--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Climate change now represents so urgent a…" description: "\"Climate change now represents so urgent a threat to mankind that the only way to deal with it is by suspending democracy.\" — James Lovelock" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d8/james-lovelock-5790_change_climate-change-now-represents-so-urgent_1995560.jpg" --- # Climate change now represents so urgent a threat to… ![“Climate change now represents so urgent a threat to mankind that the only way to deal with it is by suspending democracy.” quote by James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d8/james-lovelock-5790_change_climate-change-now-represents-so-urgent_1995560.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d8/james-lovelock-5790_change_climate-change-now-represents-so-urgent_1995560.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d8/james-lovelock-5790_change_climate-change-now-represents-so-urgent_1995560.jpg) > “Climate change now represents so urgent a threat to mankind that the only way to deal with it is by suspending democracy.” [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) ## 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 suggests that the severity of climate change is so extreme that democratic processes cannot respond quickly enough, implying a need for authoritarian action. **In simple terms:** Urgent climate crisis may require non‑democratic measures. Key Takeaway Consider stronger governance for climate action. Themes environment politics urgency governance risk Mood urgent concerned critical Type political environmental When to use this quote - policy making - international negotiations - emergency response - public advocacy Key Concepts climate science political theory authoritarianism Questions to Reflect On - Can urgent crises justify limiting freedoms? - What safeguards prevent abuse? A Different Perspective Democracy can adapt; authoritarianism may cause oppression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Climate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate/) [Climate change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate-change/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Environment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environment/) [Global warming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/global-warming/) [Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mankind/) [Threat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/threat/) ## Related quotes > [Climate change, if unchecked, is an urgent threat to health, food supplies, biodiversity, and livelihoods across the globe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/climate-change-if-unchecked-is-an-urgent-threat-to-health-food/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [Idle time is the biggest threat to all Mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/idle-time-is-the-biggest-threat-to-all-mankind/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Unless the peace that follows recognizes that the whole world is one neighborhood and does justice to the whole human race, the germs of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/unless-the-peace-that-follows-recognizes-that-the-whole-world-is-one/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [I think the environment is the biggest threat mankind has ever faced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hillcoat/i-think-the-environment-is-the-biggest-threat-mankind-has-ever-faced/) [John Hillcoat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hillcoat/) > [The greatest threat to mankind and civilization is the spread of the totalitarian philosophy. Its best ally is not the devotion of its followers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/the-greatest-threat-to-mankind-and-civilization-is-the-spread-of-the/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [The greatest threat to mankind comes from the renunciation of individual scruple in favor of institutional denominators. . . . Real heroism lies, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/the-greatest-threat-to-mankind-comes-from-the-renunciation-of/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [Full of criss-crossed fits, you lie all the time. Your tongue should be embarrassed, you're a threat to mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ll-cool-j/full-of-criss-crossed-fits-you-lie-all-the-time-your-tongue-should-be/) [LL Cool J](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ll-cool-j/) > [I'm quite pessimistic about climate change. This is an urgent problem, and much of the world is only now waking up to the easiest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-kitcher/i-m-quite-pessimistic-about-climate-change-this-is-an-urgent-problem/) [Philip Kitcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-kitcher/) > [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/) > [Esso has been the main one in America spreading the disinformation that there is no global warming problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/esso-has-been-the-main-one-in-america-spreading-the-disinformation/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [I have a feeling that climate change may be an issue as severe as a war. It may be necessary to put democracy on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/i-have-a-feeling-that-climate-change-may-be-an-issue-as-severe-as-a/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [God puts you where God needs you. You are where you are supposed to be. The job you are doing may not be any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-kushner/god-puts-you-where-god-needs-you-you-are-where-you-are-supposed-to-be/) [Lawrence Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-kushner/) > [Importunity is a condition of prayer. We are to press the matter, not with vain repetitions, but with urgent repetitions. We repeat, not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/importunity-is-a-condition-of-prayer-we-are-to-press-the-matter-not/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) > [In New York, you are constantly faced with this very urgent decision that you have to make, about every twenty minutes...you have to decide,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/in-new-york-you-are-constantly-faced-with-this-very-urgent-decision/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [People will pay a price