--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You’ve probably heard the expression that…" description: "\"“You’ve probably heard the expression that the Industry feeds off of biomass, like a whale straining krill from the ocean.”\" — Neal Stephenson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/995/neal-stephenson-362_biomass_you-ve-probably-heard-the-expression-tha_41449.png" --- # You’ve probably heard the expression that the Industry… ![“You’ve probably heard the expression that the Industry feeds off of biomass, like a whale straining krill from the ocean.” quote by Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/995/neal-stephenson-362_biomass_you-ve-probably-heard-the-expression-tha_41449.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/995/neal-stephenson-362_biomass_you-ve-probably-heard-the-expression-tha_41449.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/995/neal-stephenson-362_biomass_you-ve-probably-heard-the-expression-tha_41449.png) > ““You’ve probably heard the expression that the Industry feeds off of biomass, like a whale straining krill from the ocean.”” [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote likens industry to a massive organism that extracts resources from the environment, emphasizing its dependence on abundant raw materials and the ecological impact of its consumption. **In simple terms:** Industry as a resource‑draining giant Key Takeaway Industries thrive on extracting natural biomass Themes Economics Ecology Industrialization Resource extraction Systems thinking Mood Reflective Critical Inquisitive Type Analytical Observational Metaphorical When to use this quote - Analyzing corporate sustainability - Teaching about industrial ecology - Discussing climate policy - Evaluating supply chain risks Key Concepts Biomass as fuel Scale of consumption Environmental impact Practical Applications - Developing circular economy strategies - Designing eco‑friendly business models Questions to Reflect On - How can industries balance growth with ecological stewardship? - What mechanisms can reduce the industry's reliance on raw biomass? A Different Perspective While industry consumes biomass, it also creates value and innovation that can drive sustainable alternatives, suggesting a more nuanced relationship than pure exploitation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Biomass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biomass/) [Biomass Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biomass-like-457304/) [Feeds Biomass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeds-biomass-457305/) [Straining Krill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/straining-krill-457303/) [Whale Straining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whale-straining-457306/) ## Related quotes > [“Don’t be controlled by the tradition of men”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/don-t-be-controlled-by-the-tradition-of-men/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [Try everything. Do everything. Nuclear. Biomass. Coal. Solar. You name it. I support them all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-boone-pickens/try-everything-do-everything-nuclear-biomass-coal-solar-you-name-it-i/) [T. Boone Pickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-boone-pickens/) > [We need to focus on green jobs: solar, wind, geothermal, biomass.There's so many opportunities. But other countries like China are getting ahead of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexi-giannoulias/we-need-to-focus-on-green-jobs-solar-wind-geothermal-biomass-there-s/) [Alexi Giannoulias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexi-giannoulias/) > [Well, let me tell you, ants are the dominant insects. They make up as much as a quarter of the biomass of all insects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/well-let-me-tell-you-ants-are-the-dominant-insects-they-make-up-as/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [When a caterpillar eats a leaf, then a thrush eats the caterpillar, or when a hawk eats the thrush only 5 to 20% of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-heinberg/when-a-caterpillar-eats-a-leaf-then-a-thrush-eats-the-caterpillar-or/) [Richard Heinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-heinberg/) > [If you're looking at distributing alternative energy in Nigeria, for instance, what gets in your way is not people's ability to pay, not people's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/if-you-re-looking-at-distributing-alternative-energy-in-nigeria-for/) [Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/) > [Our country has suffered from an on-again, off-again energy policy that has failed to get us to energy independence. As President Obama has said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-salazar/our-country-has-suffered-from-an-on-again-off-again-energy-policy/) [Ken Salazar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-salazar/) > [And connected I had been. When the fish changed directions, I felt it. when it slowed or sped up, I felt that too. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-maxwell/and-connected-i-had-been-when-the-fish-changed-directions-i-felt-it/) [Jessica Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-maxwell/) > [“Biomass, which basically is a fancy-sounding name for wood, is one of the old, reliable renewables that can produce energy when it is needed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bjorn-lomborg/biomass-which-basically-is-a-fancy-sounding-name-for-wood-is-one-of/) [Bjorn Lomborg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bjorn-lomborg/) > [Our children think our world will end. It's a tragic thing. Adults don't think that. They don't see that we are eating the planet.