The NY Times today has an article on the rangers, gorillas and rebels in and around Virunga. Honestly, it should probably be about 3-5 times longer, though that’s almost certainly the fault of the editor. Now, if you want some nice world-view shift, go ahead and read this article from the LA Times on cell phones in national parks in the U.S. Reading the two back to back is stunning.

Virunga: “We figured if the gorillas can eat leaves, so can we.”

Yellowstone: “I’d love to get my pictures on Facebook tonight.”

Virunga: “I put her in my arms and just ran… I thought she was dead.”

Yellowstone: “One of the things that makes it [the most special times in their lives] is the ability to hear the splash of a geyser . . . and not having that sound drowned out by somebody having a conversation with their family back in New Jersey.”

Oh, America. Despite the whole cell phone / WiFi thing being unmeasurably unimportant as compared to the problems in Virunga these days, it’s another worthwhile thought exercise. Should hotels in our protected areas carry wireless internet? Keep in mind there is a specific policy against televisions…