People need to do their part to preserve rainforests and stop the rise of drug-resistant bacteria, according to Dr. Mark Plotkin. Otherwise, he warns, “Be afraid, be very afraid.”

He spoke in Roussel Hall Monday night. The Loyola Environmental Studies Program and the Audubon Institute invited Plotkin, an ethno-botanist, to talk about his new book, “The Killers Within: The Deadly Rise of Drug Resistant Bacteria.” He called this new epidemic “the greatest threat to our species” and stressed how important the preservation of rainforests is to overcoming this problem.

Plotkin began his presentation by showing a clip from “The Shaman’s Apprentice,” a film about the lives of the indigenous peoples of the Amazons and their reliance on spiritual healing. The film is based on his award-winning book of the same name.

Plotkin is president of the Amazon Conservation Team and has done extensive research in the Amazon. He told the audience that the world’s rainforests are where we need to look for new antibiotics. Biotechnology, he says, makes nature more important than ever before because it utilizes naturally occurring chemicals in a whole new way. The only problem is that people keep destroying rainforests, making this less and less possible.

After his slide presentation and a question-and-answer session, Plotkin advised the audience on how to beat the “super bugs” by washing hands often and doing most of the other stuff “your mother always told you.” Although Plotkin spoke seriously about drug resistant bacteria, he lightened the mood and entertained the audience by incorporating humorous stories, jokes, and even a cartoon into his presentation. “Never have I enjoyed the company of so many naked men so much,” he remarked at one point after he described the way one indigenous tribe performed a ritual dance after he helped them create a map of their newly preserved region.

Before he ended his presentation in time to stay and sign books, Plotkin urged the audience to donate money to preserve the rainforests. So many rich resources in nature have been overlooked, he said