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-arthus-bertrand/our-children-think-our-world-will-end-it-s-a-tragic-thing-adults-don/) [Yann Arthus-Bertrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-arthus-bertrand/) > [The sunlight ... that strikes Earth’s land surface in two hours is equivalent to total human energy use in a year. While much of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-flavin/the-sunlight-that-strikes-earth-s-land-surface-in-two-hours-is/) [Christopher Flavin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-flavin/) > [Hemp is Earth's number-one biomass resource; it is capable of producing 10 tons per acre in four months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-herer/hemp-is-earth-s-number-one-biomass-resource-it-is-capable-of/) [Jack Herer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-herer/) > [A new era has dawned in Ontario; one where the air will be cleaner and the multiple costs of coal-fired generation have become a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-chiarelli/a-new-era-has-dawned-in-ontario-one-where-the-air-will-be-cleaner-and/) [Bob Chiarelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-chiarelli/) > [I loathe crowds. I especially don't like cities. A city involves biomass. And biomass gets to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/i-loathe-crowds-i-especially-don-t-like-cities-a-city-involves/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) > [For example, in my own State of Arizona, an Israeli scientist is working with an Arizona company on a demonstration project involving a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shadegg/for-example-in-my-own-state-of-arizona-an-israeli-scientist-is/) [John Shadegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shadegg/) ## More by Neal Stephenson > [“I study dead languages for a living,” I said. “That’s why you hired me. Why should I be up to speed on your line…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/i-study-dead-languages-for-a-living-i-said-that-s-why-you-hired-me/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Other people - store clerks, burger flippers, software engineers, the whole vocabulary of meaningless jobs that make up Life in America - other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/other-people-store-clerks-burger-flippers-software-engineers-the/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“It is what you don’t expect,” he’d said, “that most needs looking for.” “Do”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/it-is-what-you-don-t-expect-he-d-said-that-most-needs-looking-for-do/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“...the insects here see you as a big slab of animated but not very well defended food. The ability to move, far from being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/the-insects-here-see-you-as-a-big-slab-of-animated-but-not-very-well/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“There was no way that these guys were going to let a bleeding, barefoot woman simply wander off alone into the streets. Two of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/there-was-no-way-that-these-guys-were-going-to-let-a-bleeding/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Space and Time! Two minor omissions that no one is likely to notice," grumbled Newton.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/space-and-time-two-minor-omissions-that-no-one-is-likely-to-notice/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [See, the world is full of things more powerful than us. But if you know how to catch a ride, you can go places,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/see-the-world-is-full-of-things-more-powerful-than-us-but-if-you-know/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Hey,” Shaftoe says, “if we surrender to you, you’ll kill us. Right?” “Yes.” “If you guys surrender to us, we won’t kill you. Promise.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/hey-shaftoe-says-if-we-surrender-to-you-you-ll-kill-us-right-yes-if/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“My men think you are dead now, and won’t waste balls on you,” Jack said. “In fact I have let you live, but for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/my-men-think-you-are-dead-now-and-won-t-waste-balls-on-you-jack-said/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“The Deliverator belongs to an elite order, a hallowed subcategory. He’s got esprit up to here. Right now, he is preparing to carry out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/the-deliverator-belongs-to-an-elite-order-a-hallowed-subcategory-he-s/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [Interesting things happen along borders - transitions - not in the middle where everything is the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/interesting-things-happen-along-borders-transitions-not-in-the-middle/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“and people could only make sense of complicated matters through stories. Likewise”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/and-people-could-only-make-sense-of-complicated-matters-through/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Van Eck phreaking,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/van-eck-phreaking/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“When the Deliverator puts the hammer down, shit happens.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/when-the-deliverator-puts-the-hammer-down-shit-happens/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Diax said something that is still very important to us, which is that you should not believe a thing only because you like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/diax-said-something-that-is-still-very-important-to-us-which-is-that/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) [Explore all 633 Neal Stephenson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) ## More Biomass quotes > [“Don’t be controlled by the tradition of men”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/don-t-be-controlled-by-the-tradition-of-men/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [I loathe crowds. I especially don't like cities. A city involves biomass. And biomass gets