--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The struggle to avert catastrophic…" description: "\"The struggle to avert catastrophic climate change is bigger than all the other struggles, whether it is slavery, democracy struggles, the woman's right..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efe/kumi-naidoo-21702_arguing_the-struggle-to-avert-catastrophic-clima_2847111.png" --- # The struggle to avert catastrophic climate change is… ![“The struggle to avert catastrophic climate change is bigger than all the other struggles, whether it is slavery, democracy struggles, the woman's right to vote, and so on I would argue that if what is at stake is securing life as we know it, then there can be no bigger struggle that we face.” quote by Kumi Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efe/kumi-naidoo-21702_arguing_the-struggle-to-avert-catastrophic-clima_2847111.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efe/kumi-naidoo-21702_arguing_the-struggle-to-avert-catastrophic-clima_2847111.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efe/kumi-naidoo-21702_arguing_the-struggle-to-avert-catastrophic-clima_2847111.png) > “The struggle to avert catastrophic climate change is bigger than all the other struggles, whether it is slavery, democracy struggles, the woman's right to vote, and so on I would argue that if what is at stake is securing life as we know it, then there can be no bigger struggle that we face.” [Kumi Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumi-naidoo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Frames climate change as the greatest existential threat, surpassing all others. **In simple terms:** Climate change is the biggest struggle. Key Takeaway Prioritize climate action. Themes environment climate change existential risk activism Mood urgent inspirational Type activist global When to use this quote - government - business - community initiatives Key Concepts global policy sustainability Questions to Reflect On - What actions can you take locally? - How do we balance multiple crises? A Different Perspective May downplay other urgent issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arguing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arguing/) [Avert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avert/) [Bigger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigger/) [Bigger Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigger-struggle-3766601/) [Bigger Struggles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigger-struggles-3766600/) [Catastrophic Climate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catastrophic-climate-2421718/) [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/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Others struggles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/others-struggles-137632/) [Right to vote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-to-vote/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) [Stakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stakes/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) [Struggle Avert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle-avert-3766602/) [Vote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vote/) ## Related quotes > [As it turns out, the ecological catastrophe Kirk feared that would be the consequence of our impiety appears not to be one of radically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-dreher/as-it-turns-out-the-ecological-catastrophe-kirk-feared-that-would-be/) [Rod Dreher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-dreher/) > [Our oil-based society depends on non-renewable resources. 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I find it a golden idol, honestly, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-chambers/and-then-there-are-encouragements-to-use-heterosexual-pornography-or/) [Alan Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-chambers/) > [The female struggle implies the black struggle, it implies the struggle with anti-Semitism, it implies all of the other struggles. That is the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-potter/the-female-struggle-implies-the-black-struggle-it-implies-the/) [Sally Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-potter/) > [The way to chastity is not to struggle directly with incontinent thoughts but to avert the thoughts by some imployment, or by reading, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-newton/the-way-to-chastity-is-not-to-struggle-directly-with-incontinent/) [Isaac Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-newton/) > [He who loathes war, and will do everything in his power to avert it, but who will, in the last extremity, encounter its perils,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stevens-cabot-abbott/he-who-loathes-war-and-will-do-everything-in-his-power-to-avert-it/) [John Stevens Cabot Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stevens-cabot-abbott/) > [What astonishing changes a few years are capable of producing! I am told that even respectable characters speak of a monarchical form of government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/what-astonishing-changes-a-few-years-are-capable-of-producing-i-am/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [The childhood of the individual and the race is full of fears, and panic-stricken attempts to avert what is feared by placating the gods…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/the-childhood-of-the-individual-and-the-race-is-full-of-fears-and/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [Our courage is greater to dare a visible than an imagined danger. 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All flows, nothing lasts.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/this-is-the-message-of-your-life-and-my-life-it-s-that-nothing-lasts/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) ## More by Kumi Naidoo > [Investing one cent more in oil, coal and gas is investing in the death of society, and the in the death of our children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumi-naidoo/investing-one-cent-more-in-oil-coal-and-gas-is-investing-in-the-death/) [Kumi Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumi-naidoo/) > [In Durban, where I was born and grew up, and all over Africa, Nelson Mandela was a hero! 