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Quote by Vandana Shiva

“Nobody defines it as something women shouldn't be doing. In a way, there are more mathematicians, more doctors, more scientists in India than there are in this country. We even had a woman head of state, and that's something the United States has yet to catch up with.”

Quote by Vandana Shiva

Author

Vandana Shiva is an Indian environmental activist, food sovereignty advocate, and author. Born on November 5, 1952, she is recognized for her efforts in promoting sustainable agriculture and organic farming. Shiva has authored many books and articles on environmental issues and is a vocal critic of corporate control over seeds and food systems. more

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“I started out in nuclear physics. But after I became more sensitized to the environmental and health implications of the nuclear system - I was being trained to be the first women in the fast-breeder reactor in India (and was in it when it first went critical) - I didn't feel comfortable with it. So I went into theoretical physics.”

Feels Firsts Comfortable India Environmental Critical Nuclear Physics Theoretical Implications Theoretical Physics Breeders Nuclear Physics

Author:Vandana Shiva

“I did my masters in elementary particles. But the foundations of elementary particles is quantum theory and there were too many conceptual problems around quantum theory that I couldn't live with. So I decided I was going to work on the foundations of quantum theory. That's what I did my Ph.D on.”

Problem Masters Theory Decided Foundation Quantum Going To Work Particles Quantum Theory

Author:Vandana Shiva

“I didn't leave physics because of boredom. I left it because other issues compelled me in a bigger way. And I always say to myself, "When I'm 60, I'd like to go back to what I interrupted."”

Way Left Issues Bigger Physics Boredom Compelled Interrupted

Author:Vandana Shiva

“The first issue that compelled me was a very strange split between India being highly development scientifically (we were the third biggest scientific manpower in the world then) and yet at the same time struggling with amazing poverty. The linear equation that says that modern science equals progress and the reduction of poverty did not apply to India. It wasn't working.”

World Firsts Poverty Struggle Issues Progress Modern Strange Development Thirds India Splits Compelled Equations Reduction Linear Modern Science Manpower Linear Equations

Author:Vandana Shiva

“My father had been a forester and I had grown up on those hills. I had seen forests and streams disappear. I jumped into Chipko movement and started to work with the peasant women. I learned from them about what forests mean for a rural woman in India in terms of firewood and fodder and medicinal plants and rich knowledge.”

Mean Father Term Rich Movement India Plant Disappear Forests Hills Streams Peasants Fodder Firewood

Author:Vandana Shiva

“I saw brilliant ideas coming out of the [Chipko] movement that needed better articulation, that needed elaboration and systematic analysis. I just followed that and it's been very exciting.”

Ideas Saws Movement Needed Exciting Brilliant Analysis Coming Out Systematic Brilliant Ideas Articulation

Author:Vandana Shiva

“When the forest is destroyed, when the river is dammed, when the biodiversity is stolen, when fields are waterlogged or turned saline because of economic activities, it is a question of survival for these people. So our environmental movements have been justice movements.”

People Has Beens Justice Economic Movement Fields Activity Survival Rivers Environmental Forests Destroyed Stolen Our Environment Biodiversity

Author:Vandana Shiva

“The occupation of America (and Columbus's arrival quite clearly was an occupation, no one can deny that) meant that the entire history of the Native Americans was rendered invisible. The land could only be occupied if it was first defined as empty. So it was defined as a wilderness, even though it had been used by native people for millennia.”

People Ifs Firsts America Used Land Empty Deny Invisible Defined Native Wilderness Occupation Native American Arrivals Columbus

Author:Vandana Shiva

“When the wilderness movement emerged, it emerged separate from the issue of social inequality and the economic problems of survival. It was a preservationist ecology movement created by an occupying culture. Clearly, a wilderness movement started by Native Americans would not have had the same roots.”

Problem Culture Social Issues Economic Movement Survival Roots Inequality Native Wilderness Native American Ecology Economic Problems Social Inequality

Author:Vandana Shiva

“Today the environmental movement has become opposed to issues of justice. You can see this in the way issues are framed. It's a permanent replay of jobs-versus-the-environment, in nature-versus-bread. These are extremely artificial dichotomies.”

Way Today Jobs Justice Issues Environment Movement Environmental Bread Permanent Artificial Versus Framed Dichotomy Replay

Author:Vandana Shiva