A Life On Our Planet: David Attenborough’s devastating but essential call to action
Book review: David Attenborough takes a look at how we have reached this moment of climate emergency and urges us to act now
David Attenborough: “We must not give up hope. We have all the tools we need.”
Just before A Life on Our Planet’s publication, its main author broke Instagram’s record for time taken to reach one million followers. Ask countless nature lovers, writers, activists, broadcasters and so on in the field, and he’d likely be cited as the most inspirational human being on Earth. When David Attenborough brings out a book, it seems ridiculous not to sit up and pay attention. When he brings one out in the middle of a global pandemic – that hits when our planet is hurtling towards a devastating new chapter of climate emergency – we should probably pay the most attention we have for quite some time.
Jonnie Hughes is co-author, assisted by the science team at WWF, and I’m heartened to see thanks given to those without whom this book would not exist. With books, like with the steps required to save a planet, “it is possible to achieve so much more working with others than any one of us can achieve alone”.