for putting political obstruction over progress in a time that is so critical and urgent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kaine/people-will-pay-a-price-for-putting-political-obstruction-over/) [Tim Kaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kaine/) ## More by James Lovelock > [The Earth's population will be culled from today's 6.6 billion to as few as 500 million, with most of the survivors living in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/the-earth-s-population-will-be-culled-from-today-s-6-6-billion-to-as/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [“City wisdom became almost entirely centered on the problems of human relationships, in contrast to the wisdom of any natural tribal group, where relationships…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/city-wisdom-became-almost-entirely-centered-on-the-problems-of-human/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [You never know with politicians what they are really saying. And I don't say that in a negative way-they have an appalling job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/you-never-know-with-politicians-what-they-are-really-saying-and-i-don/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [The oil companies regard nuclear power as their rival, who will reduce their profits, so they put out a lot of disinformation about nuclear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/the-oil-companies-regard-nuclear-power-as-their-rival-who-will-reduce/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [If a power station were to be built down the road, I'd prefer a nuclear plant over an oil burner, and definitely over a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/if-a-power-station-were-to-be-built-down-the-road-i-d-prefer-a/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [The tropical rain forests are a telling example. Once cut down, they rarely recover. Rainfall drops, deserts spread, the climate warms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/the-tropical-rain-forests-are-a-telling-example-once-cut-down-they/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [“When we burn fossil fuel for energy we are, in qualitative terms, doing nothing more wrong than burning wood. Our wrongdoing, if that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/when-we-burn-fossil-fuel-for-energy-we-are-in-qualitative-terms-doing/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [I don't think we're yet evolved to the point where we're clever enough to handle a complex a situation as climate change. The inertia…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/i-don-t-think-we-re-yet-evolved-to-the-point-where-we-re-clever/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [By the end of this century, climate change will reduce the human population to a few breeding pairs surviving near the Arctic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/by-the-end-of-this-century-climate-change-will-reduce-the-human/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [The world has not warmed up very much since the millennium. Twelve years is a reasonable time… it (the temperature) has stayed almost constant,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/the-world-has-not-warmed-up-very-much-since-the-millennium-twelve/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [By 2040, the Sahara will be moving into Europe and Berlin will be as hot as Baghdad. Atlanta will end up a kudzu jungle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/by-2040-the-sahara-will-be-moving-into-europe-and-berlin-will-be-as/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [“One of the striking things about places heavily contaminated by radioactive nuclides is the richness of their wildlife. This is true of the land…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/one-of-the-striking-things-about-places-heavily-contaminated-by/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [Esso has been the main one in America spreading the disinformation that there is no global warming problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/esso-has-been-the-main-one-in-america-spreading-the-disinformation/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [Gas is almost a give-away in the U.S. at the moment. They've gone for fracking in a big way. This is what makes me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/gas-is-almost-a-give-away-in-the-u-s-at-the-moment-they-ve-gone-for/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [I'm a scientist, not a theologian. I don't know if there is a God or not. Religion requires certainty. Revere and respect Gaia. Have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/i-m-a-scientist-not-a-theologian-i-don-t-know-if-there-is-a-god-or/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) [Explore all 99 James Lovelock quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) Phil Hogan > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Climate change now represents so urgent a threat to mankind that the only way to deal with it is by suspending democracy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Lovelock" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/climate-change-now-represents-so-urgent-a-threat-to-mankind-that-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Change" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/climate-change-now-represents-so-urgent-a-threat-to-mankind-that-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d8/james-lovelock-5790_change_climate-change-now-represents-so-urgent_1995560.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d8/james-lovelock-5790_change_climate-change-now-represents-so-urgent_1995560.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d8/james-lovelock-5790_change_climate-change-now-represents-so-urgent_1995560.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Climate change now represents so urgent a threat to mankind that the only way to deal with it is by…” — James Lovelock", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "James Lovelock", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Climate change now represents so urgent...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/climate-change-now-represents-so-urgent-a-threat-to-mankind-that-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/climate-change-now-represents-so-urgent-a-threat-to-mankind-that-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```