At last night’s Climate One event, nearly 1,700 attendees, including more than 600 students and educators, gathered to hear Jane Goodall deliver a heartfelt plea for the future of our planet. In a conversation moderated by Greg Dalton, Goodall’s words pierced through the often numbing barrage of crises that dominate our daily news.
“Please vote,” she urged. “Choose leaders committed to protecting our natural world.”
It was a poignant reminder of the stakes we face in 2024, a year marred by relentless climate disasters and tragic losses. The sense of urgency was palpable, matched by the gravity of her message: the next generation depends on us to act decisively, and it starts with the simple, powerful act of voting.
In an age where crises feel relentless and solutions seem distant, Jane delivered a message of hope—one grounded in informed optimism, inspired by the real actions that individuals, often of limited means and facing difficult circumstances, are taking in communities around the world. The least we can do in democracies, she reminded us, is vote for candidates who understand that the planet’s future can no longer be delayed.
Her “Vote for Nature” campaign comes at a pivotal moment. For the first time in her decades-long career, Goodall is explicitly calling for political action to safeguard our shared home. It marks a bold shift for a figure who has traditionally shied away from electoral politics. But as she made clear, the stakes could not be higher: “Vote as our children’s lives depend on it, because honestly, they do.”
In a world where environmental stewardship is too often sidelined by economic concerns and short-term political gains, Goodall’s call feels both urgent and necessary. She reminded us that while our attention is pulled in many directions, the health of our planet underpins everything we hold dear.
For Jane, the path forward is clear: it’s time to choose leaders who will prioritize nature, because, in her words, “when nature thrives, we thrive too.”
