--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When Al Gore urges the citizenry to…" description: "\"“When Al Gore urges the citizenry to sacrifice their plastic shopping bags, their air-conditioning, their extraneous travel, the agnostics grumble that..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9b/steven-d-levitt-5284_al-gore_when-al-gore-urges-the-citizenry-to-sacr_2315003.jpg" --- # When Al Gore urges the citizenry to sacrifice their… ![“When Al Gore urges the citizenry to sacrifice their plastic shopping bags, their air-conditioning, their extraneous travel, the agnostics grumble that human activity accounts for just 2 percent of global carbon-dioxide emissions, with the remainder generated by natural processes like plant decay.” quote by Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9b/steven-d-levitt-5284_al-gore_when-al-gore-urges-the-citizenry-to-sacr_2315003.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9b/steven-d-levitt-5284_al-gore_when-al-gore-urges-the-citizenry-to-sacr_2315003.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9b/steven-d-levitt-5284_al-gore_when-al-gore-urges-the-citizenry-to-sacr_2315003.jpg) > ““When Al Gore urges the citizenry to sacrifice their plastic shopping bags, their air-conditioning, their extraneous travel, the agnostics grumble that human activity accounts for just 2 percent of global carbon-dioxide emissions, with the remainder generated by natural processes like plant decay.”” [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People argue that individual actions matter little because natural processes dominate carbon emissions. **In simple terms:** Individual impact seems tiny. Key Takeaway Recognize both personal and systemic roles in climate action. Themes environment responsibility statistics Mood analytical concerned Type informative persuasive When to use this quote - policy advocacy - personal consumption - education campaigns Key Concepts carbon cycle behavioral economics Questions to Reflect On - How can individuals motivate systemic change? - What policies best complement personal efforts? A Different Perspective Neglecting personal actions can undermine collective progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Climate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate/) [Travel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/travel/) ## Related quotes > [There is a majority of scientists that say that global carbon emissions by humans causes some changes in the climate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/there-is-a-majority-of-scientists-that-say-that-global-carbon/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [The essential fact which emerges ... is that the three smallest and most active reservoirs ( of carbon in the global carbon cycle), the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freeman-dyson/the-essential-fact-which-emerges-is-that-the-three-smallest-and-most/) [Freeman Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freeman-dyson/) > [I think natural gas has been a big part of the solution if in fact we need to reduce man-generated carbon dioxide emissions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-young/i-think-natural-gas-has-been-a-big-part-of-the-solution-if-in-fact-we/) [Todd Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-young/) > [Our leaders must get to grips with the huge risk that carbon dioxide emissions pose to the economy and the environment. As we know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-angel-gurria/our-leaders-must-get-to-grips-with-the-huge-risk-that-carbon-dioxide/) [Jose Angel Gurria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-angel-gurria/) > [We have received no single argument in favour of this document except political pressure. No link has been established between carbon dioxide emissions and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrey-illarionov/we-have-received-no-single-argument-in-favour-of-this-document-except/) [Andrey Illarionov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrey-illarionov/) > [Al Gore completely lied about climate change in an effort to make a lot of money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-gutfeld/al-gore-completely-lied-about-climate-change-in-an-effort-to-make-a/) [Greg Gutfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-gutfeld/) > [Al Gore, the former vice-president of the United States, lives in a mansion that uses more electricity than the average family's bungalow! David Suzuki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linwood-barclay/al-gore-the-former-vice-president-of-the-united-states-lives-in-a/) [Linwood Barclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linwood-barclay/) > [“When Barack Obama took office, the fossil fuel industry was not only eager to preserve its perks but also more militant in its opposition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/when-barack-obama-took-office-the-fossil-fuel-industry-was-not-only/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [For Al Gore and Paul Ehrlich and Co., whatever the problem, the solution is always the same. Whether it's global cooling, global warming, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/for-al-gore-and-paul-ehrlich-and-co-whatever-the-problem-the-solution/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [Other than they may or may not have discussed the relative merits of the Electoral College vs. the popular vote, what I am told…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-tumulty/other-than-they-may-or-may-not-have-discussed-the-relative-merits-of/) [Karen Tumulty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-tumulty/) > [You've got Bush and Gore headed to the Supreme Court. You've got George W. Bush's intelligence will be pitted against Al Gore's honesty. