I previously posted this article in our old “Gazette” a few months ago. I reckon it didn’t get much air down at the bottom of the post, on the 112th page. So I thought I’d put it up here, and let it get some attention:

I read this morning that there is a new figure on the plants and animals threatened by extinction. This figure is 16,000. The article also warned about the well-being of the gorilla. Things are not going well for the gorilla. I do find that very sad indeed. Not so long ago, Carlo was telling me that the malaria mosquito was slowly pulling into southern Europe, and that people would start suffering from malaria, with the threat of death. He said that as soon as this started that scientists would find a cure within a very short period. A cure for malaria, in a short period? Malaria, the biggest killer of man other than AIDS?

They have been struggling to find a cure for malaria for decades now. Well, it seems that this is just the issue of the right motive. Funding for research to save the lives of well-educated Europeans will enjoy much more generosity from the community of donors than a bunch of straggly Africans does, since Europeans have greater impact on world economy.

Same goes for the gorilla. They may be great apes, but they don’t really matter. They just don’t have enough economic value to be assured proper protection against the poachers, hunters and thieves that hang around in the jungles.

In spite of our knowledge of the importance of biodiversity on this planet, it does not influence our choices in industry. Not enough, in any case, to be of the advantage of any other living creature on this planet other than ourselves. We are the most successful organism – almost an epidemic in evolution. And we will be sole survivors one day, celebrating our individuality on the barren earth.