Atmosphere Quote by Sylvia Earle
“We have an atmosphere that is roughly 21% oxygen. The rest of it is largely nitrogen. There's just enough carbon dioxide (CO2) to drive photosynthesis. That has been, throughout the history of our species, pretty stable. Until recently.”
About This Quote
Source Lecture: Oceanography conference, 2019
Earth’s atmosphere is mostly nitrogen with stable oxygen, but recent changes threaten this balance.
In simple terms: Atmosphere composition is stable but now changing.
Key Takeaway
Address climate impacts.
Themes
environment
science
climate
Mood
concerned
urgent
Type
educational
call to action
When to use this quote
- education curricula
- policy advocacy
- research funding
Key Concepts
atmospheric chemistry
ecosystem stability
Questions to Reflect On
- What actions can reduce CO2 emissions?
- How does oxygen stability affect life?
A Different Perspective
Human activity accelerates atmospheric shifts.
![“Before the discovery of these [underwater] vents, all life on Earth, the key to life on Earth, was believed to be the sun and photosynthesis. But down there, there is no sun, there is no photosynthesis; it's chemosynthetic environment down there driving it, and it's all so ephemeral.” quote by Mike deGruy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f4b/mike-degruy-62137_chemistry_before-the-discovery-of-these-underwater_1280363.jpg)
