He has been world-famous as the citizen scientist who brought forth the mysteries of the universe to millions of people across the world, but what is less known about Carl Sagan is his contribution to protecting the planetary environment and enhancing respect for non-human species. The creator of ‘Cosmos: A Personal Voyage’ was ringing the bells of environmental destruction well before the green movement became mainstream and talking about global warming before it became fashionable.
As early as 1980, in the fourth episode of ‘Cosmos’ entitled ‘Heaven And Hell’, Carl Sagan eloquently described the ongoing destruction of forests with a casual disregard for the beauty and ecological role of, what he termed as ‘our cousins’, the trees, that could alter the climate in ways that were yet unknown. He voiced his fears about rampant destruction of the environment that had the potential to change the thriving biosphere of earth to a barren one like Venus. The footage of destruction of the world’s forests, aired in 1980, was in many ways ahead of its time. Subsequently, during his own lifetime, Carl Sagan had occasion to speak about the immediate and pressing necessity of protecting the planet’s environment.
Carl Sagan lobbied everyone he could – scientists, senators, clergymen and the media in his unrelenting endeavor to ensure that Planet Earth remained a habitable space for all species, including our own. In Moscow, in the erstwhile Soviet Union in January 1990, Carl Sagan presented an appeal at the ‘Global Forum of Spiritual and Parliamentary Leaders on Human Survival’ for a commitment between the two disciplines of science and religion on ‘Preserving and Cherishing the Earth’. More than 20 scientists, including evolutionary biologist and paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould, ecologist Edward Osborne Wilson, nuclear physicist Hans Bethe and former Massachusetts Institute of Technology President, Jerome B. Wiesner signed the document. Amongst other things, the declaration stated, “The environmental crisis requires radical changes not only in public policy, but also in individual behavior. The historical record makes clear that religious teaching, example and leadership are able to influence personal conduct and commitment powerfully. As scientists, many of us have had profound experiences of awe and reverence before the universe. We understand that what is regarded as sacred is more likely to be treated with care and respect. Our planetary home should be so regarded. Efforts to safeguard and cherish the environment need to be infused with a vision of the sacred. At the same time, a much wider and deeper understanding of science and technology is needed. If we do not understand the problem, it is unlikely we will be able to fix it. Thus, there is a vital role for both religion and science. We know that the well-being of our planetary environment is already a source of profound concern in your councils and congregations. We hope this appeal will encourage a spirit of common cause and joint action to help preserve the Earth.” (Source)
Throughout his life, Carl Sagan tried to highlight the fact that humans share a kinship with all other forms of life, both plant and animal, and in particular, were closely related to primates, especially the great apes (Gorillas, Chimpanzees and Orang Utans). In terms of what is now considered as animal rights, he was a pioneer much ahead of his time. In his book, ‘The Dragons of Eden,’ Carl Sagan espoused human rights for great apes by writing, “Chimpanzees can abstract. Like other mammals, they are capable of strong emotions. They have certainly committed no crimes. I do not claim to have the answer, but I think it is certainly worthwhile to raise the question: Why, exactly, all over the civilized world, in virtually every major city, are apes in prison? If chimpanzees have consciousness, if they are capable of abstractions, do they not have what until now has been described as “human rights”? How smart does a chimpanzee have to be before killing him constitutes murder?”
Given the fact that Carl Sagan made this observation in 1977 and that PETA (People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals), the world’s largest animal rights group, was formed in 1980 and the Great Ape Project that espouses basic human rights (Right To Life, Right To Liberty and Right To Freedom from Torture) for the great apes was formed in 1993, it becomes crystal clear that Carl Sagan was an animal rights visionary. In a review of the book, ‘The Great Ape Project,’ edited by Peter Singer and Paola Cavalieri, Carl Sagan wrote, “We share over 99% of our active genes with chimpanzees and gorillas. The Great Ape Project casts a disturbing light on how we have treated our closest relatives. It challenges us to reassess many of our ethical assumptions.”
The most potent testament Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan have made on our relationship with other animals is in the book, ‘Shadows Of Forgotten Ancestors’, where they speak about mankind’s relationship with all life forms, specifically primates. Carl Sagan was also a friend of the noted cetacean biologist Roger Payne, and was eloquent on the communication abilities of whales in episode 11 of the first season of Cosmos, ‘The Persistence Of Memory.’ Carl Sagan condemned whaling and termed it ‘monstrous.’ His fascination for non-human language led to the inclusion of the recordings of the calls of Humpback whales in the Voyager Golden Records that have been launched in space in 1977 and are now the most distant man-made objects created.
