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Sir David Attenborough has said the ‘excesses the capitalist system has brought us have got to be curbed somehow’ if we are to save the planet.
The veteran broadcaster made the comments in the first episode of a new BBC Radio 5 Live podcast series called What Planet Are We On? …with Liz Bonnin. Every Thursday starting October 8, a new episode will launch on BBC Sounds.
Podcast
In a statement sent to Plant Based News, the BBC revealed the podcast, which is hosted by science, natural history and environmental broadcaster Liz Bonnin will ‘explore climate change issues and solutions, alongside interviews with well-known figures’.
Future podcast guests will include Idris Elba talking about climate change and food inequality, Lily Cole discussing hope and optimism for the future of the planet, and Jay Blades onconsumerism and re-evaluating the products we buy and throw away.
Capitalism
Sir David Attenborough was the well-known figure who appeared in episode one of the series. In the episode, the environmentalist warned that the excesses of Western countries must be curbed if we are to successfully tackle climate change and restore the natural world.
“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,” he said. “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 realize that greed does not actually lead to joy.”
David Attenborough
A broadcaster of many decades, Sir David has become even more prolific recently – joining Instagram in a bid to share the environmental message further recently, and becoming the fastest person to reach 1,000,000 followers on the platform.
He has also been busy doing promotional work for his new documentary David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet.
The film premiered on September 28 and is now available on Netflix in October. It covers the period of Attenborough’s life, outlining the defining moments, and highlighting how the environment has been damaged during that time.
One of the key messages Sir David has been sharing is that people ‘look after the natural world’, which he describes ‘the most precious thing we have’.
You can listen to the podcast here
