--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Approximately 80% of our air pollution…" description: "\"Approximately 80% of our air pollution stems from hydrocarbons released by vegetation, so let's not go overboard in setting and enforcing tough emissio..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af3/ronald-reagan-119_air_approximately-80-of-our-air-pollution-st_833272.jpg" --- # Approximately 80% of our air pollution stems from… ![“Approximately 80% of our air pollution stems from hydrocarbons released by vegetation, so let's not go overboard in setting and enforcing tough emission standards from man-made sources.” quote by Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af3/ronald-reagan-119_air_approximately-80-of-our-air-pollution-st_833272.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af3/ronald-reagan-119_air_approximately-80-of-our-air-pollution-st_833272.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af3/ronald-reagan-119_air_approximately-80-of-our-air-pollution-st_833272.jpg) > “Approximately 80% of our air pollution stems from hydrocarbons released by vegetation, so let's not go overboard in setting and enforcing tough emission standards from man-made sources.” [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human emissions are a small fraction of total air pollutants compared to natural sources, so strict man‑made emission rules may be disproportionate. **In simple terms:** Nature contributes most air pollution, so over‑regulating human emissions may be excessive. Key Takeaway Balance regulation with natural source awareness. Themes environment policy regulation science balance Mood thoughtful balanced informative Type policy analytical environmental When to use this quote - urban planning - industrial regulation - public health campaigns - environmental education Key Concepts carbon cycle anthropogenic vs natural emissions policy design Questions to Reflect On - How can we design fair policies that consider both natural and human sources? - What role should technology play in mitigating emissions? A Different Perspective Natural emissions dominate, but human actions still impact local air quality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Air](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/air/) [Air pollution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/air-pollution/) [Hydrocarbons Released](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hydrocarbons-released-577174/) [Overboard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overboard/) [Pollution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pollution/) [Pollution Stems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pollution-stems-577173/) [Released Vegetation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/released-vegetation-577175/) [Setting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/setting/) [Standards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/standards/) [Stems Hydrocarbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stems-hydrocarbons-577176/) [Tough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tough/) [Tough Emission](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tough-emission-577177/) [Vegetation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vegetation/) ## Related quotes > [Growing and decaying vegetation in this land are responsible for 93 percent of the oxides of nitrogen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/growing-and-decaying-vegetation-in-this-land-are-responsible-for-93/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [I know Teddy Kennedy had fun at the Democratic convention when he said that I said that trees and vegetation caused 80 percent of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-know-teddy-kennedy-had-fun-at-the-democratic-convention-when-he/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [There is something nobly simple and pure in a taste for the cultivation of forest trees. It argues, I think, a sweet and generous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washington-irving/there-is-something-nobly-simple-and-pure-in-a-taste-for-the/) [Washington Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washington-irving/) > [...the computer models are very good at solving equations of fluid dynamics but very bad at describing the real world. The real world is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freeman-dyson/the-computer-models-are-very-good-at-solving-equations-of-fluid/) [Freeman Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freeman-dyson/) > [Where timber vegetation is ruthlessly destroyed, aridity and its sequence sterility will prevail and the hotter the climate, the more to be dreaded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-von-mueller/where-timber-vegetation-is-ruthlessly-destroyed-aridity-and-its/) [Ferdinand von Mueller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-von-mueller/) > [The work of vegetation begins first in the irritability of the bark and leaf-buds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-work-of-vegetation-begins-first-in-the-irritability-of-the-bark/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Experiments upon vegetation give reason to believe that light combines with certain parts of vegetables, and that the green of their leaves, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-lavoisier/experiments-upon-vegetation-give-reason-to-believe-that-light/) [Antoine Lavoisier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-lavoisier/) > [“Scrubby evergreen bushes released a strong scent of resin and honey; forests of pine gave way to gentle south-facing vineyards disturbed only by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-lawrenson/scrubby-evergreen-bushes-released-a-strong-scent-of-resin-and-honey/) [Deborah Lawrenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-lawrenson/) > [Wealth