Inspired by an interview with Jane Goodall, an primatologist, ethnologist and anthropologist in NEWSWEEK.

JANE GOODALL SAYS PANDEMIC IS DUE TO 'LITTLE RESPECT FOR THE NATURAL WORLD' BUT THERE'S HOPE FOR THIS PLANET YET.

You said recently that the "coronavirus pandemic was caused by humanity's disregard for nature and disrespect for animals." Can you explain more about what you meant?

We must stop talking about everything as it benefits us and start realizing that the reason for this pandemic now is because we have shown so little respect for the natural world, with destroying more and more forest and animal species being pushed together. Viruses spilling over from one species to another, which normally wouldn't [happen]; animals pushed into closer contact with people [farming], for example, another opportunity for spillover of viruses. And then of course, the animal trafficking and export and the number of animals that are being sold in these so-called wet markets in Asia, but also the bushmeat in Africa.

These viruses have been predicted for many years and [were written about] in the book Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic by David Quammen. People haven't listened; they haven't learned from the last SARS epidemic.