The most admirable 3 words: I don't know.
1 Biodiversity in 1 Minute
This will sting a little, but I think it matters.
This week, dire wolves broke the internet, and we biodiversity builders could finally see nature in big media outlets, late-night shows & co.
But not everyone was amused.
Thousands of people posting and commenting about.
"Playing god"
"Not a dire wolf"
"Dangerous distraction"
"Existing animals don't get help because of them"
I am not saying that they are perfect.
I am not saying people can't write their opinion.
I am not saying only experts are allowed to discuss.
But nowadays it seems ok that people just write comments, posts, and have discussions if they have only read the headline of an article.
And I think that is not cool.
There is no shame in saying "I don't know."
I think we need to make that cool again.
And the most powerful 4 words right after that?
"I changed my mind".
If you are presented with new information, you should be able to change it.
That's a sign of growth.
I was very skeptical about Colossal (the company behind the dire wolves).
But turns out that they:
Make all their technology for conservation open-source
Already working with local communities, indigenous, economy of these places these animals should return to get holistic alignment
Fund nature conservation NGOs & scientific research
Help fight diseases in existing species like the Tasmanian Devil
Enrich genetic diversity in almost extinct species like the Red Wolf
Their website, this podcast and this podcast. Give deep insights. Or you can also read more pieces that explain reasons against this.
But I might change my mind again if presented with new information.
I don't know.
So, action for this week: No matter what you are currently curious about: dire wolves, fungi, sea slugs, etc. Take some time to read a book, listen to a podcast, read a scientific paper etc. Whatever floats your boat.
It will make the next discussion so much richer.
P.S. I am not perfect in this either. I write these lines to remind myself.
Have a wild weekend!
Best,
Oli
🎁 Herd Perk: Use “wildya10” in the Forkranger Shop. (They do epic veggie stuff)
📖 What I read: Deforestation and world population sustainability
🦸♂️ Biodiversity Builder who inspired me: Andy Cartier
📹 What I watched: The surprising solution to ocean plastic
P.S. Most ecopreneurs are underfunded, overlooked & overworked. Soon we launch a cohort to fix this. We only have 10 spots for V1. Simply hit reply if you want me to write you when the 3 question application form drops.