Dame Jane Goodall: “It’s because of our lack of respect for the environment that this terrible COVID-19 virus has shut down the world”
By Bonnie Burton
23 April 2020
(CNET) – Jane Goodall has a lot to say about how human disregard for animals and the environment brought on the coronavirus pandemic. But the famed British primatologist believes there’s still a chance we can repair our relationship with the natural world, a point she stresses in the new National Geographic documentary, Jane Goodall: The Hope. Aptly enough, it premiered on Earth Day.
Goodall, now 86, is best known for her groundbreaking work with primates, including a 60-year study of social interactions among wild chimpanzees at Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania. She showed that chimpanzees displayed individual personalities, affectionate family bonds and other “human-like” traits.
In addition to Goodall’s work with primates, she’s an avid environmental and animal rights activist.
I chatted with Goodall by phone about her thoughts on the coronavirus pandemic, animal rights, the environment, activism and the two-hour documentary that captures her determination to spread a message of hope and mobilize a new generation of activists. Here’s a lightly edited transcript of our conversation.
Q. Why do you think our mistreatment of animals and the environment paved the way for COVID-19?
It’s because we disregard our place in the natural world and we disrespect the environment and animals that COVID-19 happened. Viruses can jump from animals to humans. Viruses can spill over onto humans in situations like our intensive farming with animals, and also in the meat markets in Asia and Africa. It’s because of our lack of respect for the environment that this terrible COVID-19 virus has shut down the world.
If we don’t learn from this lesson that we should show more respect and we should try to protect the natural world, there will be another pandemic. This one was predicted ages ago in a book called Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic by David Quammen, but no one paid any attention. This time I hope we will. [more]
Jane Goodall: ‘Without hope there’s no point in continuing on’