--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Real environmental change depends on us…" description: "\"Real environmental change depends on us. We can't wait for our leaders. We have to focus on what our own responsibilities are and how we can make the c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9da/severn-cullis-suzuki-14506_change_real-environmental-change-depends-on-us_684999.jpg" --- # Real environmental change depends on us. We can't wait for… ![“Real environmental change depends on us. We can't wait for our leaders. We have to focus on what our own responsibilities are and how we can make the change happen.” quote by Severn Cullis-Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9da/severn-cullis-suzuki-14506_change_real-environmental-change-depends-on-us_684999.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9da/severn-cullis-suzuki-14506_change_real-environmental-change-depends-on-us_684999.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9da/severn-cullis-suzuki-14506_change_real-environmental-change-depends-on-us_684999.jpg) > “Real environmental change depends on us. We can't wait for our leaders. We have to focus on what our own responsibilities are and how we can make the change happen.” [Severn Cullis-Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/severn-cullis-suzuki/) ## 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 calls for personal responsibility in environmental action, emphasizing that change must start with individuals rather than waiting for leaders. **In simple terms:** Take personal responsibility for environmental change. Key Takeaway Act locally and inspire broader impact. Themes environment activism responsibility Mood urgent hopeful Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - community projects - recycling - education - advocacy Key Concepts sustainability citizen engagement policy Questions to Reflect On - What can you do today for the environment? - How can you influence others to act? A Different Perspective Systemic change also requires political action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Environmental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environmental/) [Environmental change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environmental-change/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) ## Related quotes > [“Why are you always in such a hurry, Mr. Lipwig?” “Because people don’t like change. But make the change happen fast enough and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/why-are-you-always-in-such-a-hurry-mr-lipwig-because-people-don-t/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [You must make the choice to take a chance to make a change. If you do nothing, nothing will happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-must-make-the-choice-to-take-a-chance-to-make-a-change-if-you-do/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We must find opportunities to make change happen - we must not tire, we must not give up, we must persist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanne-verveer/we-must-find-opportunities-to-make-change-happen-we-must-not-tire-we/) [Melanne Verveer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanne-verveer/) > [Without conviction that you can make change happen, you will not act, even if you see the vision. Your feelings will hold you back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-p-kotter/without-conviction-that-you-can-make-change-happen-you-will-not-act/) [John P. Kotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-p-kotter/) > [Forests are the lungs of our land…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/forests-are-the-lungs-of-our-land/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [There's nothing that America can't handle if we actually look squarely at the problem. ...Change depends on our actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/there-s-nothing-that-america-can-t-handle-if-we-actually-look/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The success of any change depends, in large measure, on your attitude about that change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cottrell/the-success-of-any-change-depends-in-large-measure-on-your-attitude/) [David Cottrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cottrell/) > [It's true that pain makes people change, the change depends on you whether to change for the good or for the bad...it's your choice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kings/it-s-true-that-pain-makes-people-change-the-change-depends-on-you/) [Chris Kings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kings/) > [If you think you cannot change your future, you will never be able to, and if you believe you can change it, you'll surely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/if-you-think-you-cannot-change-your-future-you-will-never-be-able-to/) Senoraroy > [“The way you will change depends on how you think today. Your thoughts will carry you out to the end. Will you change for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-g-ortiz/the-way-you-will-change-depends-on-how-you-think-today-your-thoughts/) [Kenneth G. Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-g-ortiz/) > [Nothing will happen automatically. Change depends on what you and I do every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/nothing-will-happen-automatically-change-depends-on-what-you-and-i-do/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [The air, the water and the ground are free gifts to man and no one has the power to portion them out in parcels.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-cooper/the-air-the-water-and-the-ground-are-free-gifts-to-man-and-no-one-has-2/) [James F. