--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What people don't understand is like when…" description: "\"What people don't understand is like when water gets polluted, it's an entire aquifer. There's a whole fascinating world that exists underneath our fee..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be2/erin-brockovich-9817_aquifers_what-people-don-t-understand-is-like-whe_3153267.jpg" --- # What people don't understand is like when water gets… ![“What people don't understand is like when water gets polluted, it's an entire aquifer. There's a whole fascinating world that exists underneath our feet that we don't see, therefore we don't relate.” quote by Erin Brockovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be2/erin-brockovich-9817_aquifers_what-people-don-t-understand-is-like-whe_3153267.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be2/erin-brockovich-9817_aquifers_what-people-don-t-understand-is-like-whe_3153267.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be2/erin-brockovich-9817_aquifers_what-people-don-t-understand-is-like-whe_3153267.jpg) > “What people don't understand is like when water gets polluted, it's an entire aquifer. There's a whole fascinating world that exists underneath our feet that we don't see, therefore we don't relate.” [Erin Brockovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-brockovich/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Environmental issues are hidden beneath the surface, unnoticed by most. **In simple terms:** Hidden pollution is like an unseen aquifer. Key Takeaway Raise awareness of hidden problems. Themes environment awareness hidden impacts Mood concerned determined Type activist educational When to use this quote - urban planning - public health - policy advocacy - community education Key Concepts systems thinking environmental justice Questions to Reflect On - What unseen issues affect your community? - How can individuals uncover hidden environmental threats? A Different Perspective Complex solutions may be costly and politically difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aquifers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aquifers/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I fracked over 3,000 wells in my life and never had a problem with an aquifer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-boone-pickens/i-fracked-over-3-000-wells-in-my-life-and-never-had-a-problem-with-an/) [T. Boone Pickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-boone-pickens/) > [ The aquifer \[is\] the water table people need to keep secure. Nature has this incredible system of water purification under the ground. Ground water… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-fox/the-aquifer-is-the-water-table-people-need-to-keep-secure-nature-has/) [Josh Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-fox/) > [India is criss-crossed with the most elegant wells that tap into the shallow aquifer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohini-nilekani/india-is-criss-crossed-with-the-most-elegant-wells-that-tap-into-the/) [Rohini Nilekani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohini-nilekani/) > [“There is really no polite way to put it: Now is not the time to be pissing away the nation's largest aquifer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julene-bair/there-is-really-no-polite-way-to-put-it-now-is-not-the-time-to-be/) [Julene Bair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julene-bair/) > [We know under Nebraska there is an underground aquifer that is probably underneath the whole state, but what form does it take? I kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-lin/we-know-under-nebraska-there-is-an-underground-aquifer-that-is/) [Maya Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-lin/) > [From the industry's point of view, the problem is not that coal companies blast the top off mountains, turning the area into a moonscape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goodell/from-the-industry-s-point-of-view-the-problem-is-not-that-coal/) [Jeff Goodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goodell/) > [I look at it this way... For centuries now, man has done everything he can to destroy, defile, and interfere with nature: clear-cutting forests,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/i-look-at-it-this-way-for-centuries-now-man-has-done-everything-he/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [We must keep these waters for wild rice, these trees for maple syrup, our lakes for fish, and our land and aquifers for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-laduke/we-must-keep-these-waters-for-wild-rice-these-trees-for-maple-syrup/) [Winona LaDuke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-laduke/) > [Just as with other great words, the word environment means different things. You might say that a cave woman twenty thousand years ago sweeping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/just-as-with-other-great-words-the-word-environment-means-different/) [Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) > [It takes 1,000 tons of water to produce 1 ton of grain. As water becomes scarce and countries are forced to divert irrigation water…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-r-brown/it-takes-1-000-tons-of-water-to-produce-1-ton-of-grain-as-water/) [Lester R. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-r-brown/) > [Our early 21st century civilization is in trouble. We need not go beyond the world food economy to see this. Over the last few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-r-brown/our-early-21st-century-civilization-is-in-trouble-we-need-not-go/) [Lester R. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-r-brown/) > [Capitalism rules worldwide, and a society whose economic fabric depends on constant growth requires that its citizens have ever-expanding needs and wants... In the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/capitalism-rules-worldwide-and-a-society-whose-economic-fabric/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [Today, our incentives aren't set up well - you can make a lot of money burning fossil fuels, digging up wetlands, pumping fossil water…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramez-naam/today-our-incentives-aren-t-set-up-well-you-can-make-a-lot-of-money/) [Ramez Naam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramez-naam/) > [There have been over a million wells hydraulically fractured in the history of the industry, and there is not one, not one, reported case…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rex-w-tillerson/there-have-been-over-a-million-wells-hydraulically-fractured-in-the/) [Rex W. Tillerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rex-w-tillerson/) > [... in a history of spiritual rupture, a social compact built on fantasy and collective secrets, poetry becomes more necessary than ever: it keeps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/in-a-history-of-spiritual-rupture-a-social-compact-built-on-fantasy/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) ## More by Erin Brockovich > [I believe that we have a huge problem with the water in America. We don't want to make that connection that these chemicals, at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-brockovich/i-believe-that-we-have-a-huge-problem-with-the-water-in-america-we/) [Erin Brockovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-brockovich/) > [If a community water system is forced to conduct a chlorine burn because they are experiencing nitrification, it is because they have failed... It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-brockovich/if-a-community-water-system-is-forced-to-conduct-a-chlorine-burn/) [Erin Brockovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-brockovich/) > [Glyphosate is only one of more than 80,000 registered commercially produced chemicals in the U.S. Some of these compounds, such as PFOA and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-brockovich/glyphosate-is-only-one-of-more-than-80-000-registered-commercially/) [Erin Brockovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-brockovich/) > [I was born and raised in Kansas. The worst things are the locusts, mosquitos, the flatness, the humidity. The greatest things are the simplicity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-brockovich/i-was-born-and-raised-in-kansas-the-worst-things-are-the-locusts/) [Erin Brockovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-brockovich/) > [The Porter Ranch situation is the BP oil spill on land.