Guy McPherson: Counting $ Without Breathing
on Thursday, May 14, 2015Guy McPherson Money Quotation offering clear prioritization for economists and politicians focused on profit over breathing.
Guy McPherson said:
“If you think the economy is more important than the environment, try holding your breath while counting your money”– Guy McPherson
In this quote, environmental scientist Guy McPherson is challenging the prioritization of economic growth and monetary wealth over protecting the natural environment. His rhetorical suggestion to “hold your breath while counting your money” implies that an unsustainable economy and environment will ultimately make money worthless if it destroys the very air, water, climate and biodiversity that are necessary to sustain life itself.
McPherson seems to be arguing that no amount of wealth or economic prosperity matters if it comes at the cost of destroying the environmental systems upon which humanity depends for survival. His perspective is that the economy should be viewed as fully reliant upon and subordinate to maintaining environmental integrity, rather than the other way around.
The quote conveys McPherson’s belief that the environment deserves highest priority in policymaking over narrow economic or profit-driven interests that risk undermining Earth’s life-support functions in the long run.