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Quote by 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."”

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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“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

“I think we have reached a stage now where we need to find solutions to economic injustice in the same place and in the same ways that we find solutions to sustainability. Sustainability on environmental grounds and justice in terms of everyone having a place in the production and consumption system - these are two aspects of the same issue. They have been artificially separated and have to be put back again in the Western way of thinking.”

“My training in science is actually one that is very critical of mechanistic science. I was trained in quantum theory which emerged at the turn of the last century. We are a whole century behind in absorbing the leaps that quantum theory made for the human mind.”

Mind Humans Made Whole Lasts Turns Behinds Century Theory Training Critical Leap Human Mind Quantum Absorbing Quantum Theory

Author:Vandana Shiva

“For example, the idea that objects have properties out there in fixed ways is an incorrect idea about the world. Properties are created through relationships and processes. They are not inherent in electrons or photons or quanta any more than they are inherent in soil or trees or people. So my critique of reductionistic science is a critique that I have inherited from my scientific training. But it has been deepened by my experiences as an ecologist, in seeing the ecological destruction taking place today.”

People World Way Has Beens Ideas Today Process Seeing Tree Example Objects Training Destruction Property Fixed Soil Quantum Inherent Critique Ecological Electrons Photons

Author:Vandana Shiva