and vegetation go together, and that exacerbates environmental injustice. The poor bear the burden of degraded environments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-jeremijenko/wealth-and-vegetation-go-together-and-that-exacerbates-environmental/) [Natalie Jeremijenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-jeremijenko/) > [Just as the light and weightless vegetation of saltpeter floats over the old walls of houses as soon as the owner gets careless, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-garc-a-lorca/just-as-the-light-and-weightless-vegetation-of-saltpeter-floats-over/) [Federico Garcia Lorca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-garc-a-lorca/) > [Her mighty lakes, like oceans of liquid silver; her mountains with their right aerial tints; her valleys, teeming with wild fertility; her tremendous cataracts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washington-irving/her-mighty-lakes-like-oceans-of-liquid-silver-her-mountains-with/) [Washington Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washington-irving/) > [The Revelations is an amazing, rich material that is full of stories about angels and angels being sent down to Earth to wipe out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-collins/the-revelations-is-an-amazing-rich-material-that-is-full-of-stories/) [Misha Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-collins/) > [“There are no trivial facts in humanity, nor little leaves in vegetation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/there-are-no-trivial-facts-in-humanity-nor-little-leaves-in-vegetation/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“He began to explain to me that vegetation, and especially mature trees, are able to transmit harmony when one rests one’s nerve centers against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/he-began-to-explain-to-me-that-vegetation-and-especially-mature-trees/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“The plants in the garden - the aloes, the almond tree, the rose tree and the iris - were afraid of her. The flowers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hendrik-cramer/the-plants-in-the-garden-the-aloes-the-almond-tree-the-rose-tree-and/) [Hendrik Cramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hendrik-cramer/) ## More by Ronald Reagan > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [You know, by the time you reach my age, you've made plenty of mistakes if you've lived your life properly. So you learn. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/you-know-by-the-time-you-reach-my-age-you-ve-made-plenty-of-mistakes/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Yes, across Europe, this wall will fall. For it cannot withstand faith; it cannot withstand truth. The wall cannot withstand freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/yes-across-europe-this-wall-will-fall-for-it-cannot-withstand-faith/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Simple fairness dictates that government must not raise taxes on families struggling to pay their bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/simple-fairness-dictates-that-government-must-not-raise-taxes-on/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The time has come to turn to God and reassert our trust in Him for the healing of America - our country is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-time-has-come-to-turn-to-god-and-reassert-our-trust-in-him-for/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Professional politicians like to talk about the value of experience in government. Nuts! The only experience you gain in politics is how to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/professional-politicians-like-to-talk-about-the-value-of-experience/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The WPA was one of the most productive elements of FDR's alphabet soup of agencies because it put people to work building roads, bridges,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-wpa-was-one-of-the-most-productive-elements-of-fdr-s-alphabet/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Where there's liberty, art succeeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/where-there-s-liberty-art-succeeds/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Since I came to the White House, I got two hearing aids, a colon operation, skin cancer, a prostate operation, and I was shot.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/since-i-came-to-the-white-house-i-got-two-hearing-aids-a-colon/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [A moment I've been dreading. George brought his ne're-do-well son around this morning and asked me to find the kid a job. Not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/a-moment-i-ve-been-dreading-george-brought-his-ne-re-do-well-son/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [On Father's Day, we pay tribute to all in our society who have taken on the responsibilitie s and joys of fatherhood. Whether our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/on-father-s-day-we-pay-tribute-to-all-in-our-society-who-have-taken/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/there-is-no-limit-to-the-amount-of-good-you-can-do-if-you-don-t-care/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [It's not that liberals aren't smart, it's just that so much of what they know isn't so](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/it-s-not-that-liberals-aren-t-smart-it-s-just-that-so-much-of-what/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Love your country, not for her power or wealth, but for her selflessness and her idealism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/love-your-country-not-for-her-power-or-wealth-but-for-her/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) [Explore all 1,244 Ronald