Final Chance ...

I've just been watching Joanna Lumley in 'Final Chance to Save'. A programme that looks at endangered species, this time it was focussing on the orang-utans of Borneo and the work carried out by the Orang-utan Foundation.

Since first reading The Light Fantastic (the librarian is an Orang-utan) I've been intrigued by these gorgeous apes and have sponsored one for many years through WWF.

So it was shocking to see their natural habitat being cut down to make ply wood (?!), mine gold or plant other non-native plants:
Acres of rain forest had been cut down for plantations to create palm oil, a ingredient that is apparently in many household and cleansing products. These are plants that can thrive in quite meagre conditions and yet precious rain forest has been destroyed for them. (Following a link, I've found information on sustainable Palm Oil here.)
In another location, a gold mining operation had completely stripped an area of rain forest. It resembled a desert. The mercury used to process the gold poisoned the earth so that no plants could grow, therefore there was no insect life, no birds, no animals.

Joanna saw baby orang-utans that had been taken to be sold ... as pets?? ... or who knows what. They raided one property and the two rescued infants clung to Joanna and a sanctuary operator like little children. It is very easy to anthropomorphise such creatures as their eyes have a startling depth to them and their actions demonstrate an inquisitiveness about the world around them. Somehow, perhaps because they are so genetically close to us and because, in a way, we are their cousins on the evolutionary tree, it almost seems to be even harder to me to witness cruelty towards great apes than other animals.

She said something later in the programme that struck me about what all the animals would think if the human race was wiped out, that they would probably think 'phew they've gone' and then get on with their lives.

It's quite a sobering thought - what would happen if we were wiped out tomorrow? There would possibly be some pollution as toxic substances escaped from chemical processing plants and the like, but without our vehicles and industry the air quality would most likely improve quite quickly. Our buildings would slowly succumb to the weather and wildlife. Our roads would overgrow, the countryside would re-conqer the cities and in probably a relatively short period of time all our achievements and progress would be as a whispered memory.

Surely the best achievement, the best indication of our progress, civilisation and developement, would be to look after the beautiful place we call home before time runs out for all of us?