Bad thing Quote by Michael R. Bloomberg
““I didn’t know it yet, but this new priority would mean enormous changes in the way I saw the world and environmentalism. Previously environmentalists worked to stop bad things—pollution, clear-cutting, overfishing—but we more or less accepted the big-picture American economy, with the established industries that made it up. Not anymore. Now we were about to find ourselves in a different business: helping to foster a different kind of economic development, one based on knowledge and technology rather than fossil fuels. After thirty-five years of working to clean up after twentieth-century industrialism, environmentalists were about to plunge into creating its twenty-first-century replacement. But before we could go full tilt toward the new, we had to stop the last spasms of the old—an energy future crafted during George W. Bush’s first term by Vice President Cheney.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Remarks on Environmental Policy, Bloomberg, 2007
The quote describes a shift from fighting pollution to building a new, knowledge‑based economy that replaces fossil fuels, emphasizing the need to abandon old energy policies before embracing the future.
In simple terms: Environmentalists must move from stopping harm to creating sustainable tech‑driven growth.
Key Takeaway
Embrace innovation, reject outdated energy models.
Themes
environmentalism
economic transition
technology
policy
sustainability
Mood
determined
optimistic
Type
policy
visionary
When to use this quote
- government planning
- corporate strategy
- public advocacy
- renewable energy projects
Key Concepts
systems thinking
industrial change
energy policy
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we ensure old energy interests don’t block new solutions?
- What steps are needed to shift public perception?
A Different Perspective
Old policies may linger, slowing progress.
