Jane Goodall este o tanti de care am auzit prima oară de la un prof din facultate care mi-a recomandat cartea În umbra omului (scrisă de ea) (foarte drăguță carte despre studiul cimpanzeilor și asemănările lor cu oamenii :) ). Din această carte am învățat (mai corect spus, cimpanzeii ne-au învățat) că trebuie să mâncăm carne RAR și obligatoriu cu VERDEAȚĂ. Tanti asta a studiat ZECI de ani la rând cimpanzeii și alte animale, apoi și-a dedicat întreaga viață pentru conservarea naturii și protejarea mediului și a vieții sălbatice, fiind implicată în prezent într-o grămadă de proiecte de mediu internaționale și un etalon mondial (în viață) în ceea ce privește protecția naturii și lupta pentru o dezvoltare sustenabilă a societății umane.
Redau câteva pasaje dintr-un interviu în engleză găsit AICI, unde Jane vorbește despre problemele actuale ale planetei, ale omenirii și ce-ar trebui făcut pentru a îmbunătăți situația (dacă îmi trimite cineva traducerea în română a acestor pasaje le punem aici). Detalii în continuare:
Jane Goodall is known worldwide for her animal rights and conservation efforts. In this exclusive conversation, Jane shares her passion and her views on critical human and animal conservation needs for a sustainable planet.
It is so difficult to single out the most urgent concerns since every thing is so interconnected. Crippling poverty on the one hand (you cut down the last trees in a desperate effort to grow food for yourself and family, make charcoal to sell and so on) and the unsustainable life styles of most of the rest of us – nearly everyone has way more than they need, some people obscenely so. And, in an increasingly materialistic world, those undesirable human traits of selfishness, greed and cruelty are flourishing. Then there is the destruction of our forests, wetlands, grasslands and other habitats, and the loss (locally or totally) of so many species. Oceans are increasingly polluted and over-fished. Supplies of fresh water are shrinking, while industrial, agricultural and household emissions and reckless burning of fossil fuels escalates, in addition to the increased meat eating globally that has led to the conversion of vast stretches of forest to pasture for livestock or to agricultural land for growing grain and (among many other problems!) the increased production of methane. (….) And finally, and perhaps this is the most urgent concern, there is the growth of our human populations. (Mențiune Ce-i cu noi? – eu unul nu sunt de acord cu Jane la treaba asta, consider că mărimea populației umane NU este o problema stringentă și că planeta POATE FACE FAȚĂ atâtor miliarde de oameni DACĂ RESURSELE SUNT BINE GESTIONATE; din păcate, în prezent, la conducerea omenirii avem niște CRIMINALI INFRACTORI MAFIOȚI care blochează intenționat omenirea de la a se dezvolta sustenabil, în favoarea oamenilor și mediului. De aici toate problemele noastre actuale…)
The intensive farming of animals involves unspeakable cruelty to billions of sentient beings. Millions more are still used in research of all kinds, often involving much stress and suffering. The trade in wildlife and wildlife parts is flourishing. There is cruel training of animals in show biz. The pet trade treats animals as commodities. And so on. Of course none of this is at all surprising when we think of the way humans are treated by other humans, the horrendous images of torture, child soldiers, slavery, domestic violence, chemical warfare – the list goes on. As I say, we have a long way to go! But there are many groups fighting to end the abuses.
All our efforts will be in vain if we are not successful in raising younger generations to be better stewards than we have been. The challenge is very poignant: So many of the young people who seem to have little hope for the future; many are apathetic, depressed or angry. They tell us their future has been compromised and there is nothing they can do about it.
We have been relentlessly stealing our children’s future.
The greatest danger to our planet is that we lose hope – especially if our youth loses hope. Because, if we have no hope, we give up and stop trying to do our bit to make a difference.
Every individual matters and has a role to play – that each of us makes a difference every day. And, that the cumulative result of thousands and millions of even small efforts can result in major change.
My deepest fear is that we shall not rise to the challenge of restoring a sick planet. So many people either do not understand or do not care. And those that do so often feel hopeless and simply don’t believe that we can bring about change fast enough. And as climate change leads to crop failures and food prices are raised and people get poorer they will, of necessity, buy the cheapest products without regard for how they were produced. Worst of all, unless there truly is a paradigm shift in the way we think about our impact on planet earth and its long-term implications, it will be business as usual. The rich will get richer, the poor poorer, the planet increasingly depleted.
Using alternative, green energy that is not dependent on growing vast areas of crops for biofuel – such as that generated by sun, wind, tide and algae. Adopting a vegetarian diet, or one with only a little meat. Ending what we quaintly call “conventional” farming – monocultures, GMOs and agricultural chemicals – and a return to small family farms and eco agriculture. Stamping out corruption. Electing governments that are not ‘owned’ by corporations. Small families. And, perhaps most importantly, changed attitudes towards what is most important in life. I love the happiness index of the King of Bhutan. And the experiment that showed that as people in the US rose from poverty, their happiness index increased. But as they then worked to get more and more money, their happiness index began to drop.
As more and more individuals make the right choices in what they buy and how they behave, that will, cumulatively, make a huge difference.
Villagers and local and national governments should be able to profit from trees left standing; there should be payment for the services forests provide in sequestering CO2 and ensuring a supply of clean water. There should be widespread endorsement of responsible, sustainable logging and wood products certified to be from such operations.
We should eat less meat, or best, become vegetarian. We can try to leave the smallest possible ecological footprint.
Emilian, 5 februarie 2014, ceicunoi.wordpress.com. Facebook: Ce-i cu noi? – un blog educativ despre comportamentul uman.
CE-I CU NOI? – un blog educativ despre comportamentul uman 