>>> AS PART OF OUR ONGOING
PROMISE INITIATIVE THAT EXPLORES
THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE, WE
TAKE YOU TONIGHT FROM THE URBAN
JUNGLE OF NEW YORK CITY TO ONE
OF OUR PLANT'S MOST DIVERSE AND
STUNNING RAIN FOREST, THE CLOUD
FOREST IN COSTA RICA, DESCRIBED
OF THE JEWEL IN THE CROWN OF
CLOUD FOREST PRESERVES.
IT'S FACING THREATS FROM OUR
CHANGING CLIMATE.
WITH A RISE IN TEMPERATURE AND
ENDANGERING HUNDREDS OF SPECIES.
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY MASTERS
STUDENTS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO
TRAVEL TO MONTE VERDE.
THEY DOCUMENTED THEIR
EXPERIENCE.
>> CAN PRIVATE RAIN FOREST
RESERVES PLAY A ROLE IN SAVING
THE WORLD'S BIODIVERSITY?
>> THIS PLACE IS JUST ABOUT 15
SQUARE MILES.
BUT WE HAVE ABO 2% TO 3% OF
THE --
>> WHAT ARE THE KEYS TO MATCHING
ECOUTURISM WITH LONG-TERM
HABITAT PRESERVATION.
>> YOU HAVE TO BALANCE YOUR
CONSERVATION GOALS WITHOUT
RISKING THE INTEGRITY OF THE
SYSTEM YOU ARE TRYING TO
CONSERVE.
>> TWO SURPRISING CASES FROM
COSTA RICA PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO
THE POTENTIAL AND CHALLENGES
FACING THE WORLD'S PRIVATE RAIN
FOREST SANCTUARY.
>> BOTH JOHN AND JULIE ARE
STUDYING GLOBAL WARMING AS PART
OF THEIR MASTERS OF DEVELOPMENT
PRACTICE PROGRAM AT COLUMBIA.
PLEASED TO WELCOME THEM BOTH TO
US.
THANKS FOR JOINING US.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING US.
>> IT'S A FASCINATING FILM YOU
PUT TOGETHER AND THE STORY IS
FASCINATING.
LET'S START OFF WITH THE BIG
PICTURE.
WE OFTEN HEAR ABOUT RAIN
FORESTS.
THIS ONE IS NOWHERE NEAR
MANHATTAN.
WHY DO WE AS SOCIETY NEED TO BE
CONCERNED ABOUT RAIN FORESTS?
I DON
JOHN, ASK YOU FIRST.
>> WHEN KWLOE LOOK AT RAIN
FORESTS OF THE ECOSYSTEM,
THEY'RE THE LUNGS OF THE WORLD.
THEY'RE SUCKING IN THE CARBON
DIOXIDE.
A THREAT TO THE RAIN FOREST IS
IN SOME REAL SENSE A THREAT TO
OUR OWN LIVES.
>> WHAT GOT YOU INTO THIS?
THE TWO OF YOU, AS YOU
INDICATED, ARE INVOLVED IN THESE
MASTERS PROGRAMS, WHAT WAS IT
THAT GOT YOU THERE TO COSTA
RICA?
>> IT WAS DEFINITELY THE MELDING
OF CONSERVATION AS WELL AS THE
FILM PROJECT THAT BROUGHT MY
PASSION INTO THIS PROJECT.
CONS VISION, ESPECIALLY IN MONTE
VERDE, IT'S 3.5% OF THE
BIODIVERSITY IN THE WORLD, IN
THE 50,000 ACRES, IF THAT ISN'T
WORTH PROTECTING, WHAT IS?
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME OF YOUR
FINDINGS.
JOHN, SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT,
AND I SAID IN THE INTRODUCTION,
THREATS TO THIS MARVELOUS RAIN
FOREST, WHAT ARE THE THREATS
THAT YOU'VE FOUND?
>> THE MAIN THREAT, IN REALITY,
IS NEGLECT BECAUSE IF THEY CAN'T
FIND ENOUGH FUNDING TO PRESERVE
THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ACTUALLY
MAINTAIN THE BORDERS, HIRE THE
GUARDS TO PROTECT FROM POACHERS
AND LOGGERS.
