In the excerpt from, Hope for Animals and Their World, by Jane Goodall, Gail Hudson and Thane Maynard, we read about the authors' recollection of hope inspiring stories that portray lost environments that become restored, and the importance of every species on Earth.
Healing Earth's Scars:
Every story excerpt I've read in this book has been so doom and gloom, described humanity on a metaphorical "crash course" to Environmental Armageddon. While those stories held a lot of credit for being the truth, I much enjoyed this read from the other point of view, by looking at whats going right in the present time. This short read was comprised of several shorter stories recalled by the authors that depict an individual, or many, making a change and restoring the nature that we once had. Goodall expresses that she still holds hope for our future despite all the evidence of doubt in mankind. Her four reasons for retaining hope are: "Our extraordinary intellect, the resilience of nature, the energy and commitment of informed young people who are empowered to act, and the indomitable human spirit."
The stories range from bringing back a once great forest after over logging to restoring our rivers and streams from the pollution of big industry, but the story i enjoyed the most was, The Man Who Restored the Forests to the Mountains. It starts out as a dream of a young six year old boy to restore a beautiful mountain forest that once was, and through commitment and passion it eventually comes true. Sounds like the most cliche uplifting PG rated hallmark movie, but it still gets its point across. This is a true story of a young boy who sacrificed many days to make a difference and its really inspiring.
Why Save Endangered Species?:
The second excerpt is all about the importance of saving endangered species, no matter how small. Not enough people in the world care about the native species that undergo constant threat of an advancing human society. Every decision is a matter of politics rather than importance of our nature's future. In the example of the Salt Creek Tiger Beetle, just a small harmless beetle that was listed as federally endangered. In an effort to save the dwindling beetle species federal money was used. Almost immediately, letters were mailed in retaliation. Most of the complaints related to better use of our money. They may hold valid points, but every living species holds a vital roll to our circle of life, and you may not notice it now, but down our troubling timeline, we'll see the consequences. Goodall describes the kind of people that make a difference, and these people are "obsessed". We need more "obsessed" people in this world.
"If we allow extinctions to happen through ignorance or greed, then with the loss of endangered species and unique species, our world becomes less diverse, and strikingly less beautiful and mysterious."
"Our oceans, grasslands, and forest will echo with silence, and the human heart will know that something is missing -- but it will be too late."
