Dr. Jane Goodall hates apathy.
The world-renowned chimp expert is the first to acknowledge that saving threatened species is an uphill battle, but believes that's no reason to throw up one's hands in frustration.
"Sometimes people feel helpless, because if you care about the environment and the future, there are so many problems, and they just do seem overwhelming. Therefore, people sometimes think, 'Well, there's no point in doing anything,' and that’s the very worst, this apathy," she told The Huffington Post.
A quick glance at the record of Goodall's extensive work proves that lack of passion is not among her character traits. In 1960, despite the odds, the 26-year-old Goodall ventured to Tanzania to study chimpanzees in the wild. Her research challenged conventional beliefs, revealing the complex nature and human-like characteristics of chimps.
Fifty-two years later, she still sees a long road ahead. Chimps need our help "desperately," Goodall said. The animal is endangered, its population on the decline, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List. Rough estimates suggest the total population is less than 300,000 left in the wild.
"Numbers have plummeted over the past hundred years. ... They are in 21 countries but spread thin," Goodall said, citing the trade in bushmeat (the meat of wild animals) and dwindling forests as two major threats to the animal.
Rachel Nuwer reported last year for The New York Times that bushmeat markets are common in many regions of Africa. Researchers found that chimpanzee meat was occasionally sold at these markets and that legislation -- establishing fines for possession, for example -- could prove beneficial in slowing the hunting of threatened species.
According to Goodall, the bushmeat trade in Africa is being "made possible in areas that previously were inaccessible because logging companies have moved in ... and the hunters can go along the [newly made] roads. So everything is shot now."
Although political action could help protect chimps, it's not an easy solution. "We're talking about 21 sovereign nations," Goodall noted. "Some of the countries in Africa are pretty volatile politically, and they have other matters that to them seem more important."
Meanwhile, Goodall said, the forests where the chimps live are disappearing as human populations grow and people clear land for cattle and crops.
A U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization survey, released in November 2011, found that between 1990 and 2005, the planet saw a net loss of 4.9 million hectares of forest a year. That's nearly 10 hectares of forest per minute. The loss is largely attributed to the transformation of tropical forests into agricultural land.
Goodall cited British climate economist Sir Nicholas Stern, who in a 2006 report suggested deforestation prevention as a cost-effective way to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Goodall drew the links: "Saving our forests is the cheapest and most efficient way of slowing down global warming. ... If you're going to save chimps, you must save forests."
How can individuals help the chimpanzees?
Goodall voiced support for "Chimpanzee," an upcoming Disney film that she hopes will "help raise awareness about how amazing chimpanzees are." A portion of the first week's ticket sales will benefit the Jane Goodall Institute, a chimp conservation nonprofit focused on research, education and sustainable community outreach.
People can also donate directly to the Jane Goodall Institute.
Goodall pointed to Gombe National Park in Tanzania, where the institute works with local communities, "helping them to improve their lives in environmentally sustainable ways. Instead of having people competing for the surviving forest because they need it to feed themselves, they've now become our partners."
Goodall concluded, "I hope that people will understand that they matter as an individual. Every single day the choices they make will have either negative or positive impacts on the environment, on animals and on human health. So it's really, really important to live each day knowing you make a difference."
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.