CALGARY — During 50 years of researching chimpanzees in the wild Jane Goodall has learned a thing or two about the environment and she says it's time for Mother Nature to have more influence on decisions than economics.

Goodall says it's more important to think about future generations than to worry about the next shareholders meeting or someone's political campaign.

"Almost everywhere there are problems where usually economic influences are coming up against the environment and I think the problem here is looking around to see what we've done to damage this planet. It's pretty shocking," said Goodall, at a news conference on Thursday.

"We have really, really harmed Mother Nature and I don't know how long she will retain this amazing ability to regenerate."

The British researcher, in Calgary for a speaking engagement on Sunday, said she travels 300 days a year and isn't completely up to date on the environmental problems in every place she visits.

But she said is aware of Alberta's oilsands -- even though she called them the coal sands Thursday.

"Am I concerned about the coal sands? Yes from what I've seen," she said.

"On the other hand I've heard it is possible to get oil out of that environment without totally destroying it. It's something I have to learn about."

Environment groups such as Greenpeace and the Sierra Club have made a concerted push in recent months to have the impact of the oilsands displayed on the international stage.

The state of the downstream watershed in the oilsands is now being reviewed by a panel of scientists struck by federal Environment Minister Jim Prentice.

The panel is to report back before the end of the year.

Goodall isn't doing chimpanzee research any more and has been focusing on fundraising and on trying to eliminate the illegal and increasingly commercialized trade in bush meat, which threatens the survival of chimps and other animals in Africa.

"I think what we've lost is wisdom -- when I say wisdom I mean sitting down and making a decision and saying how will this decision effect our people generations ahead," Goodall said.

"Instead, what we do now -- 'how will it effect me now? how will it effect the next shareholders meeting or my next political campaign?' There are many problems and really soon it will be too late."