-productive-soil-that/) [Murray Bookchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-bookchin/) > [Years of government inaction on air pollution has got people thinking that the state cannot even protect basic public goods like clean air.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-gardiner/years-of-government-inaction-on-air-pollution-has-got-people-thinking/) [Barry Gardiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-gardiner/) > [“To say it's the poor quality of the paint under socialism is correct, but it is not enough. To say it's soft-coal exploitation and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slavenka-drakuli/to-say-it-s-the-poor-quality-of-the-paint-under-socialism-is-correct/) [Slavenka Drakulić](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slavenka-drakuli/) [Browse all 96 Air pollution quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/air-pollution/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Our gross national product, now, is over eight hundred billion dollars a year, but that GNP--if we should judge America by that--counts air pollution and cigarette advertising, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage. It counts special locks for our doors and the jails for those who break them. It counts the destruction of our redwoods and the loss of our natural wonder in chaotic sprawl. It counts napalm and the cost of a nuclear warhead, and armored cars for police who fight riots in our streets. It counts Whitman's rifle and Speck's knife, and the television programs which glorify violence in order to sell toys to our children. Yet the gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education, or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages; the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither our wit nor our courage; neither our wisdom nor our learning; neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country; it measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile. 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