Ivanka Trump quotes renowned environmentalist and critic of her father in new book
First Daughter cites British primatologist Jane Goodall in Women Who Work - who responds with hope she will defy President and 'cherish our natural world'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.In Ivanka Trump's new book, Women Who Work, released Tuesday, the president's daughter includes a quote from Jane Goodall, the renowned chimp researcher and crusader for conservation.
“What you do makes a difference,” the quote reads, “and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
It was one of several quotes in Trump's book attributed to people who have criticised President Donald Trump or voiced support for presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. The reference to Goodall, 83, was also particularly timely, considering the book dropped less than a week after scores marched in Washington to push for action on climate change, a movement Goodall has ardently supported.
So, as the conservationist has done before, Goodall took the opportunity to make a statement. And give the president's daughter a bit of advice.
“I understand that Ms. Trump has used one of my quotes in her forthcoming book,” Goodall said in a statement provided to The Washington Post. “I was not aware of this, and have not spoken with her, but I sincerely hope she will take the full import of my words to heart.”
Goodall said legislation passed by previous governments to protect wildlife - such as the Endangered Species Act, efforts to create national monuments and other clean air and water legislation - “have all been jeopardised by this administration.”
“She is in a position to do much good or terrible harm,” Goodall said of Ivanka Trump. “I hope that Ms. Trump will stand with us to value and cherish our natural world and protect this planet for future generations.”
In a statement to CNNMoney on Tuesday, representatives for Ivanka Trump said Women Who Work is “not a political book,” and its manuscript was submitted months before the election.
“Ivanka has always believed that no one person or party has a monopoly on good ideas,” the statement said. “When she was writing this book, she included quotes from many different thought leaders who've inspired Ivanka and helped inform her viewpoints over the years.”
This is not the first time Goodall, a native of England, has spoken out critically about the Trump administration since the election.
Shortly after Trump won the presidency, Goodall wrote a lengthy post on her website called “Post Election 2016: What's Next?”
“Will Donald Trump, the President of the United States, be a different person from Donald Trump, the presidential candidate?” Goodall wrote. “We can only hope for the best, hope for a change of heart as he contemplates his tremendous power for helping to save our planet for the future - his youngest child is only 10 years old - and his equally tremendous power to inflict untold damage.”
In late March, after the president signed a sweeping executive order dismantling key rules curbing US carbon emissions, Goodall told reporters she found the order “immensely depressing.”
“There's no way we can say climate change isn't happening: it's happened,” Goodall said ahead of a speech at American University in Washington.
“There is definitely a feeling of gloom and doom among all the people I know,” she added in her first trip to the US since the election. “If we allow this feeling of doom and gloom to continue then it will be very, very bad, but my job is to give people hope, and I think one of the main hopes is the fact that people have woken up: people who were apathetic before or didn't seem to care.”
Goodall participated in the 2014 Peoples Climate March in NYC, and frequently voiced her support of Saturday's march on social media. An artist included Goodall as one of several massive cardboard cutout signs of notable figures for the People's Climate March in Washington on Saturday.
More than half a century ago, at the age of 26, Goodall immersed herself among wild chimpanzees is what is now Tanzania. Her observations that chimps had emotions and personalities, and could make and use tools, would revolutionise the way we think about animals and redefine what it means to be human.
Goodall now travels 300 days a year to share stories and lessons with audiences around the world. She frequently speaks about threats facing chimpanzees and environmental crises, urging people to take action to conserve wildlife.
Shortly before Trump won the Republican nomination for president, she told the Atlantic that in many ways, “the performances of Donald Trump remind me of male chimpanzees and their dominance rituals.”
“In order to impress rivals, males seeking to rise in the dominance hierarchy perform spectacular displays: stamping, slapping the ground, dragging branches, throwing rocks,” Goodall said. “The more vigorous and imaginative the display, the faster the individual is likely to rise in the hierarchy, and the longer he is likely to maintain that position.”
Copyright The Washington Post
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments