Jane Goodall Talks Her New Movie And Empowering Youth On Climate Change

World renowned primatologist Jane Goodall has for decades promoted conservation efforts -- and she’s not done yet, especially as humans contribute to climate change.

Goodall spoke about her ongoing efforts to protect the planet after a special screening of the National Geographic film “JANE” last month in New York City. The documentary, based on over 100 hours of unseen footage that was believed to have been lost, was released in limited theaters on Friday. The film, directed by Oscar and Emmy-nominated director Brett Morgen, was put together with 16mm footage rediscovered in 2014 and shows a young Goodall in Gombe, Tanzania.

Goodall, 83, warned humans are destroying the planet that all animals co-exist in. She said the biggest difference between men and chimps is the “explosive development” of human's intellect, “like sending people to the moon.”

“Chimps, elephants are way more intelligent than anyone used to think but it doesn't stand up to the intelligence of humans, so why is it that this most intellectual creature is destroying its only home?” said Goodall during a Q&A after the film’s screening. “It seems to me there is a disconnect between the clever brain and the human heart, which is love and compassion.”

Goodall is currently traveling around the world talking about climate change, conservation, pollution and other damages to the planet, she told International Business Times after the event.

Goodall stressed the importance of supporting, listening and empowering young people to “roll up their sleeves and take action.”

“They’re my greatest hope for the future,” she told IBT.

The Jane Goodall Institute is working with groups made up of individuals from kindergarten to university levels in 100 countries through its Roots and Shoots project, the primatologist said.

“Every group has its main message every individual makes a difference every single day and what choice will you make, what difference will you make,” Goodall said. “Climate change is still key, human population growth, poverty and unsustainable lifestyle those are the key issues.”

Jane Goodall As A Young Researcher In Gombe

Goodall, who had no training or degree, was sent by paleontologist Louis Leakey to learn about chimpanzees in the 60s. Leakey had been “looking for someone who had an open mind” and “monumental patience,” Goodall said in the film, making her the perfect choice.

The documentary shows Goodall at age 26 starting out her research in 1960. She’s seen searching, climbing and walking throughout the area to see chimpanzees, as well as waiting for long times in the heat and rain to catch a glimpse of them. Her patience garnered the animals’ trust and soon began to play and feed them, while jotting down her observations of the little-known mammals for the rest of the world to soon find out. Her research made headlines, while others tried to discredit her work for being a young woman in a male-dominated field.

Her mother’s strong support for Goodall’s love for animals was also visible in the film as she accompanied the young researcher to Gombe.

“I was very, very lucky to have a mother who was so supportive,” Goodall told IBT. “Being supportive is the key thing, whether you’re a chimp or a human mother.”

The film also shows Goodall’s interactions with Dutch filmmaker Hugo van Lawick, who was sent by National Geographic to document her work in 1964. The two ended up getting married and had a son, Grub.

However, the movie also shows some of the more difficult parts of Goodall’s life, including watching a chimpanzee community plagued by polio, as well as a subsequent war within the group after the death of Flo, a female chimpanzee with whom Goodall became close. Goodall’s divorce with van Lawick and her heart-breaking choice to leave her son in England for schooling while she studied animals is also documented.