--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That environmentalists need the goodwill…" description: "\"“That environmentalists need the goodwill of children would seem self-evident- but more often than not, children are viewed as props or extraneous to t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50e/richard-louv-3583_children_that-environmentalists-need-the-goodwill_1013101.png" --- # That environmentalists need the goodwill of children would… ![“That environmentalists need the goodwill of children would seem self-evident- but more often than not, children are viewed as props or extraneous to the serious adult work of saving the world. One often overlooked value of children is that they constitue the future political constituency, and…” quote by Richard Louv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50e/richard-louv-3583_children_that-environmentalists-need-the-goodwill_1013101.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50e/richard-louv-3583_children_that-environmentalists-need-the-goodwill_1013101.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50e/richard-louv-3583_children_that-environmentalists-need-the-goodwill_1013101.png) > ““That environmentalists need the goodwill of children would seem self-evident- but more often than not, children are viewed as props or extraneous to the serious adult work of saving the world. One often overlooked value of children is that they constitue the future political constituency, and their attention or vote- whicich is ultimately based more on a foundation of personal experiance than rational deciscion making- is not guaranteed.”” [Richard Louv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-louv/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Children are often treated as peripheral in environmental activism, yet they represent future voters whose values stem from personal experience rather than pure rationality. **In simple terms:** Children are future voters whose values come from experience. Key Takeaway Engage children as active participants in environmental advocacy. Themes environment youth activism future politics education Mood hopeful determined inspirational Type advocacy educational philosophical When to use this quote - school curricula - community projects - policy advocacy - family discussions Key Concepts intergenerational equity political social formation environmental ethics Questions to Reflect On - How can we empower children to shape environmental policy? - What experiences best foster lifelong ecological values? A Different Perspective Children may lack immediate political power and influence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Children Constitue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-constitue-2212953/) [Children Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-self-528075/) [Environmentalists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environmentalists/) [Environmentalists Need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environmentalists-need-2212952/) [Value Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/value-children-2022023/) ## Related quotes > [Natural play strengthens children's self-confidence and arouses their senses-their awareness of the world and all that moves in it, seen and unseen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-louv/natural-play-strengthens-children-s-self-confidence-and-arouses-their/) [Richard Louv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-louv/) > [There are those who believe that the value of a children's book can be measured only in terms of the moral lessons it tries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-park/there-are-those-who-believe-that-the-value-of-a-children-s-book-can/) [Barbara Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-park/) > [If we value our children, we must cherish their parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bowlby/if-we-value-our-children-we-must-cherish-their-parents/) [John Bowlby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bowlby/) > [We have the capacity to make sure that every mother has pre-natal care. Yet, we don't do it. What is it about America? It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/we-have-the-capacity-to-make-sure-that-every-mother-has-pre-natal/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [“A young widow with four or five young children, who, among the middling or inferior ranks of people in Europe, would have so little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-smith/a-young-widow-with-four-or-five-young-children-who-among-the-middling/) [Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-smith/) > [Educate your children to self-control, to the habit of holding passion and prejudice and evil tendencies subject to an upright and reasoning will, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/educate-your-children-to-self-control-to-the-habit-of-holding-passion/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [You bring up your children to be self-reliant and independent and they double-cross you and become self-reliant and independent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-cormier/you-bring-up-your-children-to-be-self-reliant-and-independent-and/) [Robert Cormier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-cormier/) > [“Our musicians in residence carry this belief into the classroom. They don't think of children's self-esteem as so fragile that it will be shattered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-perret/our-musicians-in-residence-carry-this-belief-into-the-classroom-they/) [Peter Perret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-perret/) > [“Adopted children are self-invented because we have to be; there is an absence, a void, a question mark at the very beginning of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-winterson/adopted-children-are-self-invented-because-we-have-to-be-there-is-an/) [Jeannette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-winterson/) > [To be honest, I think my son is a bit young for me to be away. I really feel like during the first five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwyneth-paltrow/to-be-honest-i-think-my-son-is-a-bit-young-for-me-to-be-away-i-really/) [Gwyneth Paltrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwyneth-paltrow/) > [Politicians make good company for a while just as children do - their self-enjoyment is contagious. But they soon exhaust their favourite subjects -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-wills/politicians-make-good-company-for-a-while-just-as-children-do-their/) [Garry Wills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-wills/) > [Children can become self-reliant and self-disciplined by being free to do what they want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-bean/children-can-become-self-reliant-and-self-disciplined-by-being-free/) [Orson Bean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-bean/) > [It is the parent's job to see how their child learns and to make sure that the children's self confidence is buoyed at all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-winkler/it-is-the-parent-s-job-to-see-how-their-child-learns-and-to-make-sure/) [Henry Winkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-winkler/) > [My father never raised his hand to any one of his children, except in self-defense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/my-father-never-raised-his-hand-to-any-one-of-his-children-except-in/) [Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/) > [If we assume, parents give birthto children for their own self-interest/ Selfihness ! So what does a girl born, AfterAll, one day he would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/if-we-assume-parents-give-birthto-children-for-their-own-self/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) ## More by Richard Louv > [“She was one of those exceptional children who do still spend time outside, in solitude. In her case nature represented beauty - and refuge.