Nature & Environment

Attenborough - 'humans are plague on Earth'

By T.K. Randall
January 23, 2013 ·  118 comments

Image Credit: Felix Andrews The 86-year-old has spent a lifetime exploring the wonders of the natural world but out of all creatures it seems that it is ourselves who pose the greatest risk to the planet. "We are a plague on the Earth," he said. "It's coming home to roost over the next 50 years or so. It's not just climate change; it's sheer space, places to grow food for this enormous horde. Either we limit our population growth or the natural world will do it for us, and the natural world is doing it for us right now."

Sir David has long been a proponent of better sex education and voluntary methods for controlling population growth. "We keep putting on programmes about famine in Ethiopia; that's what's happening. Too many people there," he said. "Until humanity manages to sort itself out and get a coordinated view about the planet it's going to get worse and worse."[!gad]The 86-year-old has spent a lifetime exploring the wonders of the natural world but out of all creatures it seems that it is ourselves who pose the greatest risk to the planet. "We are a plague on the Earth," he said. "It's coming home to roost over the next 50 years or so. It's not just climate change; it's sheer space, places to grow food for this enormous horde. Either we limit our population growth or the natural world will do it for us, and the natural world is doing it for us right now."

Sir David has long been a proponent of better sex education and voluntary methods for controlling population growth. "We keep putting on programmes about famine in Ethiopia; that's what's happening. Too many people there," he said. "Until humanity manages to sort itself out and get a coordinated view about the planet it's going to get worse and worse."

Source: Telegraph | Comments (118)

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