#LizzieReads
Sir David Attenborough is commonly known and adored by the nation as an aspirational journalist, focused on raising awareness and tackling the dangers the planet continues to face as a result of our damage and unfortunately, selfishness.
I’ll try not to turn this into an essay.
I haven’t watched too many of his programmes, but when I’ve caught a few minutes, I’ve been entranced. Like his accompanying programme, his witness statement within his book A Life on our Planet is an eye opener for us all, which makes us consider everything we are doing along with the consequences of our actions.
Sadly, he reveals the damage the human race has done and admits his generation, which is only a lifetime ago, has basically f*cked it for the next: all by a drive of capitalism. Let’s not get too political here, but it’s important, right? That isn’t to say the currently generation isn’t to blame, as all are becoming more aware of the impact we continue to have on ruining the very place we are supposed to call home. Burning her resources into her own atmosphere which we don’t own – well, that’s how I think of it.
And we can all do better. I can do better. I do my bit, nor am I perfect. I still drive a petrol-car, I get the bus (which uses fossil fuels), I live in a house that has emissions, I wear clothes that have no doubt been imported from another country, thus contributing to freight travel. Sound similar to you?
I also make a conscious decision to eat a little less meat each week, walk to places (which I’ve done for a long time), re-use my bottle and lunchbox, choose beeswax over clingfilm, buy locally or from independent shops instead of contributing to the world’s largest online store, ironically sharing its name with the largest river in the world which continues to be polluted.
It’s incredible the profound change that can happen in a short amount of time – good and bad. Think of the coal industry crisis: we soon found alternative ways to source energy. Conversely, whilst much erosion has happened to the planet and biodiversity (animals, creatures, living things), much good can happen. There is still time for us to reverse it (or at least make it better than it has been), but not much.
We just need more people to contribute and do their bit to help the planet thrive and become healthy once more. Governments need to act and enforce these measures to make effective change happen.
I got through the read by audiobook, where I was accompanied by his raspy, soothing voice. Within his book, he features images and diagrams to support the benefits of making change, as well as the results of our cursed actions. I won’t lie, it was pretty negative and difficult to hear the monstrosities our actions have had on the planet, such as heating the planet thus killing certain species, overfishing, poaching, using fossil fuels, human disasters… but, there are some elements of hope.
And the key which I already mentioned and a key driver for making change, is time.
Time is something we are all running out of.
Other countries are making it their prerogative to deal with change, so why can’t we?
Despite my views that it seems our planet is doomed, there is some hope. The swiftest gains can be achieved within only a few years.
There are a few ways to address this, and it appears that kelp is key. Kelp is king. It holds carbon dioxide in oceans which will thus help to absorb some of the toxic pollutants in our atmosphere that we have created, but as expected, this is one of only a few ways we can work together to restore a better life on our planet.
Oops. And there is my essay.
rating – Is it too harsh for me to give our dear David 3.5/5?
genre – non-fiction, biography, nature
Lizzie's Week 