One of the world's most prominent conservation experts yesterday issued a rallying cry to save the great apes, man's closest biological cousins, which are under serious threat of extinction. Richard Leakey, former head of the
About 80% of orang-utan habitat in south-east
Dr Leakey, who will outline his concerns in a public lecture tonight at the Royal Geographical Society in
Dr Leakey said: "People shrug their shoulders and say what are poor countries to do if they can't export their natural resources, and I understand this, but it is simply not sustainable the way it is going. The threat to great ape populations around the world is growing visibly." He said preventing deforestation would help curb global warming as well as preserving endangered apes. Carbon released by deforestation is reckoned to account for 25% of all human greenhouse gas emissions, second only to the energy generation sector.
Scientists say conserving forests offers one of the cheapest ways to tackle climate change, and steps to reward tropical countries which leave their forests untouched will be discussed at the G8 summit in
But he insisted developing countries must take their share of responsibility for global warming. "Developing countries are shrill about the damage that developed countries have caused with their pollution," he said. "The developing world should have a comparable amount of responsibility because of deforestation. I don't think we [
He called for a "huge revolution in entrepreneurial skills" to develop technology such as nuclear fusion and hydrogen power as a way of limiting the need for biofuels. "The whole biofuel issue is of great concern. And it's not just biofuels, the destruction of rainforest to make way for palm oil plantations is extraordinary." A UN report this month also raised concerns over a rapid expansion of biofuels, saying they could have an irreversible environmental impact. There are also concerns about their impact on global food prices, with growing competition for scarce land resources.
Dr Leakey said the direct effects of climate change could spell disaster for the great apes. "I don't think we can say enough to stimulate concern over climate change. It's a complex process but it will undoubtedly impact on everything we know and the implications for biodiversity are there for all to see. We don't know the tolerance of plants to the predicted temperature changes. We should not for a minute assume that forests, rivers and lakes are permanent features of our landscape."
He also criticised what he called the "oxymoron" of ecotourism, which he said was based on "a desperate race to make money while you still can". He said: "An awful lot of damage is done under the umbrella of ecotourism. The tourism industry needs to be talked to very seriously about setting standards that are something other than profit-motivated."
Profile: Richard Leakey
Born in
In 1969 he was diagnosed with a terminal kidney disease and a decade later received a lifesaving transplant from his younger brother. In the 1980s he devoted more of his time to
(Por David Adam, The Guardian, 31/05/2007)