|
About | Contact | Mongabay on Facebook | Mongabay on Twitter | Free newsletter |
|
|
10 years of mongabay Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com June 10, 2009 Originally launched as an online version of a manuscript about tropical rainforests (A Place Out of Time), the site has grown over the years to encompass a wide range of topics. Along the way I've met some remarkable people, experienced some incredible adventures, and visited some unforgettable places. The site has also grown in other ways -- this month mongabay added its first employee besides myself: writer Jeremy Hance. The origin of mongabay
The following, which serves as the preface of A Place Out of Time and was written in 1999, details my experience in Borneo.
I sit with my feet in the cool water, picking over my clothes in search of leaf leeches, who seek a feeding opportunity in every crease of material. As I remove these brightly hued creatures, I am content to watch a lone male orangutan silently make his way through the branches above the stream. The idyllic setting and the company of my red-bearded simian companion provide the perfect end to my half-day trek. Such wildlands provide me with an escape from the daily rigors and chaos of my profession, and I have come to greatly appreciate places of natural wonder. - - -
Despite my few years in the forest, this was not the first time I had lost such a special place, nor would it be the last. These personal losses have long troubled me, but the loss of that small section of forest in Borneo created the urgency to act upon a thought that had been nagging me. While environmental losses and degradation of the rainforests have yet to reach the point of collapse, the continuing disappearance of wildlands and the loss of their species are disheartening. I feel sorrow for those who have not yet had the privilege of experiencing the magnificence of these places, and I try to picture how—should biodiversity losses continue to mount—I will explain to my grandchildren why these places that I enjoyed in my youth no longer exist. The lesson of A Place Out of Time is that we may not have to accept this future. A lot can still be done. Using our intelligence and ingenuity, the human species can preserve biodiversity and unique places for future generations, without compromising the quality of life for present populations. Press highlights
Tags: commentary environment green Environmental news index | RSS | News Feed | Twitter | Home Advertisements:
|
|
|
DON'T LIKE ADS? Become a mongabay supporter WEEKLY NEWSLETTER RECENT FEATURES
POPULAR PAGES Photos
CALENDARS 
BOOKS BY MONGABAY AUTHORS
FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER 
HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTOS / PRINTS 
|
| | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dipterocarp in Sumatra
|
Copyright mongabay 2010 Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions generated from mongabay.com operations (server, data transfer, travel) are mitigated through an association with Anthrotect, an organization working with Afro-indigenous and Embera communities to protect forests in Colombia's Darien region. Anthrotect is protecting the habitat of mongabay's mascot: the scale-crested pygmy tyrant. |
