ROME (GA) NEWS-TRIBUNE
BY ETHAN ZOHN and JENNA MORASCA
Recently, millions of Americans tuned in to witness the crowning of the winner of Survivor: Gabon– Earth’s last Eden. Over the course of 12 weeks the contestants dealt with all the challenges that nature, the producers and their fellow competitors could throw at them — an experience we both know all too well. At risk was the ultimate title of ”Sole Survivor,” a $1 million prize and a host of life-changing opportunities that the winner can only scarcely imagine.
Yet amid the attention surrounding the close of this season’s Survivor, it’s important the public also be aware of a very different survival struggle going on today.
According to the World Conservation Union, more than 16,000 species, plants and animal alike, are in danger of extinction, largely because of human activities. If we don’t stop this onslaught on nature, scientists warn that two-thirds of the planet’s 10 million species could face extinction by the end of the century — a situation that puts the term ”being voted off the island” in a whole new light. While the picture may look gloomy, however, there are steps leaders in Washington can take to create real-life ”immunity idols” for species — tools the international community could use in this struggle.
Participating in Survivor was an incredible experience. Living off the land, waking up with lions and giraffes or toucans and pink dolphins in your backyard — it gives you a very different perspective on nature. It showed us how fragile life can be. Gabon is, indeed, one of the Earth’s ”last Edens” because modern society has destroyed all but a few remnants of wild nature. According to the United Nations, over the last 300 years global forest area has shrunk by almost half. Coral reefs in the Caribbean have been reduced by roughly 80 percent over the last 30 years. And more than 75 percent of the world’s marine fish have been fished to the brink of extinction.
In the Amazon, according to Brazilian officials, roughly 290 square miles of forest was destroyed in August alone, more than double the amount from last year. And if you think this won’t impact Americans, think again.
Roughly 20 percent of the planet’s oxygen is produced by the Amazon rainforest. But perhaps more important is its treasure trove of plants.
Just one square kilometer of the Amazon contains over 75,000 types of trees. And while extinction of an obscure tree might not seem important, native plant species provide a vital tool in combating diseases, with half of the most prescribed medicines in the United States derived from natural compounds. The drug vincristine, for example, from an obscure flower in Madagascar, is one of the most effective current treatments for childhood leukemia.
Forests also hold water, preventing both catastrophic floods and droughts, while healthy coral reefs reduce the impact of large storms on coastal populations. Small investments in conservation can translate into huge savings in lives and property. But we needn’t sit back and passively and watch this crisis unfold like a drama on TV. We still have a chance to make a difference.
In conjunction with efforts to address the climate crisis, leaders in Washington over the next two years should take steps to ensure that our nation has a plan to address this global species extinction crisis. An excellent first step would be adopting a national global conservation strategy and then planning for how all U.S. government agencies involved in conservation abroad could advance that goal. The Obama administration should also start a global dialogue on how the international community can provide the resources to protect the world’s most ecologically and economically important species-rich land and marine areas. Together, these tools could literally make the difference between life and death for what’s left of the natural world and those species on the brink of survival.
To win at Survivor you not only have to learn how to outwit, outlast and outplay your opponents, but how to live in balance with the game’s most influential player — Mother Nature. If we’re all going to win this ultimate survival challenge we have to put on our game faces now. TV shouldn’t be the only place where future generations can experience the wonders of Africa, the Amazon or any of our planet’s remaining Edens.
Ethan Zohn is the winner of Survivor: Africa; Jenna Morasca is the winner of Survivor: Amazon.
