source: egypt2006.com

A golden-mantled tree
kangaroo — gallery

by Lewis Black on TDS

This is not about the -much talked about- sightings of (the awesome) Egyptian ladies at soccer games during the Cup of African Nations, nor the related phenomenon of the ostensible nationalism that swept Egypt during the championship and the subsequent euphoria resulting from the Egyptian team clinching the cup — as much cautious optimism as that inspired!

Rather, this is about the recent discovery of a myriad of new species in the rain forests of Foja Mountains in New Guinea.

I remember first hearing about this story, and feeling hopeful but in a very subdued tone. I remember thinking how odd these feelings were. First, I was puzzled as to why this discovery inspires any kind of hope at all -like a fresh start of sorts- given that it has at best a dismal effect on my day-to-day life. It seems like Klinkenborg was wondering about the same thing. He offers this:

It is something like a sigh of relief, a sigh that measures the bleakness of living in the midst of a mass extinction that we ourselves are causing.

and …

It’s tempting to say that what really moves us in the news of this expedition is simple possibility, the feeling that discovery is still alive, that the Earth has not been entirely trampled or paved.

Then you read things like:

What was amazing was the lack of wariness of all the animals. In the wild, all species tend to be shy of humans, but that is learnt behaviour because they have encountered mankind.

and …

One good thing about the discoveries is that their mist-shrouded “lost world” is very remote and can be reached only by helicopter. The place is not much use for agriculture and with any luck will escape the worst excesses of eco-tourism.

… and you understand the source of caution in your reaction — there is always lingering doubt (supported by plenty of historical evidence) that we, as a species are going to destroy every cubic inch of our environment, and subsequently ourselves. And every time one of these spots is ruined, or one of those species is driven to extinction, you kinda feel like a little kid who’d just broken a vase, and God going: “See, this is why we never get to have nice stuff on this planet.” Of course, you want to blame it on your brother, but you’re part of it since you’ve agreed to play.