Dr. Jane Goodall at AU

Video: World-renowned ethologist and conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall recently spoke at AU, discussing hope, peace, and conservation at the School of International Service, AU.

“The greatest danger to our future is apathy.” -Jane Goodall

World-renowned British primatologist Jane Goodall shared her views on the environment and the “interconnectedness of life forms,” from humans to small insects, claiming each has their own role to play on earth when recently speaking on our campus at American University (AU Facebook 2017). With climate change being an obvious challenge to the prosperity of diverse wildlife, acting as a threat to the security of ecosystems and their inhabitants, Jane Goodall’s words can be applied to what we have learned in class, as well as our mock United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) simulation. As a designated UN Messenger of Peace, Dr. Jane Goodall has been described as “the woman who redefined man,” and holds passionate conservationist views on the environment.

The urgency of climate change is extremely prevalent today-- now more than ever as islands are submerged, forests catch fire, and biodiversity shrinks to a minimum. As discussed in our class debate, a main issue surrounding global support for environmental protectionist legislation and action is basic economics. Right now it is still cheaper to help destroy our planet than be eco-friendly, and that is one variable through societal shifts that will reduce our carbon footprints. In an article from the Guardian, Jane Goodall is quoted on the topic of Trump’s questioning of the Paris Agreement saying:

“‘I find it immensely depressing because many of us – not just my institute – have been working really hard to create the Paris agreement and global effort to cut carbon emissions,’ Goodall told journalists ahead of a speech at American University in Washington… ‘I have seen the result of climate change and we know, science has shown, that global temperatures are warming and these so-called greenhouse gases are blanketing the globe’” (Smith 2017).

Her expertise as a rewarded and distinguished environmentalist holds Dr. Jane Goodall’s words above those who may pass off global warming as a “hoax.” Goodall called the United States to action as well in her visit to AU, the first trip to the US since Trump’s nomination in November 2016, stating “Thinking that the USA isn’t going to play its part, such a major industrial country, is really very, very sad and it just means we’re going to have to work harder” (Smith 2017). President Trump, I urge you to listen to your intellectual superiors such as Dr. Jane Goodall when it comes to climate change. You now hold a critical seat in the global arena, and the agendas you advance during your time in office will hold severe consequences down the road. It is now time to act against climate change, not cower in dangerous ignorance.