--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The human family has invaluable friends…" description: "\"The human family has invaluable friends and irreplaceable allies in the plant and animal worlds. We cannot continue to tug at the web of life without t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42b/van-jones-984_allies_the-human-family-has-invaluable-friends_2218537.png" --- # The human family has invaluable friends and irreplaceable… ![“The human family has invaluable friends and irreplaceable allies in the plant and animal worlds. We cannot continue to tug at the web of life without tearing a hole in the very fabric of our earthly existence-and eventually falling through that hole ourselves.” quote by Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42b/van-jones-984_allies_the-human-family-has-invaluable-friends_2218537.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42b/van-jones-984_allies_the-human-family-has-invaluable-friends_2218537.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42b/van-jones-984_allies_the-human-family-has-invaluable-friends_2218537.png) > “The human family has invaluable friends and irreplaceable allies in the plant and animal worlds. We cannot continue to tug at the web of life without tearing a hole in the very fabric of our earthly existence-and eventually falling through that hole ourselves.” [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human survival depends on respecting ecological interdependence; harming nature harms humanity. **In simple terms:** Nature and humanity are deeply linked. Key Takeaway Protect ecosystems to safeguard humanity. Themes environment interdependence ethics activism Mood urgent hopeful Type activist motivational When to use this quote - policy making - community organizing - education - sustainable business - personal lifestyle choices Key Concepts ecological balance systems thinking Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance development with ecological health? - What personal actions can reduce our ecological footprint? A Different Perspective Economic growth pressures can conflict with ecological preservation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Allies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/allies/) [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Animal world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal-world/) [Ecology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ecology/) [Existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existence/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Human family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-family/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Invaluable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invaluable/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Plant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plant/) [Plants and animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plants-and-animals/) [Web of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/web-of-life/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe; a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/a-human-being-is-a-part-of-the-whole-called-by-us-universe-a-part-3/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [“Friends forgive and forget the mistakes you've made, but others find it easier to smash it in your face and ruin your life, tearing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sparkling-amethyst/friends-forgive-and-forget-the-mistakes-you-ve-made-but-others-find/) Sparkling Amethyst > [All I know is this: nobody's very big in the first place, and it looks to me like everybody spends their whole life tearing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/all-i-know-is-this-nobody-s-very-big-in-the-first-place-and-it-looks/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [“All's well that ends well.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-s-well-that-ends-well/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Imagine if we had a food system that actually produced wholesome food. 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Whatever we do to the web, we do to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chief-si-ahl-seattle-suquamish-leader/we-do-not-weave-the-web-of-life-we-are-merely-a-strand-in-it-whatever/) Chief Si'ahl Seattle Suquamish Leader > [“¨You ask me, how was it to come to pass that I, despite the detachment I have achieved from the web of life, could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-meyrink/you-ask-me-how-was-it-to-come-to-pass-that-i-despite-the-detachment-i/) Gustave Meyrink > [HELPED are those who love the entire cosmos rather than their own tiny country, city, or farm, for to them will be shown the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/helped-are-those-who-love-the-entire-cosmos-rather-than-their-own/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [The earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chief-seattle/the-earth-does-not-belong-to-man-man-belongs-to-the-earth-all-things/) [Chief Seattle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chief-seattle/) > [Folks who are alive today need to wake up and do what they can to stop abusing the planet, and find ways to preserve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-grey/folks-who-are-alive-today-need-to-wake-up-and-do-what-they-can-to/) [Alex Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-grey/) > [“Its substance was known to me. The crawling infinity of colours, the chaos of textures that went into each strand of that eternally complex…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/china-mi-ville/its-substance-was-known-to-me-the-crawling-infinity-of-colours-the/) [China Miéville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/china-mi-ville/) > [Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/whatever-affects-one-directly-affects-all-indirectly/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [ “...\[O\]n virtually every page, the same unmistakable message: Tread lightly. Think ahead. Respect the reality that despite your intelligence you are inseparable from the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-weed/o-n-virtually-every-page-the-same-unmistakable-message-tread-lightly/) Tim Weed > [There is a web of life into which we are born, from which we can never fall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/there-is-a-web-of-life-into-which-we-are-born-from-which-we-can-never/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) ## More by Van Jones > [Right now, the government is spending billions of dollars supporting the problem-makers in the U.S. economy - the polluters, despoilers, incarcerators, and warmongers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/right-now-the-government-is-spending-billions-of-dollars-supporting/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [ If \[Donald\] Trump throws 20 million off of health care, that's going to be - if he handles this badly - and it's very… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/if-donald-trump-throws-20-million-off-of-health-care-that-s-going-to/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [America should be leading the world in green and clean solutions, and human rights. We shouldn't be leading the world in wars and incarceration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/america-should-be-leading-the-world-in-green-and-clean-solutions-and/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [ I learned more in those six months \[ in the White House\] than in the prior six years. I don't think that anybody who… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/i-learned-more-in-those-six-months-in-the-white-house-than-in-the/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [Most