Humanity Will Be Destroyed If It Doesn't Respect Nature, Warns Jane Goodall
She said this in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and climate crisis that humanity is experiencing and how its occurrence is the result of the over-exploitation of the natural world that today sees the destruction of forests and natural habitats of animals.
While browsing online I stumbled across an interview of renowned primatologist and naturalist, Jane Goodall by Bloomberg¡¯s Sarah Green Carmichael.
In this interview, she warned that humanity will be finished if we fail to change the way our food systems work -- much like Bill Gates who said we need to stop eating beef to save the world from climate change.
AP
Also Read: Agriculture Output Dropped 21% In Past 60 Years Due To Climate Change
Goodall said this in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and climate crisis that humanity is experiencing and how its occurrence is the result of the over-exploitation of the natural world that today sees the destruction of forests and natural habitats of animals.
We already know that SARS CoV-2 is thought to have jumped into humans from animals and extreme human intervention is definitely to blame, says Goodall.
Goodall says, ¡°If this isn't a wake-up call then I don't hold out much hope for the future of our planet. We brought this pandemic on ourselves by disrespecting animals and nature."
"We created conditions that make it easy for a pathogen in this case virus to jump from an animal to a person, in these cruel wildlife markets in Asia. But it was the same thing with chimpanzees in Central Africa with HIV AIDS and MERS which came from camels in Saudi Arabia."
She added, how man¡¯s thirst for economic development has led man to exhaust nature¡¯s resources way faster than it can replenish them, ¡°Thing is that we now find a way using nature's natural resources which are finite in many places faster than nature can replenish. And we have this crazy idea that there can be unlimited economic development on a planet with finite natural resources. That doesn't work. And if we can't see the way ahead to create a new, more respectful relationship with nature and a new more sustainable economy then the outlook for future generations is honestly pretty grim.¡±
Also Read: Global Oceans Heated Up To A Record High In 2020, Due To Rapid Climate Change
She has actually been pretty vocal about the conditions humans put the planet and its resources in. During the same time, she spoke alongside two European speakers at an online event held by campaigning group Compassion in World Farming last year (reported by the Guardian), where she urged humans to step away from factory farming and destroying the natural habitats of our planet as a matter of urgency.
Reuters
Also Read: M.S. Swaminathan¡¯s Genetic Engineering Unleashed India's Green Revolution
She asked for people to be brought out of poverty as people who are desperate to feed their families will cut down forests to survive and even the poor from the urban areas would pick the cheapest food to fill their stomachs despite the harm that could be caused due to the way it was produced.
She urged people to stop buying products from companies that use factory farming and exploit nature, ¡°We have come to a turning point in our relationship with the natural world. One of the lessons learnt from this crisis is that we must change our ways. Scientists warn that to avoid future crises, we must drastically change our diets and move to plant-rich foods. For the sake of the animals, planet and the health of our children.¡±