Image of planet Earth as a ‘Pale Blue Dot’, taken by Voyager I from the edge of the solar system on February 14 1990, which Carl Sagan described as “a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark”. (Image Source: NASA)
The most outstanding legacy of Carl Sagan as an astronomer and a scientist is ironically also a plea for protecting and cherishing the environment on Earth and treating everyone with compassion. His famous speech entitled, ‘Reflections On A Mote Of Dust’, which he delivered many times in his public presentations, is the most befitting tribute to him as an environmentalist. This speech is reproduced here in full:
“We succeeded in taking that picture [from deep space], and, if you look at it, you see a dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us. On it, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever lived, lived out their lives. The aggregate of all our joys and sufferings, thousands of confident religions, ideologies and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilizations, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every hopeful child, every mother and father, every inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every superstar, every supreme leader, every saint and sinner in the history of our species, lived there on a mote of dust, suspended in a sunbeam.
The earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that in glory and in triumph they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of the dot on scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner of the dot. How frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the universe, are challenged by this point of pale light.
Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity — in all this vastness — there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves. It is up to us. It’s been said that astronomy is a humbling, and I might add, a character-building experience. To my mind, there is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly and compassionately with one another and to preserve and cherish that pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.” (Source)
It is our duty, to imbibe the essence of this message and to be kind to each other, as well as to all forms of life on this planet.
Author:
Shubhobroto Ghosh is a former journalist with the Telegraph newspaper whose work has also been published in The Statesman, New York Times, The Hindu, Montreal Serai, BBC, Sanctuary Asia, Saevus, Down To Earth and Nature India online. He is the former coordinator of the Indian Zoo Inquiry project sponsored by Zoocheck Canada and has attended the Principles and Practice Training course at Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in 1999. He did his Masters thesis on British zoos at the University of Westminster. He has worked at the Wildlife Trust of India, TRAFFIC India and is currently Wildlife Research Manager in India for World Animal Protection. He has contributed to several books, including ‘The Jane Effect’, a biographical tribute to Jane Goodall by Marc Bekoff and Dale Peterson and ‘Indira Gandhi: A Life In Nature’ by Jairam Ramesh. He is the author of the book, ‘Dreaming In Calcutta and Channel Islands’ published in 2015.
Editors:
Sumbul Jawed Khan is a Ph. D. in Biological Sciences and Bioengineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, where she studied the role of microenvironment in cancer progression and tumor formation. During her post-doctoral research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, she investigated the gene regulatory networks that are important for tissue regeneration after damage or wounding. She is committed to science outreach and communication and believes it is essential to inspire young people to apply scientific methods to tackle the challenges faced by humanity. As an editor, her aim is to simplify, translate, and excite people about current advances in science.
Saurja Dasgupta is originally from Kolkata, India. He obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago, where he studied the structure, function, and evolution of catalytic RNA. He is currently doing his postdoctoral research at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, where he is trying to understand the biochemical milieu that could have given birth to life on earth (and elsewhere) and reconstruct primitive cells. One of his scientific dreams is to observe the spontaneous emergence of Darwinian evolution in a chemical system. When not thinking about science, Saurja pursues his love for the written word through poetry and song-writing (and meditating on Leonard Cohen’s music). His other passions are trying to make science easier to understand, and fighting unreason and pseudoscientific thinking with a mixture of calm compassion and swashbuckling spirit.
Illustrators:
Disha Chauhan did her Ph.D. in IRBLLEIDA, University of Lleida, Spain in Molecular and Developmental Neurobiology. She has post-doctoral experience in Cell Biology of Neurodegenerative diseases and is actively seeking a challenging research position in academia/industry. Apart from Developmental Neurobiology, she is also interested in Oncology. She is passionate about visual art (Illustration, painting, and photography) and storytelling through it. She enjoys reading, traveling, hiking, and is also dedicated to raising scientific awareness about Cancer. Follow her on Instagram.
Saurabh Gayali recently completed his Ph.D. in Plant Molecular Biology from the National Institute of Plant Genome Research (JNU, New Delhi). Currently, he is DBT RA at IGIB (New Delhi), and his research focuses on finding binding associations of Indian plant metabolites with human pathogen proteins, creating a platform for future plant extract-based drug discovery. He has a keen interest in data analysis, visualization, and database management. He is a skilled 2D/3D designer with a specific interest in scientific illustration. In leisure, Saurabh plays guitar and composes music, does photography, or practices programming. Follow him on Instagram.
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