to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/i-loathe-crowds-i-especially-don-t-like-cities-a-city-involves/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) > [A new era has dawned in Ontario; one where the air will be cleaner and the multiple costs of coal-fired generation have become a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-chiarelli/a-new-era-has-dawned-in-ontario-one-where-the-air-will-be-cleaner-and/) [Bob Chiarelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-chiarelli/) > [Hemp is Earth's number-one biomass resource; it is capable of producing 10 tons per acre in four months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-herer/hemp-is-earth-s-number-one-biomass-resource-it-is-capable-of/) [Jack Herer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-herer/) > [The sunlight ... that strikes Earth’s land surface in two hours is equivalent to total human energy use in a year. While much of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-flavin/the-sunlight-that-strikes-earth-s-land-surface-in-two-hours-is/) [Christopher Flavin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-flavin/) > [Our children think our world will end. It's a tragic thing. Adults don't think that. They don't see that we are eating the planet.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-arthus-bertrand/our-children-think-our-world-will-end-it-s-a-tragic-thing-adults-don/) [Yann Arthus-Bertrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-arthus-bertrand/) > [“Biomass, which basically is a fancy-sounding name for wood, is one of the old, reliable renewables that can produce energy when it is needed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bjorn-lomborg/biomass-which-basically-is-a-fancy-sounding-name-for-wood-is-one-of/) [Bjorn Lomborg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bjorn-lomborg/) > [And connected I had been. When the fish changed directions, I felt it. when it slowed or sped up, I felt that too. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-maxwell/and-connected-i-had-been-when-the-fish-changed-directions-i-felt-it/) [Jessica Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-maxwell/) > [Our country has suffered from an on-again, off-again energy policy that has failed to get us to energy independence. As President Obama has said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-salazar/our-country-has-suffered-from-an-on-again-off-again-energy-policy/) [Ken Salazar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-salazar/) > [If you're looking at distributing alternative energy in Nigeria, for instance, what gets in your way is not people's ability to pay, not people's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/if-you-re-looking-at-distributing-alternative-energy-in-nigeria-for/) [Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/) > [When a caterpillar eats a leaf, then a thrush eats the caterpillar, or when a hawk eats the thrush only 5 to 20% of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-heinberg/when-a-caterpillar-eats-a-leaf-then-a-thrush-eats-the-caterpillar-or/) [Richard Heinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-heinberg/) > [Well, let me tell you, ants are the dominant insects. They make up as much as a quarter of the biomass of all insects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/well-let-me-tell-you-ants-are-the-dominant-insects-they-make-up-as/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [We need to focus on green jobs: solar, wind, geothermal, biomass.There's so many opportunities. But other countries like China are getting ahead of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexi-giannoulias/we-need-to-focus-on-green-jobs-solar-wind-geothermal-biomass-there-s/) [Alexi Giannoulias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexi-giannoulias/) > [Try everything. Do everything. Nuclear. Biomass. Coal. Solar. You name it. I support them all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-boone-pickens/try-everything-do-everything-nuclear-biomass-coal-solar-you-name-it-i/) [T. Boone Pickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-boone-pickens/) > [For example, in my own State of Arizona, an Israeli scientist is working with an Arizona company on a demonstration project involving a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shadegg/for-example-in-my-own-state-of-arizona-an-israeli-scientist-is/) [John Shadegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shadegg/) [Browse all 22 Biomass quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biomass/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You’ve probably heard the expression that the Industry feeds off of biomass, like a whale straining krill from the ocean.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Neal Stephenson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/you-ve-probably-heard-the-expression-that-the-industry-feeds-off-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Biomass" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/you-ve-probably-heard-the-expression-that-the-industry-feeds-off-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/995/neal-stephenson-362_biomass_you-ve-probably-heard-the-expression-tha_41449.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/995/neal-stephenson-362_biomass_you-ve-probably-heard-the-expression-tha_41449.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/995/neal-stephenson-362_biomass_you-ve-probably-heard-the-expression-tha_41449.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You’ve probably heard the expression that the Industry feeds off of biomass, like a whale straining krill…” — Neal Stephenson", "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": "Neal Stephenson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“You’ve probably heard the expression that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/you-ve-probably-heard-the-expression-that-the-industry-feeds-off-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/you-ve-probably-heard-the-expression-that-the-industry-feeds-off-of/#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 } } ] } ```