Saving Gorillas and the World
Cal State Fullerton Hosts Oct. 6 Lecture on Primates and Climate
Ian Redmond
What/Who:
Cal State Fullerton hosts a free, public lecture on reducing the impact on the world’s climate by saving gorillas. Ian Redmond, a tropical field biologist and conservationist, will deliver the lecture, “Save the Gorillas to Save the World.”
When:
Tuesday, Oct. 6 5 p.m.
Where:
Mihaylo Hall, Room 1406
Intersection of Nutwood Avenue and Folino Drive
Cal State Fullerton
Why:
“Tropical forests are crucial to the health of the planet,” said John Bock, CSUF professor of anthropology. “In December, most of the world's governments will meet in Copenhagen to sign the new climate treaty, which, hopefully, will recognize the need to protect tropical forests. Keystone species, such as gorillas, are a sentinel of the tropical forests’ condition. The rapid decline in great ape populations, including gorillas, mirrors the destruction of their habitat. Promoting the survival of gorillas, then, is a way to combat the loss of tropical forests and reduce further impact on global climate.”
More:
Redmond will discuss the decline of the gorilla population and how scientists, conservationists and communities are joining forces to reverse that trend. “As keystone species in tropical forest ecosystems, primates, such as gorillas, are essential for the health of these forests, which are themselves essential for climate stability,” Redmond notes. “Thus, the new climate treaty to be concluded in Copenhagen should not only recognize the role of forests, but also the role of gorillas and other primates and other animals, such as elephants and toucans, in maintaining these forests as a permanent store of carbon and a major contributor to the sequestration of CO2 from the atmosphere. This raises the stakes from the survival of a few fascinating animals to the survival of our planet’s life-support system.”
Photos:
Available online at www.fullerton.edu/newsphotos
Sponsors:
Cal State Fullerton’s Environmental Studies Program and Department of Anthropology.
Media Contacts:
John Bock, Anthropology, 657-278-5574 or jbock@fullerton.edu
Mimi Ko Cruz, Public Affairs, 657-278-7586 or mkocruz@fullerton.edu
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