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/you-ve-got-bush-and-gore-headed-to-the-supreme-court-you-ve-got/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Far from environmental prophet, he is a foreign oil profiteer. That is the inconvenient truth of Al Gore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-poilievre/far-from-environmental-prophet-he-is-a-foreign-oil-profiteer-that-is/) [Pierre Poilievre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-poilievre/) > [“Again, you really won’t believe what people will buy. Oh wait, of course you will. You bought it first! This is why Al Gore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-talbot/again-you-really-won-t-believe-what-people-will-buy-oh-wait-of-course/) Betsy Talbot > [If Al Gore invented the Internet, I invented spell check.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-quayle/if-al-gore-invented-the-internet-i-invented-spell-check/) [Dan Quayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-quayle/) > [USC is the National Champion like Al Gore is the President of the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-emmert/usc-is-the-national-champion-like-al-gore-is-the-president-of-the/) [Mark Emmert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-emmert/) ## More by Steven D. Levitt > [“Here is the broader point: whatever problem you're trying to solve, make sure you're not just attacking the noisy part of the problem that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/here-is-the-broader-point-whatever-problem-you-re-trying-to-solve/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) > [“Human beings, for all our accomplishments, can be fragile animals. Most of us don't take criticism well at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/human-beings-for-all-our-accomplishments-can-be-fragile-animals-most/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) > [“The ECLS data do show, for instance, that a child with a lot of books in his home tends to test higher than a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/the-ecls-data-do-show-for-instance-that-a-child-with-a-lot-of-books/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) > [“In a complex world where people can be atypical in an infinite number of ways, there is great value in discovering the baseline. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/in-a-complex-world-where-people-can-be-atypical-in-an-infinite-number/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) > [“Morning robberies yield far more than afternoon robberies . . .' - When to Rob a Bank: A Rouge Economist's Guide to the World…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/morning-robberies-yield-far-more-than-afternoon-robberies-when-to-rob/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) > [“The more complex a problem is, the harder it is to capture good feedback. You can gather a lot of facts, and that may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/the-more-complex-a-problem-is-the-harder-it-is-to-capture-good/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) > [ “\[...\]if you are hoping to damage opponents' mental health, go ahead and tell them how inferior or dim-witted or nasty they are. But even… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/if-you-are-hoping-to-damage-opponents-mental-health-go-ahead-and-tell/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) > [“If asked how we'd behave in a situation that pits a private benefit against the greater good, most of us won't admit to favoring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/if-asked-how-we-d-behave-in-a-situation-that-pits-a-private-benefit/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) > [“The impulse to investigate can only be set free if you stop pretending to know answers that you don't. Because the incentives to pretend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/the-impulse-to-investigate-can-only-be-set-free-if-you-stop/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) > [“From 2002 to 2008, the United States was fighting bloody wars in Afghanistan and Iraq; among active military personnel, there were an average 1,643…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/from-2002-to-2008-the-united-states-was-fighting-bloody-wars-in/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) > [“But if you are hell-bent on persuading someone, or if your back is truly against the wall, you might as well give it your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/but-if-you-are-hell-bent-on-persuading-someone-or-if-your-back-is/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) > [“Just because you're great at something doesn't mean you're good at everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/just-because-you-re-great-at-something-doesn-t-mean-you-re-good-at/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) > [“For until you can admit what you don't yet know, it's virtually impossible to learn what you need to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/for-until-you-can-admit-what-you-don-t-yet-know-it-s-virtually/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) > [“Sometimes in life, going straight up the middle is the boldest move of all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/sometimes-in-life-going-straight-up-the-middle-is-the-boldest-move-of/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) > [“When it comes to solving problems, one of the best ways to start is by putting away your moral compass. Why? When you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-d-levitt/when-it-comes-to-solving-problems-one-of-the-best-ways-to-start-is-by/) [Steven D. Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) [Explore all 98 Steven D. Levitt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-d-levitt/) ## More Al gore quotes > [For Al Gore and Paul Ehrlich and Co., whatever the problem, the solution is always the same. Whether it's global cooling, global warming, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/for-al-gore-and-paul-ehrlich-and-co-whatever-the-problem-the-solution/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [“When Barack Obama took office, the fossil fuel industry was not only eager to preserve its perks but also more militant in its opposition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/when-barack-obama-took-office-the-fossil-fuel-industry-was-not-only/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [USC is the National Champion like Al Gore is the President of the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-emmert/usc-is-the-national-champion-like-al-gore-is-the-president-of-the/) [Mark Emmert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-emmert/) > [If Al Gore invented the Internet, I invented spell check.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-quayle/if-al-gore-invented-the-internet-i-invented-spell-check/) [Dan Quayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-quayle/) > [“Again, you really won’t believe what people will buy. Oh wait, of course you will. You bought it first! This is why Al Gore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-talbot/again-you-really-won-t-believe-what-people-will-buy-oh-wait-of-course/) Betsy Talbot > [Other than they may or may not have discussed the relative merits of the Electoral College vs. the popular vote, what I am told…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-tumulty/other-than-they-may-or-may-not-have-discussed-the-relative-merits-of/) [Karen Tumulty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-tumulty/) > [Al Gore, the former vice-president of the United States, lives in a mansion that uses more electricity than the average family's bungalow! David Suzuki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linwood-barclay/al-gore-the-former-vice-president-of-the-united-states-lives-in-a/) [Linwood Barclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linwood-barclay/) > [Al Gore completely lied about climate change in an effort to make a lot of money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-gutfeld/al-gore-completely-lied-about-climate-change-in-an-effort-to-make-a/) [Greg Gutfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-gutfeld/) > [You've got Bush and Gore headed to the Supreme Court. You've got George W. Bush's intelligence will be pitted against Al Gore's honesty. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/you-ve-got-bush-and-gore-headed-to-the-supreme-court-you-ve-got/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Far from environmental prophet, he is a foreign oil profiteer. That is the inconvenient truth of Al Gore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-poilievre/far-from-environmental-prophet-he-is-a-foreign-oil-profiteer-that-is/) [Pierre Poilievre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-poilievre/) > [There was also talk of bringing Al Gore to California to help out, but there was concern that Gray Davis and Al Gore in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/there-was-also-talk-of-bringing-al-gore-to-california-to-help-out-but/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [The only place Al Gore conserves energy these days is on the treadmill. I don't want to suggest that Al's getting big, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/the-only-place-al-gore-conserves-energy-these-days-is-on-the/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [Al Gore's Negro tolerance level has never been too high. I've never known him to have more than one black person around him at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-mckinney/al-gore-s-negro-tolerance-level-has-never-been-too-high-i-ve-never/) [Cynthia McKinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-mckinney/) > [Al Gore won the popular vote and didn't get elected president, so I'm not going to sit here and kill myself over not winning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/draymond-green/al-gore-won-the-popular-vote-and-didn-t-get-elected-president-so-i-m/) [Draymond Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/draymond-green/) > [As a dad, you are the Vice President of the executive branch of parenting. It doesn't matter what your personality is like, you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/as-a-dad-you-are-the-vice-president-of-the-executive-branch-of/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) Browse all 145 Al gore quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When Al Gore urges the citizenry to sacrifice their plastic shopping bags, their air-conditioning, their extraneous travel, the agnostics grumble that human activity accounts for just 2 percent of global carbon-dioxide emissions, with the remainder generated by natural processes like plant decay.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steven D. 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