What animals are thinking and feeling, and why it should matter | Carl Safina | TEDxMidAtlantic

Carl Safina takes us inside the lives and minds of animals around the world, witnessing their profound capacity for perception, thought and emotion, showing why the word "it" is often inappropriate as we discover "who" they really are. And yet, we are wiping out the very animals we should celebrate; we are the flood coming for Noah's Ark. Carl leaves us with a difficult question: Do we have what it takes to let life on earth survive?

Carl Safina’s work has been recognized with MacArthur, Pew, and Guggenheim Fellowships, and his writing has won the Lannan Literary Award and the John Burroughs, James Beard, and George Rabb medals. He has a PhD in ecology from Rutgers University. Safina is the inaugural endowed professor for nature and humanity at Stony Brook University, where he co-chairs the steering committee of the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science and is founding president of the not-for-profit Safina Center. He hosted the 10-part PBS series Saving the Ocean with Carl Safina. His writing appears in The New York Times, National Geographic, Audubon and other periodicals, and on the Web at National Geographic News and Views, Huffington Post, and CNN.com. Carl Safina’s writing shows how humanity is changing the natural world and what those changes mean for wildlife and for people.

[mrhorsepower]

I grew up in the 50s in a violent household...my first memories of animal life were very special to me..there was fighting going on in the house screaming, swearing I was about 5 years old...so I ran outside and hid in the bushes so they couldn't find me...my heart was broken and I was sobbing..out of no were a bird landed on my leg I continued to cry, and it just looked at me..so I started telling the bird why I was crying, it's eyes never left mine...as I started to calm down I reached out to thank the bird with a soft touch and it never moved it let me pet it like a dog....when I stopped crying the bird closed its its eyes and flew away...sence that day I've always had a special bond with animals of all kinds...and very grateful that I do...i believe animals understand heart better than humans do.

[bolingorastafari]

Many years ago I had 4 dogs of various ages. One dog (a shih tzu named Snickers) was very elderly and totally blind. Another dog (an American water spanial named Charlie) was about 12 years old. He could see just fine. One day, I sat on my couch with a package of fig newtons. I called the dogs to me, and prepared to give each dog a fig newton. The 3 dogs who could see all lined up right in front of me. The little blind dog sat a few feet away and was facing the windows, at a perpendicular angle to me. I gave my little toy poodle a cookie, he almost took my fingers with that cookie, and ate it. I gave my pomeranian a cookie, he took it very carefully-so as to not hurt me and walked away and ate it. I then extended my hand out with a cookie to the American water spanial. He took it very carefully in his mouth. He walked over to the little shih tzu and placed it on the floor right under her nose, and she smelled it and began to eat it. He then returned to me for his cookie. He cared about the little shih tzu, and wanted to make sure that she got a cookie. He loved her. About a year later when she died of old age, he was severely depressed for 3 weeks. He barely ate, and moved around very slowly. I thought he was dying. Then one day, after 3 weeks he seemed to be okay again. That was an amazing demonstration of both love and understanding between dogs. Charlie KNEW that the little shih tzu was blind, and he fed her a very special treat before he himself had a treat. You can learn alot about love from a dog.

[moniquem]

This should be a required watch in first grade for every human on earth. Absolutely sickens me what we are doing to animals and earth. Thank you for this brilliant video.

[NothingMatterz]

We brought a dog home from the pound. He was scared, distant, refused to come near us. It wasn’t until I gave him a hug wen his behavior did a 180. He wanted another hug, nearly begging in high pitched breaths and whines. They do indeed have emotional and intellectual depth.

[harrietsand]

"Until man extends his compassion to every living creature, man himself will not know peace". Albert Schwitzer

[fretnesbutke]

I'm a retired zoo worker. They changed me. The utterly impenetrable mystery for me is why are all these radiant, sensitive and sentient beings born into such a brutal world? We humans are having an increasingly difficult time reconciling our conscience and morality with our arrogance and appetites.

