A Life on Our Planet
By David Attenborough
Blurb
I am 93. I've had an extraordinary life. It's only now that I appreciate how extraordinary.
As a young man, I felt I was out there in the wild, experiencing the untouched natural world - but it was an illusion. The tragedy of our time has been happening all around us, barely noticeable from day to day - the loss of our planet's wild places, its biodiversity.
I have been witness to this decline. A Life on Our Planet is my witness statement, and my vision for the future. It is the story of how we came to make this, our greatest mistake - and how, if we act now, we can yet put it right.
We have one final chance to create the perfect home for ourselves and restore the wonderful world we inherited.'
All we need is the will do so.
Our Review
Sir David Attenborough is one of the most widely known natural historian’s in the world so who better to deliver this dire warning about the impact we are having on this planet and the creatures living on it.
A Life on our Planet: My Witness Statement and Vision for the Future is far more terrifying a read than any horror. Attenborough is well into his 90’s and by his own admission has seen some wonderful sights but he has also lived to see natural habitats destroyed and an alarming number of species become extinct.
“We humans, alone on Earth, are powerful enough to create worlds, and then to destroy them.”
The thing that impressed me most about A Life on our Planet is that Attenborough manages to walk the fine line between shocking us into realising the damaging consequences of our behaviour whilst also offering suggestions for how we can try to undo some of the damage we have caused.
“Many have called Chernobyl the most costly environmental catastrophe in history.
Sadly, this isn’t true. Something else has been unfolding, everywhere, across the globe, barely noticeable from day to day for much of the last century. This too is happening as a result of bad planning and human error. Not one hapless accident, but a damaging lack of care and understanding that affects everything we do…it could ultimately lead to the destabilisation and collapse of everything we rely upon.
This is the true tragedy of our time: the spiralling decline of our planet’s biodiversity.”
A Life in our Planet is well written and presented in a way that clearly outlines what is happening and why it is so catastrophic. It is set into clearly outlined sections and each one adds up to a fascinating and informative read.
Our Final Rating...
Read & Shared 80 Times.
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