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-louv/she-was-one-of-those-exceptional-children-who-do-still-spend-time/) [Richard Louv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-louv/) > [Children need nature for the healthy development of their senses, and therefore, for learning and creativity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-louv/children-need-nature-for-the-healthy-development-of-their-senses-and/) [Richard Louv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-louv/) > [As the young spend less of their lives in natural surroundings, their senses narrow, physiologically and psychologically and this reduces the richness of human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-louv/as-the-young-spend-less-of-their-lives-in-natural-surroundings-their/) [Richard Louv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-louv/) > [A natural environment is far more complex than any playing field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-louv/a-natural-environment-is-far-more-complex-than-any-playing-field/) [Richard Louv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-louv/) > [Green exercise improves psychological health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-louv/green-exercise-improves-psychological-health/) [Richard Louv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-louv/) > [No other youth group like the Scouts has trained so many future leaders while at the same time being a nature organization with its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-louv/no-other-youth-group-like-the-scouts-has-trained-so-many-future/) [Richard Louv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-louv/) > [In medieval times, if someone displayed the symptoms we now identify as boredom, that person was thought to be committing something called acedia, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-louv/in-medieval-times-if-someone-displayed-the-symptoms-we-now-identify/) [Richard Louv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-louv/) > [Rather than accepting the drifting separation of the generations, we might begin to define a more complex and interesting set of life stages and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-louv/rather-than-accepting-the-drifting-separation-of-the-generations-we/) [Richard Louv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-louv/) > [This seems clear enough: When truly present in nature, we do use all our senses at the same time, which is the optimum state…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-louv/this-seems-clear-enough-when-truly-present-in-nature-we-do-use-all/) [Richard Louv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-louv/) > [Nature is one of the best antidotes to fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-louv/nature-is-one-of-the-best-antidotes-to-fear/) [Richard Louv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-louv/) > [Reconnection to the natural world is fundamental to human health, well-being, spirit, and survival.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-louv/reconnection-to-the-natural-world-is-fundamental-to-human-health-well/) [Richard Louv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-louv/) > [“Most scientists who study human perception no longer assume that we have five senses: taste, touch, smell, sight, and hearing. The current number ranges…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-louv/most-scientists-who-study-human-perception-no-longer-assume-that-we/) [Richard Louv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-louv/) > [Nature is often overlooked as a healing balm for the emotional hardships in a child's life. You'll likely never see a slick commercial for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-louv/nature-is-often-overlooked-as-a-healing-balm-for-the-emotional/) [Richard Louv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-louv/) > [In nature, a child finds freedom, fantasy, and privacy: a place distant from the adult world, a separate peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-louv/in-nature-a-child-finds-freedom-fantasy-and-privacy-a-place-distant/) [Richard Louv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-louv/) > [Something else was different when we were young: our parents were outdoors. I’m not saying they were joining health clubs and things of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-louv/something-else-was-different-when-we-were-young-our-parents-were/) [Richard Louv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-louv/) [Explore all 127 Richard Louv quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-louv/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/) [Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/) [Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/) [Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) [Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“That environmentalists need the goodwill of children would seem self-evident- but more often than not, children are viewed as props or extraneous to the serious adult work of saving the world. One often overlooked value of children is that they constitue the future political constituency, and their attention or vote- whicich is ultimately based more on a foundation of personal experiance than rational deciscion making- is not guaranteed.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Louv" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-louv/that-environmentalists-need-the-goodwill-of-children-would-seem-self/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Children" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-louv/that-environmentalists-need-the-goodwill-of-children-would-seem-self/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50e/richard-louv-3583_children_that-environmentalists-need-the-goodwill_1013101.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50e/richard-louv-3583_children_that-environmentalists-need-the-goodwill_1013101.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50e/richard-louv-3583_children_that-environmentalists-need-the-goodwill_1013101.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“That environmentalists need the goodwill of children would seem self-evident- but more often than not…” — Richard Louv", "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": "Richard Louv", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-louv/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“That environmentalists need the goodwill of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-louv/that-environmentalists-need-the-goodwill-of-children-would-seem-self/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-louv/that-environmentalists-need-the-goodwill-of-children-would-seem-self/#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 } } ] } ```