---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only sure way to stop global warming…"
description: "\"“The only sure way to stop global warming is to stop economic growth, which no government is willing to do.”\" — Yuval Noah Harari"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3f/yuval-noah-harari-100_economic-growth_the-only-sure-way-to-stop-global-warming_1248408.jpg"
---

#  The only sure way to stop global warming is to stop…

![“The only sure way to stop global warming is to stop economic growth, which no government is willing to do.” quote by Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3f/yuval-noah-harari-100_economic-growth_the-only-sure-way-to-stop-global-warming_1248408.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3f/yuval-noah-harari-100_economic-growth_the-only-sure-way-to-stop-global-warming_1248408.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3f/yuval-noah-harari-100_economic-growth_the-only-sure-way-to-stop-global-warming_1248408.jpg)

> ““The only sure way to stop global warming is to stop economic growth, which no government is willing to do.””

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Stopping economic growth would halt emissions, but political will is lacking, making the solution impractical.

**In simple terms:** Economic growth drives warming; stopping it is unrealistic.

Key Takeaway

Seek sustainable growth alternatives.

Themes

climate change economics politics growth

Mood

urgent thought‑provoking serious

Type

analytical policy

When to use this quote

- policy making
- business strategy
- public advocacy

Key Concepts

environmental science political economy innovation

Questions to Reflect On

- What sustainable models can replace growth?
- How can societies balance prosperity and climate health?

A Different Perspective

Growth may be essential for poverty reduction.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Climate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate/) [Economic growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economic-growth/) [Global warming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/global-warming/) [Government Willing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-willing-1251270/) [Growth Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growth-government-1001531/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Stop Economic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stop-economic-3339135/) [Stop Global](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stop-global-3925597/)

## Related quotes

> [I am afraid there are people who want to stop the economic growth, the rise in the standard of living (though not their own)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-klaus/i-am-afraid-there-are-people-who-want-to-stop-the-economic-growth-the/)

[Vaclav Klaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-klaus/)

> [The reality is that zero defects in products plus zero pollution plus zero risk on the job is equivalent to maximum growth of government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dixie-lee-ray/the-reality-is-that-zero-defects-in-products-plus-zero-pollution-plus/)

[Dixie Lee Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dixie-lee-ray/)

> [China won't stop until it's the global space superpower.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltz/china-won-t-stop-until-it-s-the-global-space-superpower/)

[Michael Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltz/)

> [Americans must either choose big government and be willing to pay for and submit to it, or they must move toward smaller, less intrusive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-demille/americans-must-either-choose-big-government-and-be-willing-to-pay-for/)

[Oliver DeMille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-demille/)

> [Neither Johnson nor his party nor the government as a whole were willing to raise, train, equip, and then send Vietnam sufficient manpower to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-ambrose/neither-johnson-nor-his-party-nor-the-government-as-a-whole-were/)

[Stephen Ambrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-ambrose/)

> [We will never meet our own expectations of public education unless the federal government is willing to play a consistent, long-term role; unless education…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-fiorina/we-will-never-meet-our-own-expectations-of-public-education-unless/)

[Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-fiorina/)

> [“The authority of government, even such as I am willing to submit to— for I will cheerfully obey those who know and can do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-authority-of-government-even-such-as-i-am-willing-to-submit-to/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [There is a flaw in the operation of representative government. The flaw produces the growth of government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-h-meltzer/there-is-a-flaw-in-the-operation-of-representative-government-the/)

[Allan H. Meltzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-h-meltzer/)

> [But I think the global economy will understand that the United States has the ability to meet its obligations. But it's not going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bass/but-i-think-the-global-economy-will-understand-that-the-united-states/)

[Charles Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bass/)

> [Research and development needs permanent tax credits to build the technology that spurs our growth. But no government programs alone can get America's students…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-istook/research-and-development-needs-permanent-tax-credits-to-build-the/)

[Ernest Istook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-istook/)

