March 2012, A Connected World

The internet revolution, new social media, smartphones; our planet has never “turned” so fast! Unfortunately, it has also never been so abused as it is today

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A “helping wing” from a little eco-detective sparrow will reveal how everything is linked. The economic development of a number of countries, China in particular, is beyond imagination. Chinese consumption is sky-rocketing, leading to an enormous threat on biodiversity. Due to an increased demand for medicinal, gastronomic, and luxury decorative products, tigers, panthers, rhinoceros, elephants, bears, turtles, pangolins, etc. (the list is very long) are exterminated. This word is not too extreme when we know that, in Africa, more than one rhinoceros is killed every day. And we haven't even touched on how wood consumption is devastating tropical forests.

It would be easy to put all the blame on the Chinese, except that in France we are living with only a couple of wolves, maybe a dozen bears in the Pyrenees, and the rare lynx. To act sustainably, it is not only important to educate the populations in concerned regions in Africa or Asia, but also to accompany Chinese youth in an environmental dynamic to increase awareness of the impact of their country on the ecological future of our planet. These youth will then be capable of becoming leaders in world conservation, with positive effects in their country as well as the rest of the world.

Eco-Sys Action, of which I am the ambassador, strives to respond to this double necessity. Several projects have been undertaken in this sense. The Eco-Sys Action Football Cup (EAFC) in Beijing which met with great success (see the poster that surprised everyone and resulted in numerous questions from parents and children) is an example. I can assure you that my Chinese friends only ask to learn and to move their country to the front of the environmental scene. Eco-Sys Action also supports a number of projects with organizations that prioritize educational, social, and economic activities, such as Awely, des Eléphants et des Hommes, the Snow Leopard Trust, Action for Cheetahs in Kenya, Lion Guardians, etc.

And new technology? Well, it can help spread positive messages, link projects, and connect activities with youth as a common denominator. It's at this participative speed that a better balance can be reached and several critically endangered species can be saved.