This could be the latest book by Sir David Attenborough, now over 90, written in collaboration with his long term producer Jonnie Hughes, appropriately titled My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future. However, I felt this is an extremely optimistic vision that Sir Attenborough shared, while documenting the real challenges of the century ahead – social, climate & biodiversity.
I’d have watched with fascination almost all of Attenborough’s BBC Series, and read similar inspiring books, but this book, although almost with a “and everyone lived happily ever after” dream like ending, has a special meaning to me right now. With all the social issues all over the globe, a pandemic that refuses to be tamed, and merciless deaths caused more so by humans than anything else, it unhesitatingly points out to human greed to be driving the “great acceleration” to its abominal end.
The Stockholm Resilience Center has more detailed views & analysis of this great acceleration. The book evolves from 1937 & carries through his predictions 2100s.
The natural world is fading. The evidence is all around. It has happened during my lifetime. I have seen it with my own eyes. It will lead to our destruction”
When an eminent & devoted scientist says that, we got to listen! He marks that the richest countries in the world, EU, China, US that make us 16% of the total population, is the cause for over 87% depletion of natural resources! And yet, in the US we see the right-wing so called conservative politicians making their last ditch effort to decimate as much as possible. In Asia, China’s Wuhan lab miraculously let the Covid out of their bag while a large part of the rest of the world ignored science over their self centered intellect.
I cannot imagine how Sir Attenborough would think that suddenly the threat of global destruction, which has been looming over us for the past decade, would suddenly prompt more humanitarian actions by these so called rich nations. However, I think this book will echo within the more thoughtful & contentious younger generations.
While my current generation completely failed them with guns, mis-information, a failing education system & an eroding climate & natural ecosystem, we have no option but to leave it to them to fix. I only hope that they have the strength to pursue the extremely long road to recovery.