Vegetarian Star

If everyone did their job, there’d be no need for managers, right?

Vegetarian, conservationist and chimpanzee expert Jane Goodall thinks getting the world to live greener starts with yourself, whether you’re preaching to friends and family or not.

In an interview with the Harvard Crimson, Goodall emphasizes that some people will respond to arguments, but most importantly, they’ll all be watching how you live.

“You really have to start with yourself and then whether or not you reach out to others really depends on whether or not you’re the right person to do it,” Goodall said. “Some people are really good at arguing, and that doesn’t really change peoples opinions. But if you can get into their hearts, that’s what’s so important. Make people think about this question: if we’re the most intellectual animals that have ever walked on this planet, which we are, why are we destroying our only home? I think we’ve lost wisdom, the kind of wisdom where people say, “How will this decision affect people generations ahead?” Now we make decisions based on, “How will it help me now or in next year’s shareholders meeting or next year’s political campaign?””

One way Goodall helps others make a personal difference is through her Roots and Shoots campaign, an international environmental and humanitarian program for youth, with projects focused on improving the lives of people, animals and the environment.

Adolescents participate in activities like cleaning up parks, planting in gardens and volunteering at animal shelters.

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“I personally am never going to fight for rights per se. All this fighting for human rights and yet we abuse them everyday, all around the world. So while we’re still abusing human rights is it really going to help the animals? It won’t harm them to have rights. I would always say ‘good show’ to the people who fight for them. My approach is different. I’m fighting for human responsibility.”

“So my job is to make people think of animals differently – as they really are. You can have a law – and we’re surrounded by laws – but it’s so often possible to get around them – they are continually being broken. So I want people to understand that animals really do have personalities and feelings – so that they want to obey laws that protect them.”

–Primatologist, conservationist and author Jane Goodall, on her take on how to protect animals from abuse and mistreatment.

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A big slice of vegan birthday cake goes out to the following vegetarian or vegan celebrities.

• Alec Baldwin (52)
• Jane Goodall (76)
• Leona Lewis (25)

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Jane Goodall, primatologist, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and a magnificent leader for humanity is well into her 70s, but age hasn’t slowed her down much since she first stepped foot on Lake Tanganyika, in what is now Tanzania’s Gombe National Park.

During a recent interview with the Huffington Post, Goodall gave her secrets to longevity and energy.

“I have to say that I attribute vast amounts of my energy to the fact that I stopped eating meat,” Goodall said.

“One thing I learned is that we have the guts not of a carnivore, but of an herbivore. Herbivore guts are very long because they have to get the last bit of nutrition out of leaves and things. The carnivore guts are very short, because they want to get rid of the meat quickly before it starts putrefying and doing bad things inside them.”

Goodall is younger than ever at heart and although she’s quite the celebrity, she has no time for any “nip and tuck” and thinks women who are worried about aging should focus on keeping active, both physically and mentally.

“I mean, yes, you can have millions of face lifts and all these different things that women have done to their bodies – whatever they’re called, bum tucks and boob enhancements [laughs] – but personally, well: A) I haven’t the money for that, and B) I haven’t got the time for it and C) I mean, there are more important things to me than how you look.”

Ladies, if one of the most famous animal scientists in the world discusses bum tucks and boob enhancements, you’d better heed that advice!

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This year Jane Goodall celebrates 50 years since starting her work with chimpanzees.

She’s gained more attention from mainstream media through a recent book, a BBC documentary to be released in the spring and a film, Jane’s Journey, to be premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.

The Jane Goodall Institute was recently awarded a four-year grant worth more than $5.5 million from the The U.S. Agency for International Development to expand conservation programs in Tanzania.

The renown scientist and environmentalist has always worked for the good of animals, even when her work caused a rift in her personal life.

Her son, Hugo, also known as Grub, is now developing an eco-tourist project in Tanzania.

But he once participated in commercial fishing, something vegetarian Jane disapproved of, and this hindered their relationship, according to The Guardian.

Goodall was raised Christian, but feels the interpretation of man having dominion over animals is incorrect, insisting the real meaning is “stewardship.”

Unlike some who identify with the same religion, Jane sees no contradiction believe evolution and God, and feels her work has made her even more spiritual.

“I realised that my experience in the forest, my understanding of the chimpanzees, had given me a new perspective,” she wrote in her book, Reason For Hope. “I was ­utterly convinced there was a great ­spiritual power that we call God, Allah or Brahma, although I knew, equally ­certainly, that my finite mind could never comprehend its form or nature.”

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Jane Goodall made an appearance on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart where she discussed chimpanzees, animal rights and pardoned Jon for the occasional cheeseburger.

“You seem to have a very reasonable approach to the animal world and saving the endangered species,” Jon said. “I mentioned to you earlier that I enjoy the occasional cheeseburger and you were okay with that.”

“I’m okay with that,” Jane said.

“Thank you,” Jon joked and elicited loads of laughter from the audience.

Watch the clip to hear Jane discuss how chimps have the same range of emotions as humans do, her thoughts on extremists and how she’s been criticized by vegetarians, even though she is one.

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“I was literally in the middle of nowhere, in a forest in the northern Republic of Congo, visiting people studying chimps. We were out one evening in the forest with pygmy trackers. They picked these orange mushrooms, along with a large leaf from a low-lying plant-I have no idea of its name. They cooked them together; the leaves made a kind of broth. It was absolutely delicious, and the vibrant orange and green colors were so beautiful. And it was definitely vegetarian.”

—-Jane Goodall, in an interview in the print October 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times.

Jane has a new book out this month, Hope for Animals and Their World: How Endangered Species Are Being Rescued from the Brink, and the renowned scientist who studied primates shares his insights on the future of the animal kingdom as so many species becoming extinct.

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Not ready to let your 5 year old watch an animal being skinned alive yet? No problem!

For any parent looking for a children’s book to introduce some arguments on choosing the vegetarian lifestyle, That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals, is a great start.

Author Ruby Roth uses a gentler approach (no slaughterhouse pics included) to teach children about the relationship between the food on their plate and animal suffering and even touches on environmental issues.

Roth also incites empathy for animals by letting readers know they experience pain, sensitivity, and happiness, which is another way children can relate.

The book is recommended for grades 3-6.

As expected, several notable vegetarians have praised the book, including actor Ed Begley Jr.

“In a time when we are all working to go green, I am thrilled that That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals makes the connection between food and the environment, inspiring children to be aware and involved.”

Primatologist Jane Goodall had this to say:

“This is a powerful and important book. Farm animals have emotions similar to our pets and this is conveyed in Roth’s enchanting illustrations. It will make children – and their parents – think. But it will not lead to nightmares, rather respect and compassion for the creatures whose wellbeing is in our hands.”

And actress Alicia Silverstone added:

“Like many people, I knew as a child that I didn’t want to eat animals. That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals would have offered me the guidance and inspiration I needed to understand those instincts. This book is a must-have for anyone who loves animals.”

That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals was released in May, and can be purchased online.

via wired.com

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