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We are trying to develop a community where photographers can come and discuss nature, wildlife and pet photography related matters. We encourage you to enter the forums to share, make comments or ask questions about this interview or any other content of NWP.
This article is Copyright 2006, James Morrissey, and may not, in part or in whole, be reproduced in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the author. The images in this article are the property of Daisy Gilardini and have been licensed to James Morrissey and the NWP Photo Forum for the purpose of this interview.
Editor's Note: A link is at the end of the page if you wish to learn more about Daisy Gilardini and her work.
Part III: The Environment
JM: You have been speaking a lot about the environment. What do you feel are the biggest impacts to your work?
DG: With my children's column I hope to sensitize the new generation and with the beauty of my subject – endangered species and beautiful landscapes – I hope to reach the hearts of adults and encourage little changes in everyday life which are necessary to achieve global behavior changes.
(c) Daisy Gilardini
JM: Are you involved with any environmental agencies?
DG: No. I am not an activist. I am more of an observer. I am so involved in other things that I simply don't have the time for that. In the past I have sent submissions to Greenpeace - but that was before I started working for my own businesses.
JM: You were talking earlier about the work you do with your articles for children. How do you feel that this contributes?
DG: Kids are much more flexible than adults. I feel that they can be influenced greatly. This is important. You cannot always speak to adults because they are too involved in their own daily problems. Children are living in a different world. Children see what is going on. They are so much more aware than we were growing up. The communication era, the web and the internet give the new generation more access to knowledge, information and communication. We have to gather our energies in order to change the destruction of our world. We must stop doing violence to our home. All the recent natural disasters, the Tsunami, the huge earthquakes, the floods are all the result of the global warming which is again the result of our disrespectful exploitation of the globe. I like to think that the planet is revolting against us and showing us that nature is undoubtedly stronger than humanity.
A perfect example of the problems we are presently facing and one the next generation will have to solve is petrol. In Europe petrol is extremely expensive compared to the States. It seems people only start caring about the environment issues when their own pockets are hit.
JM: How much is gas where you are?
DG: It is about 1.6 Swiss francs per liter…. This means....
JM: Oh, no! I can hear you calculating back there!
DG: Chuckle. Well, OK. That works out to be about 4.66 dollars a gallon.
JM: 4.66 dollars a gallon?
DG: Yes. You can see now why cars are so much smaller here in Europe. When traveling in the States I am always amazed to see how many huge 4x4 Jeeps are crowding the streets (even in the cities….) In Europe it is prohibitive to support such cars, and honestly, I’m glad about that.
(c) Daisy Gilardini
JM: So you think that conservation is an important issue. But you also think that people don't care until it becomes expensive.
DG: Unfortunately, yes. That’s the way it is. I think that major effort must be spent talking to the new generations. We have some huge problems out there that need to be fixed. I am always hopeful that the new generation, the children, will be more sensitive to the world's needs.
Another big problem is rubbish. We don't recycle anywhere near enough - in Europe or in the USA. However, I’m proud to say that Switzerland is one of the best countries in the world in recycling garbage. Every neighborhood has it own recycling center with containers for paper, PET, plastic, alimentary oil, car oil, batteries, iron, aluminum and textiles. I believe that each household should work on its own small scale by recycling as much as possible. In order to encourage selection and recycling of garbage some of the neighborhoods have introduced a tax on garbage bags. It's really very simple: You have to buy official garbage bags which are officially marked and for which you pay a tax. The more bags you use, the more you pay. All unofficial bags will be opened in order to find and fine the culprit who broke the rules. I think it's a very effective way to sensitize people… and once again but sad to say, it works because people's pockets are touched…. Unfortunately, our world runs on money.
If you are interested in learning more about Daisy Gilardini, you can visit: www.daisygilardini.com.
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