When Thomas Edison worked late into the night on the electric light he had to do it by gas lamp or candle. I'm sure it made the work seem that much more urgent.

The release of atomic energy has not created a new problem. It has merely made more urgent the necessity of solving an existing one.

No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.

And like I say I think we've got other cases other than Iraq. I do not think the problem of global proliferation of weapons technology of mass destruction is going to go away and that's why I think it is an urgent issue.

The most important and urgent problems of the technology of today are no longer the satisfactions of the primary needs or of archetypal wishes but the reparation of the evils and damages by the technology of yesterday.

America's downgrade may serve as a wakeup call for its policymakers. It is an unambiguous and loud signal of the country's eroding economic strength and global standing. It renders urgent the need to regain the initiative through better economic policymaking and more coherent governance.

Liberalism is I think resurgent. One reason is that more and more people are so painfully aware of the alternative.

There is an urgent need for Americans to look deeply into themselves and their actions and musical poetry is perhaps the most effective mirror available. Every newspaper headline is a potential song.

I believe that peace with the Palestinians is most urgent - urgent than ever before. It is necessary. It is crucial. It is possible. A delay may worsen its chances. Israel and the Palestinians are in my judgment ripe today to restart the peace process.

Growing hemp as nature designed it is vital to our urgent need to reduce greenhouse gases and ensure the survival of our planet.

There is an urgent need for a radical revision of our current concepts of the nature of consciousness and its relationship to matter and the brain.

Life's most persistent and urgent question is 'What are you doing for others?'

I just think it would be unrealistic to suggest we're going to eliminate every last domestic insurgent in Afghanistan. Certainly the history of the country would indicate that's not a very realistic objective and I think we have to have realistic objectives.

As we get closer to the end of this Congress we should be addressing the urgent needs of the American people - the war in Iraq affordable health care a sensible energy policy quality education for our children retirement security and a sound and fair fiscal policy.

Many people want the government to protect the consumer. A much more urgent problem is to protect the consumer from the government.

I think we have grave problems. I am very much concerned about environmental questions even though in Finnish society we are not facing the most urgent problems.

A fascinating challenge facing today's environmental movement is how to best approach the reversal of past decisions that altered once-pristine environmental spaces for the sake of urgent man-made needs.