But never before have I felt the pressure of this scrutiny as much as during those 14 days in June, when the survival or destruction of millions of creatures and millions of acres of critical habitat was decided by a small group of human beings gathered in one African city. Because, of course, it makes money. Policies are adopted. Forests stand or fall.
Elephants live or are butchered for their tusks.
Others believe that we should manage human affairs in such a way that the allowable trade in endangered species equals zero. Appendix II allows some trade within specified limits. Hundreds of proposals come up for voting. Many delegates change their minds during the conference based on their conversations with NGOs. Bleary-eyed and gripping coffee cups, activists from all over the world reviewed the successes and failures of the previous day and prepared for the major battles to come.