24 Moving Quotes About Our Planet to Inspire Action

This World Earth Day, let us remember our responsibility towards our planet. Let us take inspiration from famous quotes and act on them. Let us save our planet. Together.

“The earth is what we all have in common.”

– Wendell Berry

What is your address? Is it your house number? Or the city you live in? Or the country?

We all have just one home, just one permanent address for this life. You may call it by different names, but we all share a small blue marble, called Earth.

You see, in reality, our address is all the same. We have just divided this blue marble into the tiniest of pieces literally and figuratively. But in the division of countries and plots, in the drawing of precise imaginary lines in the sand, we have ironically forgotten about the bigger picture – caring for our planet.

Humanity seems to be in a constant race to achieve ephemeral pleasures, losing sight of what it is giving up in exchange for them (pollution, deforestation, to name a few). And it is fair to say that the environment has gradually started to show signs of imbalance and its desperate need for help.

“It turns out, if you want to save a species, you don’t spend your time staring at the bird you want to save. You look at the things it relies on to live instead. You ask if there is enough to eat and drink. You ask if there is a safe place to sleep. Is there enough here to survive?”

-EJ Hauser

We rely on our land to survive. plain and simple. Have you ever stopped to consider that maybe, just maybe, humans are also headed towards extinction? That we are likely going to meet the same fate as the unfortunate species that went extinct because of us?

While some of us have realized that time is slipping away to save our home, it is never too late for the rest of us. This Earth Day, let us remind ourselves of the importance of our planet, and take concrete actions (even if small) to restore our planet.

Here are some of the most famous quotes by notable people throughout history. We hope these will remind you of your love for our planet and inspire you to care for it.

“Earth Day should encourage us to reflect on what we are doing to make our planet a more sustainable and livable place.”

–Scott Peters

Just like we celebrate and cherish birthdays and anniversaries, Earth Day should be a day to appreciate all that our planet gives us and do something to celebrate it.

“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed.”

― Mahatma Gandhi

This is one of the most forthright quotes from MK Gandhi. Our planet offers enough bounty for everyone’s needs. However, in our frantic rat race and needless greed, we have forgotten to not take this for granted.

“When we honor the earth, we honor ourselves.”

― L.M. Wilde

As this renowned saying goes- “You are dust and to dust, you shall return”. You are a part of this Earth, you are made with all the elements of the planet. Taking care of the planet only means that you are taking care of yourself.

“The earth has a skin and that skin has diseases; one of its diseases is called man.”

― Friedrich Nietzsche

Friedrich Nietzsche sharply points to the man-made destruction the planet is suffering from – be it melting snowcaps, the untimely extinction of other species, or the present pandemic. We should take a step back and question the havoc we’ve been causing- are we the bigger problem?

"We can’t save the world by playing by the rules, because the rules have to be changed. Everything needs to change – and it has to start today."

― Greta Thunberg

Greta Thunberg is one of the youngest environmentalists and planet activists. And we agree wholeheartedly with her. Unless we start today and start by changing the way we live, the situation of our planet will not change.

“This land, this water, this air, this planet - this is our legacy to our young.”

― Paul Tsongas

When we pass away, we leave behind not just our work and our riches to our successors, but the environment we’ve built. Would you like to pass on the current environment to your kids?

“Keep close to Nature’s heart… and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.”

—John Muir

Nature has a magical way of healing us. John Muir said, “And into the forest, I go to lose my mind and find my soul”. The pandemic has enclosed us into confined spaces, and any time outdoors feels like a bigger blessing. Spend time with nature whenever you can, it's meditative and healing in its own way.

“He that plants trees loves others besides himself.”

— Thomas Fuller

Have you noticed how trees and flowers dance with the wind? Planting trees may seem like a trivial task but has multifarious benefits. Next time when you plant a tree (which you should, soon), think of the birds that will nest there, the fruits someone would enjoy, the dancing leaves in the wind.

“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.”

— Robert Swan

Who? What? When? Why are we waiting for someone else to take the lead on saving something that is as much yours as anybodys? Rise up, every small effort counts.

“Man is still the greatest miracle and the greatest problem on this earth.”

— David Sarnoff

It is really marvelous how the human race evolved through time, now becoming the only simians with the “full package” as they say. But the story is longer than that, our “superiority” and need for supremacy is making us the biggest strain on the planet, too. It’s time we think about this.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

— Margaret Mead

While we can wait for someone to take charge, even a small group of active citizens can make a huge change in making Earth a better place for everyone.

“I’m not an environmentalist, I’m an earth warrior.”

— D. Cherney

It’s time we fight for the life of this planet, it’s time we all become earth warriors.

“One of the first conditions of happiness is that the link between man and nature shall not be broken.”

— Leo Tolstoy

We are ingrained in nature. Our link to Mother Earth is never-ending. Only when we embrace nature will we truly experience happiness.

“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”

— Native American Proverb

This is a very pertinent thought that we all need to carry with us. Evert step we take, every change we initiate, will affect our generations to come. When we think about how far we have come from our ancestors’ time, we need to remind ourselves of how far we still have to go.

“To leave the world better than you found it, sometimes you have to pick up other people’s trash.”

– Bill Nye

But what if we can take it a step further? Let us not just pick up the trash of others, but also be more mindful and generate less of it. Try to live the zero-waste lifestyle.

“A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.”

— Franklin D. Roosevelt

This is such a powerful quote by Roosevelt. If we don’t have non-toxic soil, we cannot produce healthy food for our population. In many ways, we cannot sustain life, be it human or animal. “The earth is what we all have in common.”

“The environment is where we all meet; where we all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share.”

— Lady Bird Johnson

Let us agree to agree on this. Let us unite to save our planet and ourselves. We also face the threat of extinction if we do not care for our planet – our ultimate home.

“Sooner or later, we will have to recognise that the Earth has rights, too, to live without pollution. What humankind must know is that human beings cannot live without Mother Earth, but the planet can live without humans. “

— Evo Morales

The sooner we all understand this, the better. We cannot live without the planet, but the planet can live without us. Just like we have human rights, there are animal rights. Animal rights not just for the ones we eat, but also the ones whose habitat we destroy with pollution and global warming.

“...Do something. Pay your rent for the privilege of living on this beautiful, blue-green, living Earth.”

— Dave Foreman

And the best part is, the rent is not monetary. Our rent is paid via action. Using less plastic, reducing waste, using renewable energy, buying less of the new things. Small steps we all must take to give back to our planet.

“The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.”

— Rachel Carson

We are in such a hurry all the time that we have not really paused to look around and wonder at nature. The beauty bestowed on us each day, despite the destruction we cause. Maybe we need to slow down and deeply appreciate the power and magnificence of nature. Only then will we be able to save our planet from the brink of destruction.

“The Earth is a fine place and worth fighting for.”

— Ernest Hemingway

We agree with Hemingway – it is such a beautiful world, worth fighting for.

“What’s the use of a fine house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on.”

— Henry David Thoreau

What are we going to do with the houses if the land beneath our feet continues to slide?

“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of a difference you want to make.”

— Jane Goodall

We would like to leave you with Jane Goodall’s quote at the end of this article. No matter what you do or do not do, your action as well as inaction impacts the earth. Every single action you take has a compounding effect on everything around us. All of us are born with the ability to choose between good and bad. Try choosing the good, and giving back to nature once a while - it feels gratifying. Buy local, reduce the usage of plastics, and increase the usage of renewable sources of energy. Buy environmentally-friendly packages and goods, do your little bit for the environment. Start somewhere. Every small step of yours, adds up.