“Only if we understand will we care,” primatologist Jane Goodall said. “Only if we care will we help. Only if we help shall all be saved.” A book my parents gifted me for Christmas as a child, Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, introduced me to this quote. Each night, I flipped through the pages that summarized the lives and achievements of various women who, in one way or another, changed the world. The one page I always returned to was Goodall.
Goodall died on Wednesday, Oct. 1. She spent the last years of her life advocating for environmental reform in a world growing desensitized to the clear signs of climate change. In the wake of her passing, students must uphold the ideals she fought for using the privilege and education GDS gives us. We need to educate ourselves about the climate crisis and take action in our everyday lives to mitigate the harm we do to the species around us.
In 2011, Goodall visited my preschool in China. After I met her, my parents told me stories of Goodall’s living with chimpanzees, and, over time, befriending them. It amazed me that someone could bond with an animal that I used to fear. Learning about her discoveries helped me realize that other animals are not alien. Chimpanzees use tools and form deep bonds between mothers and children—both things I relate to. Knowing about Goodall’s studies and work at a young age helped me see the world around me through a more empathetic lens, and this empathy opens my eyes to how much the things we do hurt the species around us. These species, whether they are adorable pandas or an insect that scares me, are not just placeholders or decorations; they are all key parts of the ecosystem that we inhabit and rely on.
“We are the most intellectual species to walk the planet, but we’re not intelligent,” Goodall said at the 2025 Forbes Sustainability Leaders Summit. “If you’re intelligent, you don’t destroy your only home.” Even if you are not interested in science, it is crucial to educate yourself about the climate. As students, we do not just live in a bubble of the subjects that interest us—climate change is a danger, and we are all perpetrators and victims of its effects.
Goodall’s distinction between intellect and intelligence is crucial. Humans have developed much of the Earth and learned to exploit a majority of its resources, but we ignore the negative impacts they will have on future generations. Every time I want to replace my phone before it breaks or shop from a fast fashion website, I think about what Goodall said, and I encourage you to do the same. Advancements in technology are impressive and convenient, but Goodall has taught me never to ignore the environmental consequences of the decisions I make.
My passion for climate science led me to take science teacher C.A. Pilling’s UL Environmental Science and Policy course. In her class, we learn about the natural aspects of climate change, such as the carbon cycle, but we also learn how humans contribute to the destruction of ecosystems.
“People that live in the upper socioeconomic strata don’t face the things that are going on in the ground, things that make their lives so rich and rewarding and easy,” Pilling said in an interview. “There’s someone in this country who’s living next to a coal mine.”
While students often do not have the same power as policymakers or school administrations, we can still make small changes to limit our contributions to climate change. Actions as simple as recycling your papers can, over time, substantially decrease the waste you produce.
We have no second chances at saving our planet, so we must encourage those who dismiss climate change to take action. We—as students who attend a well-funded private school that offers a comprehensive education and gives us access to many facets of activism—have a responsibility to use our privilege for good.
We must educate ourselves and others to save the planet, for we must understand to care, and everyone must care for us to make real change.
CORRECTION (Oct. 21 at 9:25 p.m.): The original version of this article incorrectly punctuated C.A. Pilling’s name.