--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When these resources are degraded or…" description: "\"When these resources are degraded or polluted, then there are fewer of them for the rest of us, and then we start competing for them and eventually as ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f12/wangari-maathai-2479_ability_when-these-resources-are-degraded-or-pol_3167286.jpg" --- # When these resources are degraded or polluted, then there… ![“When these resources are degraded or polluted, then there are fewer of them for the rest of us, and then we start competing for them and eventually as we compete, there are those of us, who have the capacity, who have the ability to be the controllers, to decide who accesses them, how much they…” quote by Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f12/wangari-maathai-2479_ability_when-these-resources-are-degraded-or-pol_3167286.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f12/wangari-maathai-2479_ability_when-these-resources-are-degraded-or-pol_3167286.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f12/wangari-maathai-2479_ability_when-these-resources-are-degraded-or-pol_3167286.jpg) > “When these resources are degraded or polluted, then there are fewer of them for the rest of us, and then we start competing for them and eventually as we compete, there are those of us, who have the capacity, who have the ability to be the controllers, to decide who accesses them, how much they access, and eventually there is a conflict. Those who feel marginalized, those who feel excluded, eventually react in an effort to get their own justice, and we have conflict.” [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Highlights how resource depletion leads to scarcity, power concentration, and social conflict, urging equitable access. **In simple terms:** Resource loss creates power struggles and conflict. Key Takeaway Promote fair resource distribution. Themes environment justice conflict equity power Mood concerned determined Type activist inspirational When to use this quote - community planning - policy making - activism - resource management Key Concepts resource economics social dynamics environmental ethics Questions to Reflect On - What policies can ensure equitable resource access? - How can communities prevent resource-driven conflict? A Different Perspective Solutions require systemic change, not just individual action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Access](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/access/) [Competing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competing/) [Conflict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict/) [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [When resources are degraded, we start competing for them, whether it is at the local level in Kenya, where we had tribal clashes over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/when-resources-are-degraded-we-start-competing-for-them-whether-it-is/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [We may hope that machines will eventually compete with men in all purely intellectual fields.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-turing/we-may-hope-that-machines-will-eventually-compete-with-men-in-all-2/) [Alan Turing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-turing/) > [“When we forget our essential similarities, we forget how to get along, and that cannot but lead to prejudice, discrimination, and eventually, conflict.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-norman-lippert/when-we-forget-our-essential-similarities-we-forget-how-to-get-along/) [G. Norman Lippert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-norman-lippert/) > [Today, if you don't understand the controller, you're not able to enjoy video games. ... We expect the Revolution controller to become the standard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satoru-iwata/today-if-you-don-t-understand-the-controller-you-re-not-able-to-enjoy/) [Satoru Iwata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satoru-iwata/) > [Even if the wealth and power be well distributed throughout a community, its members will not be happy unless they are inwardly so, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilaire-belloc/even-if-the-wealth-and-power-be-well-distributed-throughout-a/) [Hilaire Belloc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilaire-belloc/) > [Reagan was extreme. Beginning of his administration, one of the first things was to call in scabs - hadn't been done for a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/reagan-was-extreme-beginning-of-his-administration-one-of-the-first/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Any mother could perform the jobs of several air-traffic controllers with ease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-alther/any-mother-could-perform-the-jobs-of-several-air-traffic-controllers/) [Lisa Alther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-alther/) > [Man is the being who has built controllers for every stubborn element, but he has not been able to build one for his Ego.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-atta-ullah-faizani/man-is-the-being-who-has-built-controllers-for-every-stubborn-element/) [Muhammad Atta-ullah Faizani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-atta-ullah-faizani/) > [I'm a big believer in the Wii. I love the physicality of the Wii controller, and how you can get the feeling of throwing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/i-m-a-big-believer-in-the-wii-i-love-the-physicality-of-the-wii/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [There is also the fact that NORAD-Northeast was conducting war game exercises that morning, a fact that has been very little talked about and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-marrs/there-is-also-the-fact-that-norad-northeast-was-conducting-war-game/) [Jim Marrs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-marrs/) > [I'm not thinking about forcing my kids to watch my movies. It's always awkward when someone says: "Hey, I wrote a song, can I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-black/i-m-not-thinking-about-forcing-my-kids-to-watch-my-movies-it-s-always/) [Jack Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-black/) > [The smaller man approaching our modern banking system, which controls all issue of credit and therefore pretty well all our industrial and commercial activities,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilaire-belloc/the-smaller-man-approaching-our-modern-banking-system-which-controls/) [Hilaire Belloc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilaire-belloc/) > [In order to realize the goal of creating a new starting line that anyone can instinctively understand we have come up with a design…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satoru-iwata/in-order-to-realize-the-goal-of-creating-a-new-starting-line-that/) [Satoru Iwata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satoru-iwata/) > [Apollo was a big, unwieldy vehicle. I had a problem with the flight controllers over that. It would try to fare its way like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-schirra/apollo-was-a-big-unwieldy-vehicle-i-had-a-problem-with-the-flight/) [Wally Schirra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-schirra/) > [In the humanities and social sciences, and in fields like journalism and economics and so on, people have to be trained to be managers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/in-the-humanities-and-social-sciences-and-in-fields-like-journalism/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## More by Wangari Maathai > [For us who are now in power, we need to be challenged to serve the people and ignore our own egos and personal interests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/for-us-who-are-now-in-power-we-need-to-be-challenged-to-serve-the/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [We cannot tire or give up. We owe it to the present and future generations of all species to rise up and walk!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/we-cannot-tire-or-give-up-we-owe-it-to-the-present-and-future/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [What I am trying to say is that they need to learn to rely on themselves and to learn from other people, and when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/what-i-am-trying-to-say-is-that-they-need-to-learn-to-rely-on/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [As long as there is no trust and confidence that there will be justice and fairness in resource distribution, political positioning will remain more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/as-long-as-there-is-no-trust-and-confidence-that-there-will-be/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [If Africa is left behind, she is going to continue pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, especially carbon. 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But I think its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/as-a-scientist-i-cannot-say-we-don-t-want-to-hear-anything-about-gmos/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [When I first started, it was really an innocent response to the needs of women in rural areas. When we started planting trees to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/when-i-first-started-it-was-really-an-innocent-response-to-the-needs/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [Monsanto will not come empty-handed. Monsanto will come with a big bag of money. And because these governments are poor, when they are shown…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/monsanto-will-not-come-empty-handed-monsanto-will-come-with-a-big-bag/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [Why has there been so much secrecy about AIDS? When you ask where did the virus come from, it raises a lot of flags.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/why-has-there-been-so-much-secrecy-about-aids-when-you-ask-where-did/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [I stand before you and the world humbled by this recognition and uplifted by the honour of being the 2004 Nobel Peace Laureate. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/i-stand-before-you-and-the-world-humbled-by-this-recognition-and/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) [Explore all 164 Wangari Maathai quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. 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Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 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