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John Morrison’s book reminds all organizations – governments, business and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumi-naidoo/the-social-license-is-fundamentally-about-accountability-to-people/) [Kumi Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumi-naidoo/) > [Nelson Mandela was just a human being, a person like other people, and everyone relaxed. Within a minute, that sort of thing about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumi-naidoo/nelson-mandela-was-just-a-human-being-a-person-like-other-people-and/) [Kumi Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumi-naidoo/) > [I was 15 years old when I first heard the name Mandela, or Madiba, as he is fondly known in Africa. In apartheid South…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumi-naidoo/i-was-15-years-old-when-i-first-heard-the-name-mandela-or-madiba-as/) [Kumi Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumi-naidoo/) > [Many people theorize poverty, but so many elements of poverty, individually, for most people who theorize about poverty would be really difficult to even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumi-naidoo/many-people-theorize-poverty-but-so-many-elements-of-poverty/) [Kumi Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumi-naidoo/) > [ Nelson's Mandela own sense of himself was a very humble reading, \[different\] from how the world read him. And, quite often, you had the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumi-naidoo/nelson-s-mandela-own-sense-of-himself-was-a-very-humble-reading/) [Kumi Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumi-naidoo/) > [There is no definition of terrorism and there is still the reality that one person's terrorist is another person's freedom fighter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumi-naidoo/there-is-no-definition-of-terrorism-and-there-is-still-the-reality/) [Kumi Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumi-naidoo/) > [Currently, we allow our political and business leaders to get away with murder. Now is the time to change that. We need direct liability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumi-naidoo/currently-we-allow-our-political-and-business-leaders-to-get-away/) [Kumi Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumi-naidoo/) > [Sandy was a climate change warning. Obama must now take the stage and fulfil the promise of hope the world needs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumi-naidoo/sandy-was-a-climate-change-warning-obama-must-now-take-the-stage-and/) [Kumi Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumi-naidoo/) > [You know how they say, 'What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas?' What happens in the Arctic doesn't stay in the Arctic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumi-naidoo/you-know-how-they-say-what-happens-in-vegas-stays-in-vegas-what/) [Kumi Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumi-naidoo/) [Explore all 28 Kumi Naidoo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumi-naidoo/) ## More Arguing quotes > [I do wish you wouldn't argue with me when I'm knitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-durrell/i-do-wish-you-wouldn-t-argue-with-me-when-i-m-knitting/) [Gerald Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-durrell/) > [Any comprehensive doctrine, religious or secular, can be introduced into any political argument at any time, but I argue that people who do this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rawls/any-comprehensive-doctrine-religious-or-secular-can-be-introduced/) [John Rawls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rawls/) > [It's fine to talk about politics with people you agree with. But it is rude to argue about politics with people you disagree with.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/it-s-fine-to-talk-about-politics-with-people-you-agree-with-but-it-is/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [Men are fair, and they have learned not to personalize anger - they can disagree with you and argue to the bone, but afterward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/men-are-fair-and-they-have-learned-not-to-personalize-anger-they-can/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) > [When Eudæmonidas heard a philosopher arguing that only a wise man can be a good general, "This is a wonderful speech," said he; "but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/when-eud-monidas-heard-a-philosopher-arguing-that-only-a-wise-man-can/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [Fasting is required, staying away from fighting and arguing and bombing of masjids is still going on. 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Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [I'm a very serious person, but I don't take myself very seriously and I would rather laugh all day than argue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stone-cold-steve-austin/i-m-a-very-serious-person-but-i-don-t-take-myself-very-seriously-and/) [Stone Cold Steve Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stone-cold-steve-austin/) > [These eyes, tho' clear To outward view of blemish or of spot, Bereft of light, their seeing have forgot, Nor to their idle orbs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/these-eyes-tho-clear-to-outward-view-of-blemish-or-of-spot-bereft-of/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [There's crucial distinction that has to be drawn between the Shari'a, which is this hugely expansive vision of cosmic order that I've been describing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadakat-kadri/there-s-crucial-distinction-that-has-to-be-drawn-between-the-shari-a/) [Sadakat Kadri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadakat-kadri/) > [Only fools argue whether to eat meat or not. They don't understand truth nor do they meditate on it. Who can define what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-nanak/only-fools-argue-whether-to-eat-meat-or-not-they-don-t-understand/) [Guru Nanak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-nanak/) > [The surest sign that you haven't any sense is to argue with one who hasn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/the-surest-sign-that-you-haven-t-any-sense-is-to-argue-with-one-who/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) [Browse all 1,908 Arguing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arguing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The struggle to avert catastrophic climate change is bigger than all the other struggles, whether it is slavery, democracy struggles, the woman's right to vote, and so on I would argue that if what is at stake is securing life as we know it, then there can be no bigger struggle that we face.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kumi Naidoo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumi-naidoo/the-struggle-to-avert-catastrophic-climate-change-is-bigger-than-all/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Arguing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumi-naidoo/the-struggle-to-avert-catastrophic-climate-change-is-bigger-than-all/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efe/kumi-naidoo-21702_arguing_the-struggle-to-avert-catastrophic-clima_2847111.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efe/kumi-naidoo-21702_arguing_the-struggle-to-avert-catastrophic-clima_2847111.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efe/kumi-naidoo-21702_arguing_the-struggle-to-avert-catastrophic-clima_2847111.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The struggle to avert catastrophic climate change is bigger than all the other struggles, whether it is…” — Kumi Naidoo", "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": "Kumi Naidoo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumi-naidoo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The struggle to avert catastrophic climate...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumi-naidoo/the-struggle-to-avert-catastrophic-climate-change-is-bigger-than-all/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumi-naidoo/the-struggle-to-avert-catastrophic-climate-change-is-bigger-than-all/#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 } } ] } ```