[lj]

After our best friend died, her horse, Seeker, was given to my daughter and me. We all boarded and showed together. We could tell he was very depressed and verbally told him we loved him and would always take care of him. All the extra attention and care we gave him wasn't making a difference. Three weeks later, our farrier was shoeing him and asked if we had told Seeker what happened to Dorinda. She said we needed to do that so he won't be fretting and wondering where she was. After she left, I hugged his neck and told him Dorinda had died and wanted my daughter and I to be his mommy. The very next day, Seeker was back to his little tricks and antics. He finally knew what had happened to her and was ready to move on with us.

[debbiekalfas]

Many years ago I had the opportunity to visit an aquarium in Hawaii. Early one morning, I was given a private tour by the general manager before the park was officially open to the public. This gentleman had been in charge of the park for decades. As we walked around the park, I couldn’t help but see how happy the dolphins were to see this man. They were literally jumping out the water, doing back flips, basically dancing for joy at the very sight of him. When I asked the man if they always greet him this way. He smiled and explained that this was his first day back after being gone for several months while he recovered from open-heart surgery. From that day forward, I never doubted that animals experience the same emotions that we do.

[CaptFomo]

I can only hope his message sinks in to those who still don't understand that animals deserve to be on this earth just as much as we do.

[jamesmcgill]

I am grateful that I have more animal friends than human. I picked the kinder group on earth. I came from a violent abusive home and never really connected with people on many levels. I believe God gave me a bond with animals of all types to say "I haven't neglected you James I am here in my animals". I was lonely but never alone.

[danpt]

"What makes us Humans, is simply that we are the Most extreme. We are the most Compassionate, we are the most Violent, we are the most Creative, we are the most Destructive", We are the damn....

[Wayne-feed]

There seems to be a growing volume of people that are becoming more conscious of the needs of other creatures and prepared to take steps to ensure their continuity.

[Sophia.]

"Everyone deemed worthy to be saved on Noah's Ark is in mortal danger now and the flood is us"
On point.

[janicefitz]

Wonderful presentation.This should be shown in all schools. It's time for humanity to respect the animal kingdom.

[carolyncunningham]

I believe this is my favorite Ted talk ever. Thanks for caring.

[RasheedKhan-hexx]

I got a pup when I was 14. He saw me through high school, waited for me when I went to college, helped me court my girl when I got back, was with us at our wedding then thought it was such a good idea he snuck out and got married himself (he made the neighbor's dog pregnant). By the time he was 13 he'd slowed down a lot, didn't have full control of his hind legs and where he'd been a bit of a loveable ruffian he became the sweetest most loving old guy. Sleeping for hours at our feet, always ready for a friendly scratch behind the ears which he'd acknowledge with a lazy lick or a single thump of his tail. Then I got a job assignment - I'd be away for about 6 months. My wife was upset but we both agreed it was a great opportunity and I should take it. Maybe she shared her feelings with him I don't know. Anyway, there were a lot of preparations and a lot of activity and he could sense something was up. Then, just days before I was supposed to leave, my wife called me at work to say he had died. Quietly in the yard, under a bush he used to lie under. I didn't quite know how to react. I just got my stuff and started to leave, I needed to get home. As I was leaving my boss saw my face and asked what was wrong - I told him my dog had died. He didn't stop me but I could tell from his expression he didn't understand what was the big deal - its just a dog. But of course not he was my pal and I felt awful that I wasn't with him at the end. Later my dad came by and said something that has stayed with me ever since. He said "I think he knew you were going away again, like when you went to college. And he thought this time he might not be around when you returned. So he left first.". That killed me. Its been 25 years and I have tears in my eyes as I write this.

[thehowerd]

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace." ~ Jimi Hendrix

[benjiebenjamin]

When my parrot Guy, after 3 days of not talking as he was dying, on his last breath he said, "I love you", then exhaled. I KNOW animals have feelings even if they can't tell us...They have so much to teach us if only we would just listen...we are NOT 'top

[wellnessgala]

This video should be mandatory for viewing and should be shown in schools to teach our children...animals are far more than just animals, and humans do more damage than any other animal.

[sbmillward]

Just watched this again, 5 years later. It's even more powerful than the first time I watched it. Absolute respect to the speaker for his compassion and masterful delivery.