green-collar jobs are middle-skill jobs. That means they require more education that a high-school diploma, but less than a four-year degree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/most-green-collar-jobs-are-middle-skill-jobs-that-means-they-require/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [The problem that we have is that most Americans don't even study American history, let alone Pinochet, Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin and all these guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/the-problem-that-we-have-is-that-most-americans-don-t-even-study/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [ \[Donald Trump\] is a horrible human being, but he ain't worse than Bull Connor. Fannie Lou loved Bull Connor and beat Bull Connor because… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/donald-trump-is-a-horrible-human-being-but-he-ain-t-worse-than-bull/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [The government built the grid to favor one industry over others. But I don't hear any conservatives screaming about that. Folks don't understand that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/the-government-built-the-grid-to-favor-one-industry-over-others-but-i/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [Keith Ellison is an organizer's organizer.He's one of the only Muslims in Congress, so you have a big statement there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/keith-ellison-is-an-organizer-s-organizer-he-s-one-of-the-only/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [Everybody should be mad but anger only takes you so far. At some point, you'll have outrage fatigue and burn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/everybody-should-be-mad-but-anger-only-takes-you-so-far-at-some-point/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [We have to accept that some very toxic stuff was marbled into the Trump phenomenon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/we-have-to-accept-that-some-very-toxic-stuff-was-marbled-into-the/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [All the big ideas for getting us onto a lower carbon trajectory involve a lot of people doing a lot of work, and that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/all-the-big-ideas-for-getting-us-onto-a-lower-carbon-trajectory/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [I'm the guy that's trying to break up that monopoly to introduce free enterprise and competition to the energy sector.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/i-m-the-guy-that-s-trying-to-break-up-that-monopoly-to-introduce-free/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [I think that America could not become America until it dealt with the disenfranchisement of women and African Americans in the last century. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/i-think-that-america-could-not-become-america-until-it-dealt-with-the/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [I'm learning and changing all the time, and I expect to continue doing so my entire life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/i-m-learning-and-changing-all-the-time-and-i-expect-to-continue-doing/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) [Explore all 314 Van Jones quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) ## More Allies quotes > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) Brian Reade > [If the women in the factories stopped work for twenty minutes, the Allies would lose the war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-joffre/if-the-women-in-the-factories-stopped-work-for-twenty-minutes-the/) Joseph Joffre > [As far as Japan is concerned, I want to help all of our allies, but we are losing billions and billions of dollars. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/as-far-as-japan-is-concerned-i-want-to-help-all-of-our-allies-but-we/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [ No wonder that Churchill described this effort \[the British codebreakers working at Bletchley Park\] as "Britian"s secret weapon," a weapon far more effective than… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hilton/no-wonder-that-churchill-described-this-effort-the-british/) [Peter Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hilton/) > [One of our great allies at present is the Church itself. Do not misunderstand me. I do not mean the Church as we see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/one-of-our-great-allies-at-present-is-the-church-itself-do-not/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Our security depends on having good relationships with our allies. Donald Trump mainly shows contempt for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-wolfowitz/our-security-depends-on-having-good-relationships-with-our-allies/) [Paul Wolfowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-wolfowitz/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What would your life be like if your body were your friend and ally?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-northrup/what-would-your-life-be-like-if-your-body-were-your-friend-and-ally/) [Christiane Northrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-northrup/) > [“Bacteria and viruses were the most effective allies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eduardo-hughes-galeano/bacteria-and-viruses-were-the-most-effective-allies/) [Eduardo Hughes Galeano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eduardo-hughes-galeano/) > [When black women are down with you and in your corner, you have an ally that will move Heaven and Earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-perry/when-black-women-are-down-with-you-and-in-your-corner-you-have-an/) [Tyler Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-perry/) > [There is an irreplaceable ally. It's called the United States of America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-netanyahu/there-is-an-irreplaceable-ally-it-s-called-the-united-states-of/) [Benjamin Netanyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-netanyahu/) > [It would have been easier to fight alone with inadequate forces than to have to accept...responsibility for our ally's lack of fighting qualities and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-kesselring/it-would-have-been-easier-to-fight-alone-with-inadequate-forces-than/) [Albert Kesselring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-kesselring/) > [It isn't until you begin to fight in your own cause that you become really committed to winning and become a genuine ally of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-morgan/it-isn-t-until-you-begin-to-fight-in-your-own-cause-that-you-become/) [Robin Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-morgan/) > [ Again, I hear almost everyday from atheists who write off religion as primitive, premodern nonsense. I summon Aquinas, Augustine, Paul \[of Tarsus\], Teresa of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barron/again-i-hear-almost-everyday-from-atheists-who-write-off-religion-as/) [Robert Barron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-barron/) > [My own take on the word "transgender" is that it's an umbrella term for anyone who breaks any rules, laws, guidelines or protocol of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bornstein/my-own-take-on-the-word-transgender-is-that-it-s-an-umbrella-term-for/) [Kate Bornstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bornstein/) [Browse all 1,053 Allies quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/allies/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The human family has invaluable friends and irreplaceable allies in the plant and animal worlds. 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