Dr. Jane Goodall visits area

By MaryHelen Swanson
The war in Iraq is on everyoneís mind, even world-renown scientist Jane Goodall has her concerns about whatís happening in the Middle East.
Goodall was in Minnesota last week attending the Jane Goodall Institute Roots and Shoots (R&S) North American Youth Summit in Sandstone.
Snow was gently falling outside the windows of the spacious lodge at the Audubon Center of the North Woods where the summit was being held.
Goodall noted that it was quite a contrast from Africa.
But Goodall had a lot more to talk about than the weather.
Sitting at a large table with reporters and youth leaders, she talked about Roots and Shoots, a worldwide program for youths of all ages who, through service learning projects, share their care and concern about the environment, animals and their fellow human beings.
The important thing to learn from participation in R&S, Goodall said, is that everyone can make a difference in the world.
Goodall said a person could say, ìIím only one of 6 billion, what can I do?î She said everyone can do something each day to make a difference.
Ride a bike instead of taking the car, donít buy stuff you donít need, reduce your expectation of how people should live.
She said ask yourself, ìCan I do with less?î
One reporter wryly asked Goodall if Jesus would ride in a SUV.
Goodallís response? ìI sincerely hope not, if he did,î she said, ìIíd have to have a talk with him.î
The R&S program was founded by Goodall and is a fast-growing global youth program.
There are more than 4,000 R&S groups in 70 countries. There are several in Minnesota, especially around the Minneapolis area.
Youths participating in the summit last week were from more than 15 different states.
Jin Zhou, a young naturalist from China, was also among the attendees.
Goodall said the R&S program is quite successful in China. She said the first time she went to China they wouldnít admit they had environmental problems.
Today, they are setting up R&S programs in schools and colleges.
Zhou said in China the program is very important for young people who have grownup with the economic development that is destroying the environment.
She said it is very hard to change the adultsí opinions, but today environmental education is getting government support.
Zhou said she hoped that means the future would be better for the Chinese environment.
Goodallís program is designed to be flexible, it can be incorporated in a number of ways, in curriculum, as a club a program, sometimes entire schools are involved. One grandmother has a R&S program with her own grandchildren, it was noted.
The youth leaders at the summit each participate in a service project in their communities.
One young woman said she is working on trying to get people to stop using styrofoam cups and plates because they are harmful to the environment. She is also educating them on how harmful it is for humans to eat and drink from styrofoam dishes because of the carbon dioxide content.
She has been successful in getting her family to stop using the products, but it is more difficult to convince the community, she said. She uses a skit to spread her message.
In another community, R&S youths are collecting old firehoses which are woven into mats for gorilla cages at a local zoo.
The young people who gather at the annual youth summit, which is held at a different location each year, are enthusiastic about their causes.
The hope of the program is that the youths involved will encourage other youths to become enthusiastic about environmental issues and spread it to others.
Hans Cole, director of community programs for the Jane Goodall Institute, said itís a big vision that starts with the youths. Itís a ripple effect, he said, that starts at events like the youth summit, college summits and JGI festivals which are held throughout the country.
He said he especially likes to see the enthusiasm from first-time participants.
They are so excited, he said, to find out theyíre not the only ones out there concerned about environmental issues.
Goodall said the focus of the program is to look at problems in your own area that affect people and animals and to sit down to figure out how youíre going to deal with them.
As the group at the table talked, one young person said the increasing number of poor children in the United States was a major concern.
Another said her goal was to find a balance where humans can co-exist with their environment.
Yet another said it was important to make people aware of the issues and to get them to do something about them.
One didnít think youths have enough confidence in themselves to believe they are making a difference.
And what were Goodallís major environmental concerns - in the US and around the world?
Goodall said the lack of clean water and misuse of water was high on her list.
And, in her very quiet voice, she said, ìthe effects of war.î
Goodall said she went to Nagasaki and the people there are still affected by the nuclear bombs from WWII - even the children. She is concerned that what is happening in the Middle East today can lead to nuclear war.
War has major affects on the environment, she said.
The effect of war in this troubled time certainly is a concern, she said.
In final words of encouragement to the young leaders at the table, Goodall said she wants to see them in business and political positions ìor weíll never make a difference,î she said.
For more information about the Roots and Shoots program, go to www.janegoodall.org.

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