> [You balance the budget by restraining the growth of government and encouraging the growth of the private sector.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/you-balance-the-budget-by-restraining-the-growth-of-government-and/)

[Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/)

> [We are a nation that has a government - not the other way around. And this makes us special among the nations of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/we-are-a-nation-that-has-a-government-not-the-other-way-around-and/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [“What is needed is a growth in consciousness, not a growth of government.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/what-is-needed-is-a-growth-in-consciousness-not-a-growth-of-government/)

[Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/)

> [Climate change is the world's greatest environmental challenge. It is now plain that the emission of greenhouse gases, associated with industrialization and economic growth...is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/climate-change-is-the-world-s-greatest-environmental-challenge-it-is/)

[Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/)

> [“Instead of eating little, which will lead to economic contraction, people eat too much and then buy diet products – contributing to economic growth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/instead-of-eating-little-which-will-lead-to-economic-contraction/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

## More by Yuval Noah Harari

> [“For similar reasons, archaic humans did not initiate any revolutions. As far as we can tell, changes in social patterns, the invention of new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/for-similar-reasons-archaic-humans-did-not-initiate-any-revolutions/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Today the main source of wealth is knowledge. And whereas you can conquer oil fields through war, you cannot acquire knowledge that way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/today-the-main-source-of-wealth-is-knowledge-and-whereas-you-can/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“How do you cause people to believe in an imagined order such as Christianity, democracy or capitalism? First, you never admit that the order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/how-do-you-cause-people-to-believe-in-an-imagined-order-such-as/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [I think the basic thing that happened is we have lost our story. Humans think in stories, and we try to make sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/i-think-the-basic-thing-that-happened-is-we-have-lost-our-story/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Whereas chimpanzees spend five hours a day chewing raw food, a single hour suffices for people eating cooked food. The advent of cooking enabled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/whereas-chimpanzees-spend-five-hours-a-day-chewing-raw-food-a-single/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“the Chinese air-purification market is booming.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/the-chinese-air-purification-market-is-booming/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Whereas liberalism merged with the milder versions of nationalism to protect the unique experiences of each human community, evolutionary humanists such as Hitler identified…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/whereas-liberalism-merged-with-the-milder-versions-of-nationalism-to/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Corporations, money and nations exist only in our imagination. We invented them to serve us; why do we find ourselves sacrificing our lives in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/corporations-money-and-nations-exist-only-in-our-imagination-we/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Small children in affluent societies often dislike showering, and it takes them years of education and parental discipline to adopt this supposedly attractive custom.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/small-children-in-affluent-societies-often-dislike-showering-and-it/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Ever more scholars see cultures as a kind of mental infection or parasite, with humans as its unwitting host. Organic parasites, such as viruses,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/ever-more-scholars-see-cultures-as-a-kind-of-mental-infection-or/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Soviet Communism was a fanatical and missionary religion. A devout Communist could not be a Christian or a Buddhist, and was expected to spread…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/soviet-communism-was-a-fanatical-and-missionary-religion-a-devout/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Whereas religion asks us to believe in something, money asks us to believe that other people believe in something”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/whereas-religion-asks-us-to-believe-in-something-money-asks-us-to/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Terrorists are like a fly that tries to destroy a china shop. The fly is so weak that it cannot budge even a single…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/terrorists-are-like-a-fly-that-tries-to-destroy-a-china-shop-the-fly/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“Yet what happens if the greedy shoemaker increases his profits by paying employees less and increasing their work hours? The standard answer is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/yet-what-happens-if-the-greedy-shoemaker-increases-his-profits-by/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [“A natural order is a stable order. There is no chance that gravity will cease to function tomorrow, even if people stop believing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/a-natural-order-is-a-stable-order-there-is-no-chance-that-gravity/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

[Explore all 1,200 Yuval Noah Harari quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

## More Climate quotes

> [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/)

[Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/)

> [In the current climate, things that are true, brave human stories become political.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-blanchett/in-the-current-climate-things-that-are-true-brave-human-stories/)

