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Van Jones

Van Jones Quotes

Civil Rights Advocate

Van Jones is a civil rights advocate and political activist, born on September 20, 1968. He is known for his involvement in social and environmental justice movements, particularly in the fight against climate change and racial inequality.

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Famous Van Jones Quotes

“In a democracy, you won't always get to have your way. But you should always get to have your say.”

Way Should Democracy

Author:Van Jones

“Now, here's a good question: should serious people focus on global political instability - terrorism, failing states, nuclear weapons - or should we focus on global climate instability - droughts, floods, extreme weather? Here's the correct answer: yes, both, because climate disruption will make every other national security problem worse.”

“America should be leading the world in green and clean solutions, and human rights. We shouldn't be leading the world in wars and incarceration rates and pollution. We can be a better country. I think we're going to be a better country.”

Thinking World Should Humans War Country America Rights Solutions Green Clean Rate Human Rights Pollution Incarceration

Author:Van Jones

“To make sure we aren't training people for jobs that don't exist, the government should provide companies with loans or loan guarantees. And the government should also directly employ people to do things like coastal restoration, land restoration, reforestation and similar programs that absorb carbon and protect America's beauty.”

People Should Government Jobs America Company Land Protect Training Program Guarantees Carbon Loan Restoration Coastal

Author:Van Jones

“Clean energy independence should be an area of common ground.”

Should Energy Common Areas Independence Clean Common Ground Clean Energy Energy Independence

Author:Van Jones

“People in red states and blue states can agree that clean air is better than dirty air; therefore we should use clean energy where we can.”

People Should States Use Energy Air Red Agree Blue Clean Dirty Clean Energy Clean Air

Author:Van Jones

“Progressives always like clean energy ideas. But conservatives should like this agenda, too.”

Should Ideas Energy Clean Agendas Clean Energy

Author:Van Jones

“We are trying to reinvigorate our stagnant energy sector, to create avenues for new wealth. Clean energy innovation, job creation and energy independence should be common ground for all Americans.”

Should Trying Jobs Energy Wealth Common Creation Innovation Independence Clean Avenues Stagnant Common Ground Clean Energy Job Creation Energy Independence

Author:Van Jones

“Environmentalists and clean energy champions should stop telling people that we are working for "sustainability," which nobody understands.”

People Should Energy Clean Champion Sustainability Environmentalist Clean Energy

Author:Van Jones

“We should tell people we are working to protect our country. We are working to make America stronger for the long run.”

People Should Long Country Running America Protect Stronger Our Country Long Runs

Author:Van Jones

“We should stop calling ourselves environmentalists - and just call ourselves patriots.”

Should Calling Patriot Environmentalist

Author:Van Jones

“I had this radical idea that the police should obey the law. My view was that any human system without adequate checks and balances will tend towards corruption and abuse. That's why you have meat inspectors. Not because you hate butchers, but because of an understanding of human nature.”

Should Humans Ideas Law Hate Understanding Views Human Nature Balance Abuse Police Corruption Checks Radical Meat Adequate Butchers Inspectors Radical Ideas

Author:Van Jones

“There are about 46,000 jobs supported by the solar industry right now. That's fewer than it should be, too. And you have a whole other set of jobs in energy-efficiency in buildings and in creating the "Smart Grid," as we call it.”

Should Whole Jobs Energy Building Industry Right Now Creating Smart Fewer Efficiency Grids Energy Efficiency

Author:Van Jones

“As champions of green jobs, we're asking questions that progressives should like, like "How are we going to avoid baking the planet," and "How are we going to create jobs for ordinary Americans?" Meanwhile, we're offering solutions that conservative should like. I'm not calling for more welfare; I'm calling for more work.”

Should Jobs Planets Calling Solutions Ordinary Asking Green Conservative Welfare Champion Offering Baking Asking Questions

Author:Van Jones

“I'm saying you should have the right not only to be an energy consumer but an energy producer. Follow the money to understand why my message keeps getting drowned out. Big oil and big coal are terrified by the green jobs message.”