Reagan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) ## More Air quotes > [I will be a tireless advocate for our District's defense priorities including Sheppard Air Force Base, Pantex, Bell Helicopter, universities conducting important research, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronny-jackson/i-will-be-a-tireless-advocate-for-our-district-s-defense-priorities/) [Ronny Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronny-jackson/) > [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) > [If U.S. air, naval, missile, and ground forces were not in and around Korea, and if we were not treaty-bound to fight alongside South…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/if-u-s-air-naval-missile-and-ground-forces-were-not-in-and-around/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [The cooler days have brought a wistful mood upon him. The smell of coalsmoke in the air at night. Old times, dead years. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-cooler-days-have-brought-a-wistful-mood-upon-him-the-smell-of/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [I'm a candle flame that sways in currents of air you can't see. You need to be the one who steadies me to burn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-gordimer/i-m-a-candle-flame-that-sways-in-currents-of-air-you-can-t-see-you/) [Nadine Gordimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-gordimer/) > [It is sometimes said that scientists are unromantic, that their passion to figure out robs the world of beauty and mystery. But is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/it-is-sometimes-said-that-scientists-are-unromantic-that-their/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [ Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging MORE migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs \[Less Developed Countries\]?... I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-summers/just-between-you-and-me-shouldn-t-the-world-bank-be-encouraging-more/) [Lawrence Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-summers/) > [After a few mouthfuls of moon-flavored air, even the stubbornly drowsy can find themselves wide-eyed.. All the normal noises of life were gone, leaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/after-a-few-mouthfuls-of-moon-flavored-air-even-the-stubbornly-drowsy/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) > [There was a little nook on Air Force Two that contained the vice presidential seal, and I would sort of wedge myself in there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-biden/there-was-a-little-nook-on-air-force-two-that-contained-the-vice/) [Jill Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-biden/) > [Words are substance strange. Speak one and the air ripples into another's ears. Write one and the eye laps it up. But the sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-beachy-quick/words-are-substance-strange-speak-one-and-the-air-ripples-into/) [Dan Beachy-Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-beachy-quick/) > [ \[A\]s you partake of the world's bill of fare, that's darned good advice to follow. Do a lot of spitting out the hot air.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/a-s-you-partake-of-the-world-s-bill-of-fare-that-s-darned-good-advice/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [...As the disparity between the rich and the poor grows, the fight to corner resources is intensifying. To push through their "sweetheart deals," to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/as-the-disparity-between-the-rich-and-the-poor-grows-the-fight-to/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [Washington bureaucrats have classified the very air we exhale as a pollutant and have gone unchallenged in this incredible assertion. The logical consequence is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/washington-bureaucrats-have-classified-the-very-air-we-exhale-as-a/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [“It is unnatural to fear something natural.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/it-is-unnatural-to-fear-something-natural/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) [Browse all 6,278 Air quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/air/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Approximately 80% of our air pollution stems from hydrocarbons released by vegetation, so let's not go overboard in setting and enforcing tough emission standards from man-made sources.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ronald Reagan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/approximately-80-of-our-air-pollution-stems-from-hydrocarbons/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Air" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/approximately-80-of-our-air-pollution-stems-from-hydrocarbons/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af3/ronald-reagan-119_air_approximately-80-of-our-air-pollution-st_833272.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af3/ronald-reagan-119_air_approximately-80-of-our-air-pollution-st_833272.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af3/ronald-reagan-119_air_approximately-80-of-our-air-pollution-st_833272.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Approximately 80% of our air pollution stems from hydrocarbons released by vegetation, so let's not go…” — Ronald Reagan", "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": "Ronald Reagan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Approximately 80% of our air pollution...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/approximately-80-of-our-air-pollution-stems-from-hydrocarbons/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/approximately-80-of-our-air-pollution-stems-from-hydrocarbons/#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 } } ] } ```