>> IT'S SO HARD TO GET FUNDING
THESE DAYS FOR MAINTENANCE.
IT'S A LOT EASIER TO GET FUNDING
FOR RAIN FORESTS AND
CONSERVATION IN GENERAL IF
YOU'RE GIVING -- IF YOU'RE DOING
REFORESTATION, LAND THAT'S USING
FOR AGRICULTURE NOW AND MAKING
THAT INTO FORESTS.
BUT FOR JUST GETTING DONATIONS
FOR MAINTAINING THE RAIN FOREST,
IT'S HARD.
>> I FOUND THAT INTERESTING AND
INTRIGUING.
I SUSPECT, WHEN PEOPLE YOU TALK
TO, WE HAVE TO PRESERVE THEM, WE
DON'T CUT THEM DOWN.
BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT FUNDING
FOR MAINTENANCE, THAT MIGHT BE
SURPRISING TO PEOPLE WHEN THEY
SAY IT'S A RAIN FOREST.
WHAT KIND OF MAINTENANCE ARE WE
TALKING ABOUT?
HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THAT TO
PEOPLE?
>> FORESTS ARE AN ISLAND, A
SMALL AREA OF LAND SURROUNDED BY
SOCIETY, CITIES, TOWNS AND THESE
CITIES AND TOWNS ARE ALWAYS
LOOKING FOR MORE RESOURCES.
IF YOU WERE TO LEAVE THESE
FORESTS TO THEIR OWN DEVICES,
UNKEPT, IT'S INEVITABLE THE
COMMUNITIES WOULD COME IN AND
JUST AS A NATURE OF ECONOMICS
USE THE FOREST FOR THEIR OWN
BENEFIT.
>> AS WE'VE SEEN THROUGHOUT
HISTORY.
>> THROUGHOUT HISTORY, YEAH.
>> ADDITIONALLY, YOU NEED
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION, THE
PROGRAMS THAT ARE GOING ON AT
THE CHILDREN'S ETERNAL RAIN
FOREST, AT THE MONTE VERDE
FOREST, THOSE ARE EDUCATIONAL
PROGRAMS TEACHING THE
COMMUNITIES THE IMPORTANCE OF
THE RAIN FOREST.
AND IN GENERAL, THE COMMUNITY IS
NOT SEEING THE IMPORTANCE.
>> THE COMMUNITY NEEDS TO
UNDERSTAND THEY SEE THAT SAS
RESOURCE.
THROUGHOUT HISTORY, THAT'S WHAT
WE'VE DONE.
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE TO
RETEACH THEM.
>> IF YOU LOOK AT COSTA RICA AS
A CASE STUDY, FROM THE '50s INTO
THE EARLY '80s, IT WAS IN A
RAPID STAGE OF DEFORESTATION.
IT WAS IN THE '90s ONWARD WE'VE
SEEN A REVERSAL OF THAT TREND.
>> IS COSTA RICA LEADING THE
CHARGE IN TERMS OF PRESERVING
THE ECOSYSTEM?
>> THEY'RE DEFINITELY A LEADER
IN LIKE THE GLOBAL CONSERVATION
MOVEMENT.
ADDITIONALLY, THEY HAVE LIKE A
VERY HOT DEBATE FOR TOURISM
VERSUS SUSTAINABILITY AND
CONSERVATION.
THE COMMUNITIES ARE GOING BACK
AND FORTH WITH THIS RIGHT NOW.
>> IT'S WONDERFUL WORK DONE BY
YOU, AS I SAID, PROVOCATIVE,
HELPING TO TELL THE STORY.
GREAT STORY TELLING HERE AND
GETTING PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND HOW
IMPORTANT THAT ALL IS.
JOHN AND JULIE, THANK YOU FOR
SPENDING SOME TIME WITH US.
JOHN, HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THOUGHT I WOULD THROW THAT
IN.
BUT AGAIN, GREAT WORK FROM BOTH
OF YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
