Break Through, Quotes

"In late 2006, the United Nations announced that since 2000, the emissions of the forty one wealthy, industrialized members of the Kyoto had gone up, not down by more then 4 percent." (pg 12)

This quotation relates to what Merchant says about the changes in the environment and how they affect the problems we have. It also relates to Nye because an increase in pollution decreases the carrying capacity of the globe.

"The politics born of material poverty cannot speak to postmaterial insecurity. Misunderstanding this, Democrats and liberals find themselves constantly telling Americans how poor and vulnerable they are - which is quite possibly the last thing insecure american want to be told" (pg 14)

This relates to Nye because it shows how politics can also affect the material wants of a culture and thus affect the carrying capacity of that way of life.

"Few things have hampered environmentalism more then it's longstanding position that limits to growth are the remedy for ecological crises" (pg 15)

The reason why some resent environmentalism is because it limits growth, but as Nye shows with his American vs Europe example, a high standard of living, and thus growth, does not have to come with a high environmental impact.