Acres Quote by Winkie Pratney
“Our problem with limited resources is not primarily overpopulation; it is greed. Our problem with pollution is not the invention of fluorocarbons or mass transport; it is irresponsibility. The loss of an acre of forest every second, the mass slaughter of elephants for their ivory, the extinction of entire species of plants, insects and animals all over the world is not something that "just happens" because there are more of us human beings. It happens because the race of ruling beings put in charge has almost wholly lost its sense of stewardship. We have turned away from God.”
About This Quote
The speaker attributes environmental crises to human greed and irresponsibility, not to population size, and blames a loss of stewardship and spiritual neglect.
In simple terms: Greed, not numbers, drives ecological harm.
Key Takeaway
Ethical failure, environmental degradation.
Themes
environment
ethics
stewardship
greed
Mood
urgent
concerned
Type
social critique
When to use this quote
- policy debates
- corporate sustainability
- community activism
Key Concepts
anthropocentrism
moral responsibility
Practical Applications
- promote ethical consumption
- restore stewardship education
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies re‑instill stewardship values?
- What policies can curb greed‑driven environmental damage?
A Different Perspective
Overemphasis on greed may underplay systemic economic drivers.
![“[Footnote:] Pliny the Elder described a Whale called "Balaena or Whirlpool, which is so long and broad as to take up more in length and breadth than two acres of ground." This brings up again the old question: Are the classics doomed? Our ancestors believed that four years of this sort of…” quote by Will Cuppy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1c1/will-cuppy-7569_acres_footnote-pliny-the-elder-described-a-wha_84284.jpg)