[Cate Blanchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-blanchett/)

> [Windmills and solar cells are carbon-free sources of electricity. But they are costly. If you've been investing in those, give it up. That game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-fisher/windmills-and-solar-cells-are-carbon-free-sources-of-electricity-but/)

[Kenneth Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-fisher/)

> [Society understands the architecture of academia and knows there are relevant qualifications in different fields, and the media accepts the idea of specialisations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-griffiths/society-understands-the-architecture-of-academia-and-knows-there-are/)

[Jay Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-griffiths/)

> [There are many more traits that the climate deniers share with the creationists and Holocaust deniers and others who distort the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-r-prothero/there-are-many-more-traits-that-the-climate-deniers-share-with-the/)

[Donald R. Prothero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-r-prothero/)

> [Some would call me an environmentalist. I don't know why. I reuse the water that falls in my backyard in the winter. I reuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-begley-jr/some-would-call-me-an-environmentalist-i-don-t-know-why-i-reuse-the/)

[Ed Begley, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-begley-jr/)

> [I talk to fashion designers and say I want some money to save the rainforest, and they say, 'Oh, I agree with you completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-westwood/i-talk-to-fashion-designers-and-say-i-want-some-money-to-save-the/)

[Vivienne Westwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-westwood/)

> [Assuming normal winter weather, we currently anticipate the coal markets to remain difficult through 2015; while we always strive to operate a full capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-craft/assuming-normal-winter-weather-we-currently-anticipate-the-coal/)

[Joe Craft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-craft/)

> [Climate change poses clear, catastrophic threats. We may not agree on the extent, but we certainly can't afford the risk of inaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/climate-change-poses-clear-catastrophic-threats-we-may-not-agree-on/)

[Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/)

> [Fossil fuels, including oil, are running out and supplies are getting harder to find. If we do nothing, prices will continue to rise and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-powell/fossil-fuels-including-oil-are-running-out-and-supplies-are-getting/)

[Lucy Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-powell/)

> [Local and state governments have outrun the federal government. The EPA has served notice that it will enact a rule requiring CO2 reductions by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/local-and-state-governments-have-outrun-the-federal-government-the/)

[Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/)

> [I am sympathetic to developing countries’ concerns: because of our emissions it’s their crops that will disappear; because of our inaction, it’s their fields…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/i-am-sympathetic-to-developing-countries-concerns-because-of-our/)

[John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/)

> [We live in a state with a wonderful climate and plenty of natural beauty, from the shores of Cumberland Island to the Chattahoochee River…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-barnes/we-live-in-a-state-with-a-wonderful-climate-and-plenty-of-natural/)

[Roy Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-barnes/)

> [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/)

> [All of the barriers to innovation in the energy sector are arguments for a big commitment to public investment. Only the public sector can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nordhaus/all-of-the-barriers-to-innovation-in-the-energy-sector-are-arguments/)

[Ted Nordhaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nordhaus/)

[Browse all 8,549 Climate quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“The only sure way to stop global warming is to stop economic growth, which no government is willing to do.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Yuval Noah Harari"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/the-only-sure-way-to-stop-global-warming-is-to-stop-economic-growth/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Climate"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/the-only-sure-way-to-stop-global-warming-is-to-stop-economic-growth/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3f/yuval-noah-harari-100_economic-growth_the-only-sure-way-to-stop-global-warming_1248408.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3f/yuval-noah-harari-100_economic-growth_the-only-sure-way-to-stop-global-warming_1248408.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3f/yuval-noah-harari-100_economic-growth_the-only-sure-way-to-stop-global-warming_1248408.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The only sure way to stop global warming is to stop economic growth, which no government is willing to do.” — Yuval Noah Harari",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Yuval Noah Harari",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“The only sure way to stop...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/the-only-sure-way-to-stop-global-warming-is-to-stop-economic-growth/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/the-only-sure-way-to-stop-global-warming-is-to-stop-economic-growth/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
