--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The most urgent challenge of present…" description: "\"“The most urgent challenge of present civilization is to understand that the drying out of landscapes has a much more serious impact on climatic change..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c7/judith-d-schwartz-9338_change_the-most-urgent-challenge-of-present-civ_974734.jpg" --- # The most urgent challenge of present civilization is to… ![“The most urgent challenge of present civilization is to understand that the drying out of landscapes has a much more serious impact on climatic change than an increase of CO2 in the atmosphere.” quote by Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c7/judith-d-schwartz-9338_change_the-most-urgent-challenge-of-present-civ_974734.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c7/judith-d-schwartz-9338_change_the-most-urgent-challenge-of-present-civ_974734.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c7/judith-d-schwartz-9338_change_the-most-urgent-challenge-of-present-civ_974734.jpg) > ““The most urgent challenge of present civilization is to understand that the drying out of landscapes has a much more serious impact on climatic change than an increase of CO2 in the atmosphere.”” [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Land degradation drives climate change more severely than CO₂ increases, so restoring ecosystems is crucial. **In simple terms:** Dry land hurts climate more than CO₂. Key Takeaway Prioritize ecosystem restoration. Themes environment climate change land management policy science Mood urgent thoughtful Type environmental scientific When to use this quote - government policy - land restoration projects - environmental education - climate advocacy Key Concepts ecosystem services feedback loops carbon cycle Questions to Reflect On - What policies can accelerate land restoration? - How can we measure land’s climate impact? A Different Perspective Restoring land is costly and politically complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Climate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate/) [Climatic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climatic/) [Climatic Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climatic-change-1533507/) [Impact Climatic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impact-climatic-1896890/) [Increase Co2](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/increase-co2-1896892/) [Landscapes Impact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/landscapes-impact-1896891/) ## Related quotes > [There are a number of causes of climatic change, and until all causes other than carbon dioxide increase are ruled out, we cannot attribute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reid-bryson/there-are-a-number-of-causes-of-climatic-change-and-until-all-causes/) [Reid Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reid-bryson/) > [The science is clear that there is an increase in the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. 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In the past, people believed that the climate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-von-storch/the-fear-of-climatic-catastrophes-is-an-ancient-one-and-not-unlike/) [Hans von Storch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-von-storch/) > [I would be absolutely astounded if population growth and industrialisation and all the stuff we are pumping into the atmosphere hadn't changed the climatic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-attenborough/i-would-be-absolutely-astounded-if-population-growth-and/) [David Attenborough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-attenborough/) ## More by Judith D. Schwartz > [“grasslands, grazing mammals, and pack-hunting predators evolved together. So if domestic herbivores can be managed such that their behavior mimics that of their wild…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-d-schwartz/grasslands-grazing-mammals-and-pack-hunting-predators-evolved/) [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) > [“Steven Apfelbaum, a restoration ecologist in Wisconsin, says that every 1 percent increase in soil carbon holds an additional sixty thousand gallons of water…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-d-schwartz/steven-apfelbaum-a-restoration-ecologist-in-wisconsin-says-that-every/) [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) > [“First you’ve got to change the ideology,” she says. “Until you can show people that they’re losing profits, you can’t get them to change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-d-schwartz/first-you-ve-got-to-change-the-ideology-she-says-until-you-can-show/) [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) > [“According to Christine Jones, soils hold more carbon than the atmosphere and all the world’s plant life combined—and can hold it longer, in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-d-schwartz/according-to-christine-jones-soils-hold-more-carbon-than-the/) [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) > [“from a soil microorganism point of view, a crop monoculture is akin to junk food: “If there’s just wheat or any one thing, it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-d-schwartz/from-a-soil-microorganism-point-of-view-a-crop-monoculture-is-akin-to/) [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) > [“Organisms we can’t see are accorded the same respect as those that are big and flashy or promise to give a nice immediate kick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-d-schwartz/organisms-we-can-t-see-are-accorded-the-same-respect-as-those-that/) [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) > [“One farmer I met, Gene Goven of Turtle Lake, North Dakota, put it more succinctly: “You build soil where the roots go—down!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-d-schwartz/one-farmer-i-met-gene-goven-of-turtle-lake-north-dakota-put-it-more/) [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) > [“Every field that’s turned into a parking lot or industrial park means more water siphoned off into gutters and culverts and less water in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-d-schwartz/every-field-that-s-turned-into-a-parking-lot-or-industrial-park-means/) [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) > [“the problem isn’t the amount of carbon per se—the quantity of carbon on earth is constant—but where that carbon is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-d-schwartz/the-problem-isn-t-the-amount-of-carbon-per-se-the-quantity-of-carbon/) [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) > [“understand that the greatest danger to wildlife was not poaching but habitat destruction—the same thing that ultimately threatened humans.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-d-schwartz/understand-that-the-greatest-danger-to-wildlife-was-not-poaching-but/) [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) > [“Slaps in the face like this provide opportunities for change. A drought definitely gets people thinking about how they can manage resources better. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-d-schwartz/slaps-in-the-face-like-this-provide-opportunities-for-change-a/) [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) > [“the planet’s current vegetative cover captures around 3000 EJ of the sun’s energy. This photosynthetic capacity would appear to be sufficient to feed only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-d-schwartz/the-planet-s-current-vegetative-cover-captures-around-3000-ej-of-the/) [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) > [“The use of chemical fertilizers and other treatments has increased worldwide as large tracts of agricultural land are turned over to commodity mono-crops. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-d-schwartz/the-use-of-chemical-fertilizers-and-other-treatments-has-increased/) [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) > [“Consider that farmers are sued when genetically manipulated seeds they don’t even want sprout on their soil. (The pretext: This is “patent infringement” and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-d-schwartz/consider-that-farmers-are-sued-when-genetically-manipulated-seeds/) [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) > [“The concept of the biotic pump, if correct, brings a new urgency to the need to conserve forests.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-d-schwartz/the-concept-of-the-biotic-pump-if-correct-brings-a-new-urgency-to-the/) [Judith D. Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) [Explore all 73 Judith D. Schwartz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-d-schwartz/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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": "“The most urgent challenge of present civilization is to understand that the drying out of landscapes has a much more serious impact on climatic change than an increase of CO2 in the atmosphere.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Judith D. 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