--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: On moral grounds, I think that if you…" description: "\"On moral grounds, I think that if you believe a certain outcome is a very possible outcome, you have an obligation to tell people that. With global war..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ce/joseph-j-romm-17334_believe_on-moral-grounds-i-think-that-if-you-bel_920549.jpg" --- # On moral grounds, I think that if you believe a certain… ![“On moral grounds, I think that if you believe a certain outcome is a very possible outcome, you have an obligation to tell people that. With global warming, the probability of a bad outcome if we stay on our current emission trends is incredibly high. If you know a bad outcome is likely to happen…” quote by Joseph J. Romm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ce/joseph-j-romm-17334_believe_on-moral-grounds-i-think-that-if-you-bel_920549.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ce/joseph-j-romm-17334_believe_on-moral-grounds-i-think-that-if-you-bel_920549.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ce/joseph-j-romm-17334_believe_on-moral-grounds-i-think-that-if-you-bel_920549.jpg) > “On moral grounds, I think that if you believe a certain outcome is a very possible outcome, you have an obligation to tell people that. With global warming, the probability of a bad outcome if we stay on our current emission trends is incredibly high. If you know a bad outcome is likely to happen, what right do you have not to communicate that? You go into a doctor's office, what are they going to do - not tell you the diagnosis?” [Joseph J. Romm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-j-romm/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When evidence shows a serious risk, we have a duty to warn others, especially about climate threats. **In simple terms:** Warn others about serious risks. Key Takeaway Speak up about likely harms. Themes responsibility ethics climate change communication Mood urgent concerned Type ethical advocacy When to use this quote - policy debates - medical consultations - community meetings - media interviews Key Concepts risk assessment public duty science communication Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance fear and action? - What barriers stop people from sharing bad news? A Different Perspective People may ignore warnings or feel helpless. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad Outcome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-outcome-1421910/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) [Certain Outcome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain-outcome-997910/) [Climate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate/) [Communicate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communicate/) [Currents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/currents/) [Diagnosis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diagnosis/) [Doctors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctors/) [Emissions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emissions/) [Global warming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/global-warming/) [Happens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happens/) [If you believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/if-you-believe/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Obligation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obligation/) [Office](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/office/) [Outcome Obligation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outcome-obligation-1421912/) [Outcome Possible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outcome-possible-1421911/) [Outcomes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outcomes/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Possible Outcome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possible-outcome-786398/) [Probability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/probability/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Trends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trends/) ## Related quotes > [“Most people considered options a good thing, the American way, but one tended to squander those choices, or to choose badly, and then to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-lasser/most-people-considered-options-a-good-thing-the-american-way-but-one/) [Scott Lasser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-lasser/) > [In every circumstance, all my life, my mind shows me the possible bad outcome: someone walks down steps, and before I can do anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bausch/in-every-circumstance-all-my-life-my-mind-shows-me-the-possible-bad/) [Richard Bausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bausch/) > [Maybe there would be a bad outcome for some of the others, but no one was going to shoot a soprano.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/maybe-there-would-be-a-bad-outcome-for-some-of-the-others-but-no-one/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [Being an employee is a bad outcome. You want to avoid that. Being an employee is never a good outcome. That's just an opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-o-leary/being-an-employee-is-a-bad-outcome-you-want-to-avoid-that-being-an/) [Kevin O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-o-leary/) > [It takes a lot of courage to choose to do nothing when you aren’t certain of the outcome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joelle-charbonneau/it-takes-a-lot-of-courage-to-choose-to-do-nothing-when-you-aren-t/) [Joelle Charbonneau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joelle-charbonneau/) > [“To insist on a certain outcome--one outcome--is to deny yourself the surprise experiences life was going to give you--the things you didn't know you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samara-o-shea/to-insist-on-a-certain-outcome-one-outcome-is-to-deny-yourself-the/) [Samara O'Shea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samara-o-shea/) > [“I believe that if you can't be absolutely certain of the outcome of your choices, then what difference does it make which path you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghan-sayres/i-believe-that-if-you-can-t-be-absolutely-certain-of-the-outcome-of/) [Meghan Sayres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghan-sayres/) > [Those who are certain of the outcome can afford to wait, and wait without anxiety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-bernstein/those-who-are-certain-of-the-outcome-can-afford-to-wait-and-wait/) [Gabrielle Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-bernstein/) > [None of us is certain about the outcome of the Arab Spring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ayotte/none-of-us-is-certain-about-the-outcome-of-the-arab-spring/) [Kelly Ayotte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ayotte/) > [When we dare to hope for a certain outcome and take action after action toward that outcome, we're dealing with nothing less than the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justine-musk/when-we-dare-to-hope-for-a-certain-outcome-and-take-action-after/) [Justine Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justine-musk/) > [To doubt is to have faith in the worst possible outcome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaine-lee-pardoe/to-doubt-is-to-have-faith-in-the-worst-possible-outcome/) [Blaine Lee Pardoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaine-lee-pardoe/) > [Currently, you are approaching each opportunity with a single possible outcome and when that doesn't happen you fool yourself that there was nothing more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-murray/currently-you-are-approaching-each-opportunity-with-a-single-possible/) [Chris Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-murray/) > [Investors believe in the best possible outcome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/investors-believe-in-the-best-possible-outcome/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [Optimism is when you're not sure where life is going to take you, so naturally you anticipate the best possible outcome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-thayer-hamann/optimism-is-when-you-re-not-sure-where-life-is-going-to-take-you-so/) [Hilary Thayer Hamann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-thayer-hamann/) > [If you've tried everything possible to get an outcome, and it just hasn't worked out as planned, stop trying so hard. Relax. Maybe the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-s-sharma/if-you-ve-tried-everything-possible-to-get-an-outcome-and-it-just/) [Robin S. Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-s-sharma/) ## More by Joseph J. Romm > [Protecting dozens of major coastal cities from future flooding will be challenging enough-rebuilding major coastal cities destroyed by super-hurricanes will be an almost impossible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-j-romm/protecting-dozens-of-major-coastal-cities-from-future-flooding-will/) [Joseph J. Romm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-j-romm/) > [If the politics of inaction and delay that have triumphed in this country continues for another decade, then Planetary Purgatory in the likely future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-j-romm/if-the-politics-of-inaction-and-delay-that-have-triumphed-in-this/) [Joseph J. Romm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-j-romm/) > [Much of the scientific community has been astonished that their increasingly strong and detailed warnings have been either ignored or attacked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-j-romm/much-of-the-scientific-community-has-been-astonished-that-their/) [Joseph J. Romm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-j-romm/) > [As long as a handful of U.S. scientists, most receiving funds from the fossil fuel industry, get equal time with hundreds of the world's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-j-romm/as-long-as-a-handful-of-u-s-scientists-most-receiving-funds-from-the/) [Joseph J. Romm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-j-romm/) > [Would PBS go so far as to give air time to an even more extreme kind of disinformer, a Holocaust denier?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-j-romm/would-pbs-go-so-far-as-to-give-air-time-to-an-even-more-extreme-kind/) [Joseph J. Romm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-j-romm/) > [Since 1955 the oceans have absorbed roughly twenty times more heat than the atmosphere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-j-romm/since-1955-the-oceans-have-absorbed-roughly-twenty-times-more-heat/) [Joseph J. Romm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-j-romm/) > [The first few feet of sea-level rise alone will displace more than 100 million people worldwide and turn all our major Gulf and Atlantic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-j-romm/the-first-few-feet-of-sea-level-rise-alone-will-displace-more-than/) [Joseph J. Romm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-j-romm/) > [You must become a climate champion, a single-issue voter. You must take whatever action you can. You must use whatever influence you have wherever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-j-romm/you-must-become-a-climate-champion-a-single-issue-voter-you-must-take/) [Joseph J. Romm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-j-romm/) > [Conservatives... are so opposed to government regulations that they are skeptical of anyone who identifies a problem that requires regulatory solutions - and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-j-romm/conservatives-are-so-opposed-to-government-regulations-that-they-are/) [Joseph J. Romm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-j-romm/) > [On our current path, all our great Gulf and Atlantic coast cities are at risk of meeting the same fate as New Orleans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-j-romm/on-our-current-path-all-our-great-gulf-and-atlantic-coast-cities-are/) [Joseph J. Romm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-j-romm/) > [Time is short. We have at most a decade to sharply reverse course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-j-romm/time-is-short-we-have-at-most-a-decade-to-sharply-reverse-course/) [Joseph J. Romm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-j-romm/) > [The best thing about improvements in health care is that all the climate-change deniers are now going to live long enough to see how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-j-romm/the-best-thing-about-improvements-in-health-care-is-that-all-the/) [Joseph J. Romm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-j-romm/) > [I've always believed that you should stick as closely to the science as possible. And my biggest advice to reporters has been, if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-j-romm/i-ve-always-believed-that-you-should-stick-as-closely-to-the-science/) [Joseph J. Romm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-j-romm/) > [Conservative Denyers and Delayers are the main reason America lacks the consensus and the political will to take up the fight against catastrophic climate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-j-romm/conservative-denyers-and-delayers-are-the-main-reason-america-lacks/) [Joseph J. Romm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-j-romm/) > [In 2005... Mumbai, India, saw that country's most intense recorded instance of rainfall - 3 feet of rain in twenty-four hours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-j-romm/in-2005-mumbai-india-saw-that-country-s-most-intense-recorded/) [Joseph J. Romm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-j-romm/) [Explore all 37 Joseph J. Romm quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-j-romm/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [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/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) [Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "On moral grounds, I think that if you believe a certain outcome is a very possible outcome, you have an obligation to tell people that. With global warming, the probability of a bad outcome if we stay on our current emission trends is incredibly high. If you know a bad outcome is likely to happen, what right do you have not to communicate that? You go into a doctor's office, what are they going to do - not tell you the diagnosis?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joseph J. Romm" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-j-romm/on-moral-grounds-i-think-that-if-you-believe-a-certain-outcome-is-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-j-romm/on-moral-grounds-i-think-that-if-you-believe-a-certain-outcome-is-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ce/joseph-j-romm-17334_believe_on-moral-grounds-i-think-that-if-you-bel_920549.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ce/joseph-j-romm-17334_believe_on-moral-grounds-i-think-that-if-you-bel_920549.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ce/joseph-j-romm-17334_believe_on-moral-grounds-i-think-that-if-you-bel_920549.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“On moral grounds, I think that if you believe a certain outcome is a very possible outcome, you have an…” — Joseph J. Romm", "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": "Joseph J. Romm", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-j-romm/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "On moral grounds, I think that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-j-romm/on-moral-grounds-i-think-that-if-you-believe-a-certain-outcome-is-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-j-romm/on-moral-grounds-i-think-that-if-you-believe-a-certain-outcome-is-a/#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 } } ] } ```