"Anthony Wall - The Eden Mission (2)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wall Anthony)

The booming voice of Ben Bellingham, Britain's most famous naturalist. Susan
stared in awe at the big burly man she had seen so often on television. His
curly hair and beard were redder than she remembered.

"Sorry for the delay," Bellingham went on. "But at least it's given you a
chance to dry off."

There was a ripple of laughter in the audience.

"Right," said Bellingham briskly, "down to business, the reason you and I are
here. The Eden Mission."

Gary and Susan exchanged an amused look--they liked his no-nonsense approach.

The naturalist continued: "For those of you who don't know, I'll outline the
mission's aims. Then I'll explain why it's vitally important, and I'll also be
talking about the young people who are joining in this conservation crusade."

Susan felt a tingle run up her spine.

Bellingham strode across the platform to a huge colourful globe. He spun it
vigorously and launched into his speech.

"Around the world, each day, at least fifty species of animal or plant
disappear for ever. By the year 2000, it may be a hundred a day. Some thirty
per cent of all land is desert or semi-desert--the Sahara, for example, is
spreading like an incoming tide--and more and more of the earth is crumbling
to dust. The sea, which covers nearly three-quarters of our planet and on
which we depend in countless ways, could become sterile."

Pausing, he took a sip from the glass in front of him, then added: "Who's to
blame for all this? We are. Human beings. Greedy, ignorant, short-sighted
humans. We're wrecking the world, robbing it, poisoning it, turning it into a
rubbish dump. Unless we stop--and start respecting nature--there won't be much
of a future for any of us ..."

Bellingham came to halt, as though he had been interrupted. After a moment's
hesitation he resumed: "Er ... sorry. This is sounding like a sermon, I'd
better get off my soap-box.

"The Eden Mission is an international campaign," he told his audience. "An
all-out effort to save the environment from further destruction. Throughout
Europe, America, Africa, Asia, Australia, teams of
conservationists--professionals and volunteers--are working in round-the-clock
relays. They have a tremendous fight on their hands, an army of enemies. Oil
and atomic pollution, acid rain, pesticides--now found even in Antarctic
penguins--the mindless felling of rain forests, whaling, the illegal wildlife
trade ..."

A deep silence had fallen over the audience. Ben Bellingham concentrated on