Aquifers Quote by Ramez Naam
“Today, our incentives aren't set up well - you can make a lot of money burning fossil fuels, digging up wetlands, pumping fossil water out of aquifers that will take 10,000 years to recharge, overfishing species in international waters that are close to collapse, and so on.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Podcast “Future of Energy”, 2021
He highlights that current economic incentives favor harmful environmental practices, leading to over‑exploitation of resources and ecological collapse.
In simple terms: Profit drives harmful environmental actions.
Key Takeaway
Shift incentives toward sustainability.
Themes
environment
economics
climate change
resource depletion
Mood
urgent
thought‑provoking
Type
environmental
policy
When to use this quote
- policy making
- investment decisions
- corporate strategy
- public awareness
Key Concepts
ecology
externalities
market design
Questions to Reflect On
- What economic tools can promote green behavior?
- How can societies balance growth and ecology?
A Different Perspective
Changing incentives is politically challenging and may face resistance.
![“Once the steam engine went away and we started moving into burning fossil fuels - not just burning them, but everything we do with oil - we've been experiencing [these problems] at an accelerated rate. The scary end-game scenario is getting closer and closer, about what we're going to be able to…” quote by Don Cheadle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c44/don-cheadle-10276_able_once-the-steam-engine-went-away-and-we-s_1150401.jpg)
![“The aquifer [is] the water table people need to keep secure. Nature has this incredible system of water purification under the ground. Ground water is much better to drink than surface water because it filters out the bacteria that can cause all sorts of problems.” quote by Josh Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/212/josh-fox-10700_aquifers_the-aquifer-is-the-water-table-people-ne_311503.jpg)
