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Conservation icon Jane Goodall: Stop destroying the planet or we may destroy ourselves
Wildlife conservationist Jane Goodall and documentary filmmaker Brett Morgen talk about the film 'Jane' by National Geographic which brings to life the story of Jane Goodall and her lifelong study of chimpanzees. USA TODAY
LOS ANGELES — Iconic conservationist Jane Goodall has a chilling warning for all of us Earth dwellers: Stop pillaging the planet or "we may not even be on it anymore."
"We're seeing extraordinary problems everywhere," said Goodall,who became an international celebrity for her groundbreaking study of chimpanzees in Africa in the 1960s. In an interview with USA TODAY, she cited climate change, destruction of wildlife habitats and depletion of natural resources, among other concerns.
"It just seems there are forces tamping down on Mother Nature," Goodall, 83, said, referring to the Trump administration, the government in her native United Kingdom and other countries around the world that are poor guardians of the environment.
"People seem either not to realize or are determined not to bother," she said, "but the fact is, this planet has finite natural resources and they're being treated as though they'll go on forever."
"It's absolutely clear that if we carry on as business as usual, then for my great, great grandchildren, the world will be very different. We may not even be on it anymore," she added.
Goodall is the subject of National Geographic Documentary Film's award-winning Jane, which airs Monday at 8 p.M. ET/ 7 P.M. CT on National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo WILD.
Although there have been a number of documentaries about Dr Jane Goodall, a new one called 'JANE' surprised even Goodall herself. It contains more than 100 hours of footage shot in the 1960's of Goodall researching chimpanzees in Tanzania. The material was commissioned by National Geographic but stored in its archives for years_until now. (Oct. 20) AP
The film follows her life starting in 1960 at age 26, when she arrived in a remote area of Tanzania to study chimps, and made global headlines for discovering that they are highly intelligent and social.
The film is based on more than 100 hours of footage of Goodall in Africa that was recently discovered in National Geographic archives. The film is directed by Brett Morgen, who also directed documentaries on Kurt Cobain and the Rolling Stones.
Goodall, who had no formal scientific training, became an instant sensation because of her cutting-edge research in a field dominated by men. "I was given this incredible opportunity to be the first person ever to go out and see these amazing animals in the wild," she said.
Goodall said the timing of the film's release is "absolutely perfect" because of growing global concern about irreversible damage to the planet.
"This film takes you back to how things should be and makes you determined to fight so that we re-create a world where things will be the same again," she said.
Morgen said that "in times of darkness," like the present, superheroes become in vogue, "and Jane is a real life superhero." Goodall's passion and dedication make for an inspiring story that has deeply moved audiences at other premieres of the film, he said.
Goodall, who spends most of her time traveling the world to preach the importance of conservation, said it is vital to give people hope that they can reverse the development and pollution that are destroying Earth.
"If young people lose hope in the future because of the (Trump) administration, because of the onslaught on the environment, then they'll give up and then there is no hope," she said.
"So my job is to go around ... and show something so pristine and so pure that it makes people want to bring that back and to save what's left."
Using rare footage from Goodall's research in the jungle, this new documentary focuses on her revolutionary discoveries, her relationships with her cameraman and husband and of course, the chimpanzees she studied.