Jane Goodall on the Threat of Animal Agriculture, GOP Climate Change Denial & Why She’s a Vegetarian

This was so amazing to listen to recently on Democracy Now!, ... so powerful, such an extraordinary gift and breath of clean soothing fresh air that wrapped its way around my heart and brought great nourishment and peace. Bless Jane Goodall. Bless all the Elders, all the truth-tellers, all who shine a bright light so that each of us has the opportunity to see more of the deeper truth of our experiences and our interconnection with all beings. Bless all that supports us in dropping our delusions and instead learn to be kind, truly kind. Interviews such as this one with two of my heroes just touches my heart so deeply. Tears.... Gratitude.... May we all open to such wisdom, courage, inspiration, and caring. 

♥ Molly

Excerpts from transcript of this interview between  

Amy Goodman and Jane Goodall

AMY GOODMAN: Why is it important to save the rainforest? 

JANE GOODALL: Because they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. And as we cut them down and burn them, that CO2 is released back from the trees, the leaves and also from the forest soils. And about 50 percent of our tropical rainforests have already gone. They’re going at a tremendously fast rate. And even when they are protected in many countries, because of corruption, the power of the corporations, the worship of money and profit, the protection isn’t always saving the forest.

AMY GOODMAN: You have recently been in the United States. You know there’s a presidential election going on there. 

JANE GOODALL: Heinous. 

AMY GOODMAN: Can you talk about, especially in the Republican Party, the presidential candidates’, like the leading candidate Donald Trump’s, denial that climate change is caused by human beings overwhelmingly? 

JANE GOODALL: Well, I listened to Donald Trump saying, you know, that he doesn’t believe that we’ve caused or are causing climate change, and some of the other right-wing leaders, and I just ask myself, do they really believe what they’re saying? Because it seems so very obvious. If you read the facts, I don’t see how you can come to any other conclusion but that it’s our misuse of fossil fuels, the emissions—from agriculture, from industry, from households—the vast impact that’s being made by this intensive farming of animals. And in order to feed the billions and billions of cows and pigs and chickens, even if you don’t care about the cruelty, even if you refuse to admit that these are individuals with feelings, who feel pain and have emotions, even if you don’t admit that, you have to admit huge areas of forest are cut down to grow grain to feed them. Intensive cattle grazing is turning forests to woodland, to scrubland. And food in one end, gas out both ends, that’s methane. And that’s an even more potent greenhouse gas than CO2. It’s about 36 percent of all methane emissions come from this intensive farming.

AMY GOODMAN: Of cows. 

JANE GOODALL: Of, well, cows, pigs, the whole thing. 

AMY GOODMAN: Can you talk about how diet fuels climate change and why you’re a vegetarian? 

JANE GOODALL: I’m a vegetarian because—partly because, you know, I respect animals. I know they’re all individuals. And I wouldn’t eat a cow any more than I would eat my dog. That’s the truth. And pigs are more intelligent than many dogs. But, you know, in addition, when you know the impact on the environment of this intensive, intensifying eating of meat, it’s also true that being a vegetarian is more healthy. And so, everything combined, I would be a vegan if I was in one place. But you have to be a bit careful if you’re a vegan to get, you know, the right sort of nutrients and so forth. And as I’m 300 days a year on the road, I just—vegetarian is sometimes hard, but I do stick to that.

Please go here for the full transcript and video:

http://www.democracynow.org/2016/1/14/jane_goodall_on_the_threat_of