Reasons
The first photograph of earth. I think it really puts into context the idea of earth as our only home...one with finite resources and space. It’s the only picture that really has and influences my ideas on sustainability, because almost everything else can be deduced from this one image.
"If Mother Culture were to give an account of human history using these terms, it would go something like this: ' The Leavers were chapter one of human history -- a long and uneventful chapter. Their chapter of human history ended about ten thousand years ago with the birth of agriculture in the Near East. This event marked the beginning of chapter two, the chapter of the Takers. It's true there are still Leavers living in the world, but these are anachronisms, fossils -- people living in the past, people who just don't realize that their chapter of human history is over. ' " –Daniel Quinn, Ishmael
"Negligence is described as doing the same thing over and over even though you know it is dangerous, stupid, or wrong. Now that we know, it's time for a change. Negligence starts tomorrow." –William McDonough, Cradle to Cradle
"Gone" by Jack Johnson
A large player in the sustainibilty crisis recently is consumerism. This song can be interpreted several ways, but to me it's always been about all of the extra things we don't need, and returning to ourselves, finding happiness not in material goods, but in the things we need.
"Big Yellow Taxi" by Joni Mitchell
Counting Crows turned this song into big money, which is somewhat ironic. The song is fairly self-explanatory, but oddly upbeat for a song of such tragic substance. Plus she's always smiling.