Home / Quotes / Quote by Wangari Maathai

Quote by Wangari Maathai

“The government of Qatar, as I mentioned, has proposed to come and lease Kenya's Tana River delta in order to farm there. What I am not sure of is, has an environmental impact assessment been made to ensure that exploiting this delta for agricultural activities is the best way we can use the delta?We must be concerned about the long-term impact of agricultural activities in the delta.”

Quote by Wangari Maathai

Author

Wangari Maathai

Wangari Maathai was a Kenyan political activist and environmentalist who became the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Born on April 1, 1940, and passing away on September 25, 2011, Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement, a grassroots organization dedicated to environmental conservation and women's rights. more

You May Also Like

“The American government has spent a lot of money trying to reclaim, for example, the Everglades, and to allow the natural vegetation at the coastal areas to be restored because that was part of the vegetation that actually protected the hinterlands.”

Trying Government Natural Example Areas Protected Lots Of Money American Government Vegetation Coastal Everglades

Author:Wangari Maathai

“After Hurricane Katrina, many people said that the levees were not as effective as the natural vegetation that had been removed at the coast. So that means as we develop these seaside land masses, we need to have enough knowledge to not regret in the future. We know that the US government is literally buying these lands back to allow them to be rehabilitated.”

People Knows Needs Mean Said Enough Government Natural Land Regret Mass Buying Coast Hurricanes Katrina Vegetation Hurricane Katrina Levees

Author:Wangari Maathai

“I'm sure the government of Qatar is not coming in to grow food for the people of Kenya; it's coming to grow food to sell. If it can also sell to the people of Kenya, well, then good. I think that the moves can be helpful, but I think that the history that Africa knows, as I say in my book, has been a history of exploitation.”

People Ifs Thinking Knows Wells Has Beens Book Government Moving Grows Sells Helpful Exploitation Kenya Qatar

Author:Wangari Maathai

“There are certain areas where foreign investors can help the local people to generate wealth, and improve their quality of life. Some companies, for example, Del Monte, which produces pineapples in Kenya, pay a huge amount of taxes, I am sure, to the Kenyan government, and they do create jobs for thousands of locals.”

People Helping Government Jobs Certain Wealth Pay Quality Company Example Produce Huge Amount Taxes Areas Locals Investors Quality Of Life Kenya Pineapples

Author:Wangari Maathai

“An individual citizen cannot protect himself from the powers of large corporations or external governments. It is the responsibility of the government to protect its citizens.”

Government Individual Responsibility Citizens Protect Corporations

Author:Wangari Maathai

“Nile perch is a fish that was introduced into Lake Victoria. The reason that fish was introduced into Lake Victoria was because it was decided that the people living near the lake needed more proteins than they were getting.”

People Reason Needed Decided Fishes Lakes Protein Victoria Nile

Author:Wangari Maathai

“Now when Nile perch was introduced [into Lake Victoria], I don't think enough research was done; maybe it was done, maybe it was not. But Nile perch is a huge fish. So it ate all the little fish, and it grew into a monster which the local people could not fish with their little boats and their little nets.”

People Thinking Littles Done Enough Huge Grew Research Fishes Monsters Locals Boat Lakes Victoria Nile

Author:Wangari Maathai

“I think some of these solutions are prepared in an office without a full understanding of the local situation.”

Thinking Understanding Situation Office Solutions Prepared Locals

Author:Wangari Maathai

“So GMOs, who knows? Maybe GMOs will come, they will get maize that produces double. But who knows what else may happen to the maize?”

Knows May Happens Produce Gmos Maize

Author:Wangari Maathai

“As a scientist I cannot say we don't want to hear anything about GMOs, because these are advances in science. But I think its also important, especially when you are dealing with food, to be cautious.”

Thinking Want Important Scientist Cautious Gmos Be Cautious Advances In Science

Author:Wangari Maathai