Earth Day 2020: ‘We desperately need hope now,’ Jane Goodall says

Jane Goodall has a lot to say about how human disregard for animals and the environment has led to it Coronavirus pandemic. But the famous British primatologist believes there is still a chance to repair our relationship with the natural world, a point that she emphasizes in the upcoming National Geographic documentary Jane Goodall: Hope. Fittingly, it’s premiered on Earth Day, April 22nd.

Goodall, now 86, is best known for her pioneering work with primates, including a 60-year study of social interactions between wild chimpanzees Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania. It showed that chimpanzees showed individual personalities, loving family ties and other “human-like” characteristics.

In addition to Goodall’s work with primates, she is an enthusiastic environmental and animal rights activist.

I phoned Goodall about her thoughts the coronavirus pandemic, Animal rights, the environment, activism and the two-hour documentary that captures their determination to spread a message of hope and mobilize a new generation of activists. Here is a slightly edited transcript of our conversation.

Question: Why do you think our animal and environmental abuse has paved the way for COVID-19?
Because we disregard our place in nature and do not respect the environment and animals, COVID-19 happened. Viruses can jump from animals to humans. Viruses can be transmitted to humans in situations such as our intensive animal husbandry and also in the meat markets in Asia and Africa. Because of our lack of respect for the environment, this terrible COVID-19 virus has closed the world.

If we don’t learn from this lesson that we should show more respect and try to protect the natural world, there will be another pandemic. This was predicted ages ago in a book called Spillover: animal infections and the next human pandemic by David Quammen, but nobody paid attention. This time I hope we do it.

What else can humans learn from animals?
One lesson I learned is how arrogant we were to assume that we are so superior to all other animals. It has led to terrible cruelty. We see the real need for respect for animals who now know how incredibly intelligent they are and that they can feel feelings of happiness, fear and grief – and not just with primates. We find it in elephants and rats. There is a new study This shows that a rat needs no food to give to another companion rat if it smells of hunger.

What advice do you give young people who want to fight for a better world for humans and animals alike?
If you really want to do something like this, you have to work really hard and take every opportunity. If you don’t give up, you will find a way. I also help young activists with my group called Jane Goodalls Roots and Shoots programwhere they can choose projects that help the environment and animals. It started in 1991 with 12 students in Tanzania and is now in 65 countries.

I learned something in the rainforest about the connection between everything – how every small species plays a role. Today all of our problems are related. One problem can cause another. It is important that our young people learn this.

How did your new National Geographic documentary Jane Goodall: The Hope come about?
National Geographic contacted me to make this documentary, which continues from mine previous documentary called Jane. What I do now is described in more detail. It is quite unusual for a documentary called The Hope to come out at this point. We urgently need hope now.

What do you hope people take from the documentation?
I hope that people who watch the documentary realize that they can make a difference. In view of the emerging climate crisis, we must take action soon. It is fascinating with the blockage everywhere that the sky that has been polluted for so long has become clear and blue again. It helps some people who have never seen this to be encouraged to ask their governments to put more restrictions on the use of fossil fuels.

I hope people take away the fact that it is possible to live another life. But it will be too late if we don’t all get together and take action now to convince large companies and politicians to do the right thing in the future.

Why is it so important to keep hope alive right now?
There is no point in continuing without hope. If the nurses didn’t hope to save COVID-19 patients, they wouldn’t risk their lives. If we did not hope that our actions could create a better world, we would all fall into this apathy. Many people feel helpless at the moment, but they have to hope that they can influence each other through compassion and understanding.

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