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-brockovich/the-porter-ranch-situation-is-the-bp-oil-spill-on-land/) [Erin Brockovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-brockovich/) > [I don't feel the need to defend myself anymore - I am a woman. I feel differently and I think differently than a man.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-brockovich/i-don-t-feel-the-need-to-defend-myself-anymore-i-am-a-woman-i-feel/) [Erin Brockovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-brockovich/) > [I was a simple girl born and raised in Kansas, I grew up with a learning disability. I was a single mum, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-brockovich/i-was-a-simple-girl-born-and-raised-in-kansas-i-grew-up-with-a/) [Erin Brockovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-brockovich/) > [I am an advocate for awareness, the truth, and a person's right to know. I believe that in the absence of the truth, all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-brockovich/i-am-an-advocate-for-awareness-the-truth-and-a-person-s-right-to-know/) [Erin Brockovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-brockovich/) > [I have never moved away from my mainstay - trying to address all the environmental issues that come to me. I consult with law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-brockovich/i-have-never-moved-away-from-my-mainstay-trying-to-address-all-the/) [Erin Brockovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-brockovich/) > [It's not just Porter Ranch. There's communities like Chatsworth. There's communities like Northridge. There's communities like Granada Hills - and a lot of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-brockovich/it-s-not-just-porter-ranch-there-s-communities-like-chatsworth-there/) [Erin Brockovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-brockovich/) > [Take It From Me: Life's a Struggle but You Can Win](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-brockovich/take-it-from-me-life-s-a-struggle-but-you-can-win/) [Erin Brockovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-brockovich/) > [There's been a false sense of security in the American people when it comes to environment issues and our water, because they believe that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-brockovich/there-s-been-a-false-sense-of-security-in-the-american-people-when-it/) [Erin Brockovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-brockovich/) > [It is high time SoCalGas is held responsible for its actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-brockovich/it-is-high-time-socalgas-is-held-responsible-for-its-actions/) [Erin Brockovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-brockovich/) > [Contaminated water is not a problem limited to Flint. Think of New Jersey, where school fountains were found to contain unsafe levels of lead.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-brockovich/contaminated-water-is-not-a-problem-limited-to-flint-think-of-new/) [Erin Brockovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-brockovich/) > [I stand with the Navajo Nation and call upon the U.S. Government to do what is right and clean up this mess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-brockovich/i-stand-with-the-navajo-nation-and-call-upon-the-u-s-government-to-do/) [Erin Brockovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-brockovich/) [Explore all 70 Erin Brockovich quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-brockovich/) ## More Aquifers quotes > [... in a history of spiritual rupture, a social compact built on fantasy and collective secrets, poetry becomes more necessary than ever: it keeps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/in-a-history-of-spiritual-rupture-a-social-compact-built-on-fantasy/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [ The aquifer \[is\] the water table people need to keep secure. Nature has this incredible system of water purification under the ground. Ground water… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-fox/the-aquifer-is-the-water-table-people-need-to-keep-secure-nature-has/) [Josh Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-fox/) > [There have been over a million wells hydraulically fractured in the history of the industry, and there is not one, not one, reported case…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rex-w-tillerson/there-have-been-over-a-million-wells-hydraulically-fractured-in-the/) [Rex W. Tillerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rex-w-tillerson/) > [Today, our incentives aren't set up well - you can make a lot of money burning fossil fuels, digging up wetlands, pumping fossil water…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramez-naam/today-our-incentives-aren-t-set-up-well-you-can-make-a-lot-of-money/) [Ramez Naam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramez-naam/) > [Capitalism rules worldwide, and a society whose economic fabric depends on constant growth requires that its citizens have ever-expanding needs and wants... In the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/capitalism-rules-worldwide-and-a-society-whose-economic-fabric/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [Our early 21st century civilization is in trouble. We need not go beyond the world food economy to see this. Over the last few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-r-brown/our-early-21st-century-civilization-is-in-trouble-we-need-not-go/) [Lester R. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-r-brown/) > [It takes 1,000 tons of water to produce 1 ton of grain. As water becomes scarce and countries are forced to divert irrigation water…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-r-brown/it-takes-1-000-tons-of-water-to-produce-1-ton-of-grain-as-water/) [Lester R. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-r-brown/) > [Just as with other great words, the word environment means different things. You might say that a cave woman twenty thousand years ago sweeping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/just-as-with-other-great-words-the-word-environment-means-different/) [Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) > [We must keep these waters for wild rice, these trees for maple syrup, our lakes for fish, and our land and aquifers for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-laduke/we-must-keep-these-waters-for-wild-rice-these-trees-for-maple-syrup/) [Winona LaDuke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-laduke/) > [I look at it this way... For centuries now, man has done everything he can to destroy, defile, and interfere with nature: clear-cutting forests,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/i-look-at-it-this-way-for-centuries-now-man-has-done-everything-he/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [From the industry's point of view, the problem is not that coal companies blast the top off mountains, turning the area into a moonscape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goodell/from-the-industry-s-point-of-view-the-problem-is-not-that-coal/) [Jeff Goodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goodell/) > [I fracked over 3,000 wells in my life and never had a problem with an aquifer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-boone-pickens/i-fracked-over-3-000-wells-in-my-life-and-never-had-a-problem-with-an/) [T. Boone Pickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-boone-pickens/) [Browse all 13 Aquifers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aquifers/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What people don't understand is like when water gets polluted, it's an entire aquifer. 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