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John Burroughs

John Burroughs Quotes

Essayist

John Burroughs (April 3, 1837 – March 29, 1921) was an American essayist and naturalist, widely regarded as the father of American nature writing. Born in Roxbury, New York, he worked as a teacher and journalist before dedicating himself to observing and writing about nature. His works, such as Wake-Robin and Winter Sunshine, are celebrated for their vivid descriptions and philosophical depth. A close friend of poet Walt Whitman, Burroughs emphasized the spiritual connection between humans and the natural world. His writings influenced early conservation movements and continue to inspire readers today.

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Famous John Burroughs Quotes

“There are nine countries in the world that have nuclear weapons. There are about 27,000 nuclear weapons total on the planet. The countries that have nuclear weapons deploy them ready for use and have doctrines saying that they would use them in certain circumstances.”

World Country Use Certain Planets Ready Circumstances Weapons Nuclear Nine Doctrine Nuclear Weapons

Author:John Burroughs

“So the idea about how detonation of a nuclear weapon might happen vary, you know - some people are especially concerned about terrorists getting their hands on nuclear weapons and using them. Some people are worried that there might be a nuclear war between India and Pakistan. Some think the Middle East, were Israel already has nuclear weapons and where other countries may be interested at some point and acquiring them, might be a flash point.”

“There tends to be this comfortable assumption that nuclear weapons won't be used, but I don't think that's warranted, and I think we should seize the opportunity of this time of stability and cooperation and move towards global elimination of nuclear weapons as indeed people like Henry Kissinger, and William Perry, former Secretary of Defense under Clinton, and Sam Nunn, former Senator, and George Schultz, former Undersecretary of State for Ronald Reagan. All of them recently called for achievement of a nuclear weapon-free world.”

“Unfortunately, nuclear weapons have become identified with state power.”

States Weapons Nuclear Nuclear Weapons

Author:John Burroughs

“Certainly in the United States, you have a constituency in the form of the weapons laboratories, and you also have the branches of the armed services that are involved with nuclear weapons deployment, especially the naval submarine operations and also the air force's land-based ICBM operations. So they have a big lobby in Washington.”

States Bigs Form Force United United States Air Land Involved Weapons Nuclear Operations Branches Nuclear Weapons Laboratory Air Force Naval Deployment Submarines Armed Services

Author:John Burroughs

“It doesn't seem to be that huge a commitment that would create, you know, some kind of really powerful constituency. But the history has been for the United States and Russia especially that nuclear weapons have kind of become part of the identity of the countries.”

Knows Kind Has Beens Country States Seems United Powerful United States Identity Huge Weapons Commitment Nuclear Russia Nuclear Weapons Really Powerful

Author:John Burroughs

“Somewhat by historical happenstance the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - United States, Britain, France, Russia, and China - also were the original five countries to have nuclear weapons.”

Country States United United States Five Security Members Weapons Originals Historical China Nuclear Russia France Permanent Britain Nuclear Weapons Council Security Council Happenstance

Author:John Burroughs

“Especially in the case of India and Pakistan, it's very clear that significant parts of the elites in both countries view having nuclear weapons as a ticket to prestige.”

Country Views Cases Clear Weapons India Nuclear Significant Elites Nuclear Weapons Tickets Pakistan Prestige India And Pakistan

Author:John Burroughs

“Maybe that will happen with other countries as well. And so, that's why one of the things that groups like mine that work for the elimination of nuclear weapons and work for their marginalization in the meantime, we say you have to diminish the political value that's attached to nuclear weapons in order to give them less (kind of) desirability in the eyes of governments that do not now have them, and thus to help stop their spread.”

“Almost all of the governments have agreed that they will not acquire nuclear weapons and that they will allow the International Atomic Energy Agency to monitor their commercial and research nuclear power operations to ensure that nuclear materials - highly enriched uranium and plutonium - are not diverted to use in weapons.”

Use Government Energy Materials Weapons Research International Nuclear Operations Agency Acquire Nuclear Weapons Nuclear Power Uranium Atomic Energy Plutonium

Author:John Burroughs

“The five original nuclear weapon states I mentioned - U.S., Britain, France, China, and Russia - under the NPT have committed to the achievement of the elimination of their nuclear arsenals through good faith negotiations of nuclear disarmament - that's Article Six of the treaty.”

“My group, the Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy, was one of the principle organizers. So, there was this campaign to support the United Nations General Assembly in asking the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion on the legality of threat or use of nuclear weapons.”

“You cannot use [nuclear weapons] to target civilians; you cannot use them against military targets if they have indiscriminate effects on civilians in addition to the attack on the military target.”

Ifs Use Effects Military Weapons Nuclear Target Nuclear Weapons Civilians

Author:John Burroughs

“You cannot cause disproportionate damage to the environment; you cannot harm neutral states. The court said that the threat or use of nuclear weapons is generally contrary to the international law of armed conflict.”

Said States Use Law Causes Environment Conflict Weapons Court Threat International Harm Contrary Nuclear Damage Nuclear Weapons International Law Armed Conflict

Author:John Burroughs

“The court was unable to rule on all circumstances in which nuclear weapons might be used, and it said in view of the problems, the risks posed by nuclear weapons, and in view of the lack of certainty of the law in all circumstances, the best course is fulfilling the obligation of good faith negotiations of nuclear disarmament contained in the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.”

“The overall quantity of nuclear weapons in the world continues to decline slowly.”

World Weapons Nuclear Quantity Decline Nuclear Weapons

Author:John Burroughs

“[Nuclear weapons] now I think I mentioned around 27,000 and during the Cold War the total global arsenal was on the order of 70,000.”

Thinking War Order Cold Weapons Nuclear Nuclear Weapons Cold War Arsenal

Author:John Burroughs

“The United States says "We're complying. We're following the disarmament obligation. Look at the quantitative reductions that are taking place." But, since '96, there really hasn't been progress on specific commitments that have been made. Perhaps most disturbing is this: that the United States and France in particular, since 1996, have expanded the range of circumstances under which they might use - they say they might use - nuclear weapons.”

“Basically [United States and France] said "We will use nuclear weapons whenever it suits our purposes to do so." So this expansion of doctrines regarding possible use of nuclear weapons makes them more, you know, sort of, salient and important and so it's increasing the perceived political value of nuclear weapons and therefore causing or contributing to possible proliferation.”

Knows Said Important States Use Political Purpose Values United United States Weapons Nuclear Doctrine Suits France Nuclear Weapons Expansion Contributing Proliferation

Author:John Burroughs

“In 2002 the [George] Bush administration effectively put an end to negotiations of an agreement which would have established inspection procedures to ensure or to monitor compliance with the existing legal ban on biological weapons.”

Ends Weapons Administration Agreement Negotiation Procedures Bans Compliance Inspection Biological Weapons

Author:John Burroughs

About the Author

Born: April 3, 1837
Died: March 29, 1921
Known for: Essayist
Quotes: 181

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Books & Sources

The Art of Seeing Things: EssaysRelated source material

John Burroughs' America: Selections from the Writings of the NaturalistRelated source material

The writings of John BurroughsRelated source material

In the Catskills Selections from the Writings of John BurroughsRelated source material

Accepting the universeRelated source material

Winter SunshineRelated source material

Complete writings of John BurroughsRelated source material

Literary Values and Other PapersRelated source material

Locusts and Wild HoneyRelated source material

The Writings of John Burroughs. [Related source material

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