Able Quote by Matt Ridley
“Note even Jonathan Swift would dare to write a satire in which politicians argued that - in a world where species are vanishing and more than a billion people are barely able to afford to eat - it would somehow be good for the planet to clear rain-forests to grow palm oil, or give up food-crop land to grow biofuels, solely so that people could burn fuel derived from carbohydrate rather than hydrocarbons in their cars, thus driving up the price of food for the poor. Ludicrous is too weak a word for this heinous crime.”
About This Quote
Source Article: 2014 The Spectator column by Matt Ridley on environmental policy
The author condemns policies that prioritize biofuel production over food security, calling them morally reprehensible.
In simple terms: Criticizes harmful environmental policies that hurt the poor.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize human welfare over misguided eco‑solutions.
Themes
environment
ethics
policy
poverty
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
political
ethical
When to use this quote
- government policy
- agricultural planning
- energy strategy
- NGO advocacy
Key Concepts
sustainability
resource allocation
justice
Questions to Reflect On
- What alternatives can meet energy needs without harming the poor?
- How can policies be both green and just?
A Different Perspective
Balancing environmental goals with food security is complex.
![“… what right [do] people in wealthy countries have to blame the poor for their poverty, much less for humanity’s environmental dilemma, when it [is] rich countries’ consumption patterns that [are] responsible for the vast majority of the world’s resource depletion and ecosystem destruction?” quote by Mark Hertsgaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1cb/mark-hertsgaard-55219_demography_what-right-do-people-in-wealthy-countrie_2790374.jpg)