Should Bigs Jobs Energy Messages Should Have Green Oil Producers Consumers Terrified Coal Big Oil

Author:Van Jones

“We're just trying to end illegitimate government support for a single technology, which is un-American. We should be leading the world in the next generation of technological innovation. But we can't unleash private capital because of what the government is doing to stifle innovation and to choke competition.”

World Should Trying Ends Government Next Technology Support Generations Innovation Competition Technological Next Generation Choke

Author:Van Jones

“I learned more in those six months [ in the White House] than in the prior six years. I don't think that anybody who has had the privilege to serve the country at that level should walk out and behave like a crybaby. And I plan to continue to serve the country in other capacities.”

Thinking Should Years Country House White Walks Levels Plans Months Six Capacity Privilege Behave White House Six Months Crybabies

Author:Van Jones

“Ordinary Americans can't pollute for free. You can't dump your trash on the sidewalk or throw all your refuse into your neighbor's yard. I don't understand why corporate polluters should be allowed to dump megatons of carbon, the most dangerous pollution in the history of the world, into our thin shell of an atmosphere, and not pay a penny to do it.”

World Should Pay Dangerous Ordinary Refuse Neighbor Corporate Atmosphere Pollution Shells Yards Carbon World History Trash Pennies Dump Sidewalk

Author:Van Jones

“Anybody who's mad should run for something.”

Should Running Mad

Author:Van Jones

“In countries where there are real civil wars, people go through a lot, and we should be willing to go through a lot to help them.”

People Should War Real Country Helping Willing Civil War

Author:Van Jones

“Maybe we should be a little bit more tender-hearted.”

Should Littles Bits Little Bit Hearted

Author:Van Jones

“Everybody should be mad but anger only takes you so far. At some point, you'll have outrage fatigue and burn out.”

Should Mad Fatigue Outrage Burn Out

Author:Van Jones

“The problem is that we didn't fight the way we should've fought. We made it be about [Donald Trump] and [Hillary Clinton] as opposed to making it be about us. If we had said this was a fight, not about "I'm with Her" but "I'm with Us" then maybe we would've had a different attitude toward her.”

Ifs Way Should Made Said Different Problem Fighting Attitude Trump Clinton Made It Different Attitude

Author:Van Jones

“There is great wisdom, there's great strength and there's great beauty in all of our religion, and those should be marshaled for good.”

Should Great Wisdom

Author:Van Jones

“We should not allow the fundamentalists and the bigots to take over and speak for the great faiths any more than we should let them take over and speak for the great nation.”

Should Speak Nations Great Nations Bigots Great Faith

Author:Van Jones

“We should use the transition to a better energy strategy as an opportunity to create a better economy and a better country all around.”

Should Country Use Opportunity Energy Economy Strategy Transition

Book:The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems

Source: The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems

“The green economy should not just be about reclaiming throw-away stuff. It should be about reclaiming thrown-away communities. It should not just be about recycling things to give them a second life. We should also be gathering up people and giving them a second chance.”

People Giving Should Stuff Community Chance Economy Green Thrown Gathering Second Chance Recycling Green Economy

Author:Van Jones

“Apparently, the fossil-fuel industry's strategy is to convince the American people that we should just burn all the way through the last of our oil and coal reserves.”

People Way Should Lasts Industry Strategy Climate Change Oil Fuel Convince Reserves Coal Fossils Fossil Fuel

Book:The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems

Source: The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems

“Each and every one of us should stop playing small and license ourselves to become one of the giants of the new century. We will need champions by the truckload.”

Needs Should Century Climate Champion Giants License

Book:The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems

Source: The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems

About the Author

Born: September 20, 1968
Known for: Civil Rights Advocate
Quotes: 303

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The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest ProblemsRelated source material

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