think global, act local

The variant ‘think globally, act locally’ was particularly associated with US environmental campaigner Hazel Henderson and appears to have been prevalent before the version adopted as a slogan by David Brower (1912–2000) when he founded Friends of the Earth in 1969 (see quots. 1947 and 1981).

1947 Vidette-Messenger 27 Mar. 2 A letter was also read..from Mrs. Jane Sense, worthy grand matron, Indiana grand chapter, OES, setting forth the objective and slogan of the right worthy grand matron of the general grand chapter: ‘World Friendship’ and ‘think globally, act locally’.

1981 Christian Science Monitor (Boston, MA) 13 Oct. B3 ‘Think globally, act locally’ is what we all have to do, she [Hazel Henderson] says.

1990 Independent 6 June 17 Bigness for its own sake in advertising has been largely discredited, and a more subdued charter—‘Think global, act local’—is in vogue.

2007 S. O’REILLY in Society of Antiquaries Salon no. 165 [I]t is essential that the new processes do not lead to the creation of a ‘democratic deficit’, alienating people from the big decision-making processes that shape their lives and valued places. Think global, yes, but act local.