Sir David Attenborough has appeared on the BBC Radio 5 Live podcast What Planet Are We On? Where he says that the standard of living in wealthy countries is “going to have to take pause”.
The new podcast series, hosted by science, natural history and environmental broadcaster Liz Bonnin, will explore climate change issues and solutions, alongside interviews with well-known figures.
The first episode features Sir David Attenborough, who warns that to tackle climate change and restore the natural world, the excesses of Western countries must be curbed.
He explains: “We are going to have to live more economically than we do – and we can do that. I believe we will do it more happily – not less happily.
“The excesses the capitalist system has brought us have got to be curbed somehow. That doesn’t mean to say that capitalism is dead.
“I’m not an economist and I don’t know – but I believe the nations of the world, the ordinary people worldwide, are beginning to realise that greed does not actually lead to joy.”
Sir David suggests that if we had a more equal society, where “those that have a great deal have a little less”, “the natural world would begin to flourish again”.
Regarding the impact of COVID-19, Sir David said he was frustrated by how the pandemic has delayed governments taking action. He says: “It’s been a hindrance, we can’t pretend otherwise, it’s dislocated so many lives, it’s totally interrupted continuity of thoughts and arrangements and so on. It’s a disaster for all of us. We’re losing time.”
Future episodes of What Planet Are We On? feature Idris Elba, talking about climate change and food inequality, Lily Cole discussing hope and optimism for the future of the planet, and Jay Blades sharing his thoughts on consumerism and re-evaluating the products we buy and throw away.
Liz will be joined regularly by BBC environment correspondent, Matt McGrath, and BBC science correspondent, Victoria Gill, who both offer their own expert insight throughout the series.
A new episode of What Planet Are We On? will be released every Thursday from today (8 October) on BBC Sounds.