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-cooper/) > [The good news is, we have everything we need now to respond to the challenge of global warming. We have all the technologies we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/the-good-news-is-we-have-everything-we-need-now-to-respond-to-the/) [Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/) > [“The first point to notice is that the Transition cannot be explained by climatic change alone: human change was not the direct result of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-david-lewis-williams/the-first-point-to-notice-is-that-the-transition-cannot-be-explained/) [James David Lewis-Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-david-lewis-williams/) > [“Once, on a walk by a river- Eskdale in low reddish sunlight, with a dusting of snow- his daughter quoted to him an opening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/once-on-a-walk-by-a-river-eskdale-in-low-reddish-sunlight-with-a/) [Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) ## More by Severn Cullis-Suzuki > [We find ourselves heading fully into an era of mass extinction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/severn-cullis-suzuki/we-find-ourselves-heading-fully-into-an-era-of-mass-extinction/) [Severn Cullis-Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/severn-cullis-suzuki/) > [I feel angry that I have been born into a society where, by no choice of my own, by no agreement, by no actual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/severn-cullis-suzuki/i-feel-angry-that-i-have-been-born-into-a-society-where-by-no-choice/) [Severn Cullis-Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/severn-cullis-suzuki/) > [Well, I think it's pretty incredible watching Greta Thunberg in action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/severn-cullis-suzuki/well-i-think-it-s-pretty-incredible-watching-greta-thunberg-in-action/) [Severn Cullis-Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/severn-cullis-suzuki/) > [Fragmentation is a big part of the problem. You have a city where trash is taken away from the curb every week, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/severn-cullis-suzuki/fragmentation-is-a-big-part-of-the-problem-you-have-a-city-where/) [Severn Cullis-Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/severn-cullis-suzuki/) > [At school, even in kindergarten, you teach us how to behave in the world. You teach us to not fight with others, to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/severn-cullis-suzuki/at-school-even-in-kindergarten-you-teach-us-how-to-behave-in-the/) [Severn Cullis-Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/severn-cullis-suzuki/) > [I known I'm only a child, yet I know we're all in the this together and should act as one single world towards one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/severn-cullis-suzuki/i-known-i-m-only-a-child-yet-i-know-we-re-all-in-the-this-together/) [Severn Cullis-Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/severn-cullis-suzuki/) > [Racism really, really makes me mad. I can see identical traits in people from other sides of the world and I can't believe some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/severn-cullis-suzuki/racism-really-really-makes-me-mad-i-can-see-identical-traits-in/) [Severn Cullis-Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/severn-cullis-suzuki/) > [I worry that more and more kids my age are growing up without experiencing the outdoors, which means that fewer will care about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/severn-cullis-suzuki/i-worry-that-more-and-more-kids-my-age-are-growing-up-without/) [Severn Cullis-Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/severn-cullis-suzuki/) > [We're in a new reality, living in a time of climate change. We already have climate refugees around the globe and now have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/severn-cullis-suzuki/we-re-in-a-new-reality-living-in-a-time-of-climate-change-we-already/) [Severn Cullis-Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/severn-cullis-suzuki/) > [When you pay for something, it's not just buying something from the store. You are actually supporting the political and economic structures that provide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/severn-cullis-suzuki/when-you-pay-for-something-it-s-not-just-buying-something-from-the/) [Severn Cullis-Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/severn-cullis-suzuki/) > [I really have a passion for the sea, so I think it's important that whatever I do, I want to be near the sea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/severn-cullis-suzuki/i-really-have-a-passion-for-the-sea-so-i-think-it-s-important-that/) [Severn Cullis-Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/severn-cullis-suzuki/) > [Social media has democratised platforms of expression so much - now a child can have a very loud voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/severn-cullis-suzuki/social-media-has-democratised-platforms-of-expression-so-much-now-a/) [Severn Cullis-Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/severn-cullis-suzuki/) > [In my life, I have dreamt of seeing the great herds of wild animals, jungles and rainforests full of birds and butterflies, but now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/severn-cullis-suzuki/in-my-life-i-have-dreamt-of-seeing-the-great-herds-of-wild-animals/) [Severn Cullis-Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/severn-cullis-suzuki/) > [It's always been young people at the forefront of any revolution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/severn-cullis-suzuki/it-s-always-been-young-people-at-the-forefront-of-any-revolution/) [Severn Cullis-Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/severn-cullis-suzuki/) > [Clean air and clean ocean, you can't translate that into money if you look at the cost to health, cost to fishery industry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/severn-cullis-suzuki/clean-air-and-clean-ocean-you-can-t-translate-that-into-money-if-you/) [Severn Cullis-Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/severn-cullis-suzuki/) [Explore all 46 Severn Cullis-Suzuki quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/severn-cullis-suzuki/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) Phil Hogan > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Real environmental change depends on us. 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