Mongabay is an outstanding environmental website. They do an excellent job of communicating where things stand with the natural world. They expose those that are destroying fragile wildlife and they celebrate the beauty of the wilderness that remains. The EthnoHerbalist is really proud to contribute this article about the fragile Nepenthes plants.
Mongabay tends to focus on southeast Asia – however, they cover wildlife issues from around the globe. Focusing on southeast Asia makes a whole lot of sense. This area of the world is blessed with outrageous wildlife, both in terms of species diversity and abundance. The forests are teeming with primates and the oceans are filled with exotic marine species. But, at the same time, the region is also plagued with rampant deforestation and pollution.
This is not an easy subject to navigate. Wildlife conservation in developing nations is a contentious issue, especially when foreigners are weighing in with their opinions and values. For example, clearly the citizens of Indonesia and Malaysia have the right to develop their economy. They are entitled to progress, just as we are in the U.S. and Europe. In fact, they are entitled to progress even at the expense of their natural resources, just as we have done. Yet at the same time, it is difficult for the world to watch entire rainforests converted into privately owned palm oil plantations. It is a tragedy to watch orangutans lose their habitat and become endangered. Mongabay routinely navigates these contentious waters and does so with excellent journalism.
