Jane Goodall: humanity is finished if it fails to adapt after Covid-19

[CousinIT]

Humanity will be “finished” if we fail to drastically change our food systems in response to the coronavirus pandemic and the climate crisis, the prominent naturalist Jane Goodall has warned.

She blamed the emergence of Covid-19 on the over-exploitation of the natural world, which has seen forests cut down, species made extinct and natural habitats destroyed. The coronavirus is thought to have made the jump from animals to humans late last year, possibly originating in a meat market in Wuhan, China.

Intensive farming was also creating a reservoir of animal diseases that would spill over and hurt human society, said Goodall, one of the world’s foremost experts on chimpanzees and a longtime conservation campaigner, speaking alongside two European commissioners at an online event held by the campaigning group Compassion in World Farming, on Tuesday.

“We have brought this on ourselves because of our absolute disrespect for animals and the environment,” she said. “Our disrespect for wild animals and our disrespect for farmed animals has created this situation where disease can spill over to infect human beings.

People must move away from factory farming and stop destroying natural habitats as a matter of urgency, she said, because of the threat of diseases and of climate breakdown. Factory farming is linked to the rise of antibiotic resistant superbugs, which threaten human health.

“If we do not do things differently, we are finished,” she said. “We can’t go on very much longer like this.”

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/jun/03/jane-goodall-humanity-is-finished-if-it-fails-to-adapt-after-covid-19?CMP=share_btn_tw

[mountain grammy]

1. Too late.

[BobTheSubgenius]

12. Sadly, I agree.

The time to start doing something about the environment was when there were "clues" out there for all to see, as far back as the early 70s. At least, that was the time for me. There may have been signs before that, but I confess to not noticing them, if there were.

[ananda]

19. Exactly.

We were warned about warming and carbon emissions
in the 70's.

But did we listen? Well..... I know some of us did,
but not nearly enough.

[dixiegrrrrl]

13. sadly, I agree.

All this was predicted in the 70's. and ignored.

Even as we sit thru season after season of intense weather changes, some people still think of climate change as something that will happen in the future.

denial is gonna kill us all, one way or another.

[SoCalDavidS]

2. Good

Most humans don't deserve to exist. Perhaps we all have to take one for the team.

[Hortensis]

3. We're adapting all over the place in many ways. We always do.

Human die-off in some areas when life becomes unsustainable and help doesn't come is a tragedy, more tragedies always to come, but not exactly "mankind finished."

[Bayard]

4. I have a lot of respect for this woman

Humankind takes and takes from the Earth, and puts nothing back. Covid was one way its saying--enough is enough. I've wiped you out before, and I can do it again.

[CousinIT]

5. Earth will survive. Humans won't. They will kill themselves off. n/t

[bucolic_frolic]

6. More hot dogs for MAGAts

Fire up the grill!

[jalan48]

7. We'll really have cancel culture if we don't change our ways.

[Evolve Dammit]

8. I honestly don't think we are capable of change. Mankind has always been greedy and ignorant; often

willfully ignorant. Add arrogance and there's a recipe for inaction. After decades of minimizing so many issues, it is apparent we are in deep shit. And the band played on...

[Kaleva]

11. And we don't see many who are making an informed effort on preparing to adapt.

The effects of climate change will not be uniform and while some regions will be devastated, others will see little change or even become more suitable for human habitation.

My guess is that the majority of humans will not take action on adapting until the situation becomes Biblical and by then, it may be too late for many of them.

[roamer65]

15. Just the population shifts themselves will bring about significant societal upheaval and large wars.

Imagine what our Great Lakes will represent in 50-100 years. One of the last solid sources of fresh water on the planet.

Couple that with a nearly uninhabitable Central America and Mexico...

[Kaleva]

17. Much of the US could become like what parts of Africa are today. War, famine, subsistence living.

Where I live in Upper Michigan, the projections aren't that bad. Milder winters, hotter summers. But because of the impact climate change will have in other regions, I expect there to be shortage of numerous goods and services we take for granted today.

[Evolve Dammit]

20. informed effort would require intellectual curiousity and objective questioning. Ain't happening nt

[Kaleva]

21. Info from reputable sources is on the internet but one has to have an interest to look for it.

[Evolve Dammit]

22. absolutely

[Kaleva]

9. I agree that if we don't adapt to what climate change will bring, it could mean death to millions

Trying to adapt now in an effort to prevent climate change is, IMHO, an impossible task.

[h2ebits]

10. 1962 "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

I understand that this book basically started the environmental movement.

[roamer65]

14. Amazingly well put.

Thank you Ms. Goodall.

[LT Barclay]

16. Tough words from the lady who wrote a book called

"A reason for Hope"

[gordianot]

18. Here is hoping the Bonobo's win out and not the killer Chimpanzees.

That being said there does appear to be some natural selection at play with humans it just takes too long with our species of killer ape. Maybe we can program some compassion in our machines as they replace us.