Earth Week 2009: A Positive Role Model
Since both Earth Day and Arbor Day are this week, it’s a perfect excuse to speak on some important “green” topics.
In the following video, Willie Smits talks about his quest to help the orangutan after finding one dying in the market in Borneo. Early on in the talk, he tells how there are almost 1000 babies at his centers, and then scolds the crowd for their applause. He reminds us how awful it is that there’s even a need for these centers. He discusses the devastated habitats of the orangs and the process of reforesting the area. Instead of having a singleminded approach, the cultures and economics of the people of the region had to be integrated into the whole plan. By focusing on the people, instead of disregarding them, real change was possible. The efforts have regenerated a rainforest, renewed an economy, changed the temperature and entire climate of the region.
In the comments on the video, Willie Smits answers questions about how this was all possible:
An other issue that was brought up was how was this project financed and how much did it cost. It was financed from donations and adoption of square meters through the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation. Total costs over the last 7 years for the almost 5000 acres have amounted to some 2.5 Million Euro. This included buying the land. This land was actually still expensive due to its proximity to an economically important oil city. So the model is quite feasible, but does take well educated people to execute.
How’s that for a reminder that we’ve all got a part to play? The video is 20 minutes, so save a time when you can really relax and watch it. It’s amazing to watch the satellite imagery of the area he’s discussing, and how it changes from a stripped yellow nothing to thick verdant forest so quickly. It’s a great message of hope, and I was so excited to hear something so positive to start out the week!
I am still planning to limit my screen time this upcoming week, even though I’m really enjoying the TED videos. I listed the wrong dates. TV Turnoff Week starts tomorrow and runs through the 26th.
I wish I could find the time to watch all of the TED talks. The few that I’ve seen from this year have all been incredible. I think that watching these talks should hardly be considered ‘screen time’. They are a good way to keep yourself informed and make decisions about how to be a better person.