A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future
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- Author：David Attenborough
- ISBN：1529108276
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Summary
See the world。 Then make it better。
'I am 94。 I've had an extraordinary life。 It's only now that I appreciate how extraordinary。
As a young man， I felt I was out there in the wild， experiencing the untouched natural world - but it was an illusion。 The tragedy of our time has been happening all around us， barely noticeable from day to day - the loss of our planet's wild places， its biodiversity。
I have been witness to this decline。 A Life on Our Planet is my witness statement， and my vision for the future。 It is the story of how we came to make this， our greatest mistake - and how， if we act now， we can yet put it right。
We have one final chance to create the perfect home for ourselves and restore the wonderful world we inherited。
All we need is the will to do so。'
'I am 94。 I've had an extraordinary life。 It's only now that I appreciate how extraordinary。
As a young man， I felt I was out there in the wild， experiencing the untouched natural world - but it was an illusion。 The tragedy of our time has been happening all around us， barely noticeable from day to day - the loss of our planet's wild places， its biodiversity。
I have been witness to this decline。 A Life on Our Planet is my witness statement， and my vision for the future。 It is the story of how we came to make this， our greatest mistake - and how， if we act now， we can yet put it right。
We have one final chance to create the perfect home for ourselves and restore the wonderful world we inherited。
All we need is the will to do so。'
Reviews
Dominika Kubová
，
An important message we all should hear。
Jane
，
Don’t stop reading because you think， “Yes， I know。 Our planet is a mess。” Keep going for the amazing vignettes from David’s early television work exploring what few had seen before。 And then， to understand what our precious planet is up against。 And finally， workable solutions that have already shown results or are full of promise or are ready to be scaled up。 We can do this。 We can gift this wonderful planet to our grandchildren and their grandchildren if we work together。
Lewis Mould
，
Incredible read， David lays out the impact that the Human species has had on the planet since he was born。 The writing is clear， to the point and unafraid of laying out the truth of our situation。 Even his writing is heavy with that voice that we all know and love！ And what's more everything is referenced to peer- reviewed articles， reports and conferences！ I will often read newspaper article or some books and ask well where's the evidence？ David gives it to you in a reference list and this make Incredible read， David lays out the impact that the Human species has had on the planet since he was born。 The writing is clear， to the point and unafraid of laying out the truth of our situation。 Even his writing is heavy with that voice that we all know and love！ And what's more everything is referenced to peer- reviewed articles， reports and conferences！ I will often read newspaper article or some books and ask well where's the evidence？ David gives it to you in a reference list and this makes the pedant in me so happy。This is a must read for everyone！ 。。。more
Robert Williams
，
What a brilliant if sobering book。 Stick with it， the first 3/4 are actually very depressing and you think there is no hope for humanity。 But then David explains how in a relatively short period of time we can transform the planet and our lives。 Makes you want to be a better person after reading。
Jordyn Aldred
，
I always enjoy hearing Attenborough’s view on our modern and natural world。 This book was phenomenal， hearing his journey through decades of human development and reading what his plan for our future should be was spectacular。I rated the book four stars now despite my admiration for Attenborough there is something about it that didn’t sit right with me。 Attenborough spends a lot of time showing us our human mistakes and I understand that I’m young so these mistakes are not wholly mine， but there I always enjoy hearing Attenborough’s view on our modern and natural world。 This book was phenomenal， hearing his journey through decades of human development and reading what his plan for our future should be was spectacular。I rated the book four stars now despite my admiration for Attenborough there is something about it that didn’t sit right with me。 Attenborough spends a lot of time showing us our human mistakes and I understand that I’m young so these mistakes are not wholly mine， but there is little acknowledgment for the amazing things being done by our younger generations。My only criticism is that we should look to what our younger generations have already achieved and what they plan to do before relying on our ageing and backwards population。All in all a great read that I would recommend to many， it’s a vital read for those who deny and for those who believe in the human impact on climate change。 。。。more
Tamara
，
This book was eye opening for me in regards to the state of this planet。 Authored by someone who has seen nature change over his 90 years of life on Earth。 I've always enjoyed David Attenborough's nature documentaries （especially the bloopers）。 This should be required reading for everyone。 This book was eye opening for me in regards to the state of this planet。 Authored by someone who has seen nature change over his 90 years of life on Earth。 I've always enjoyed David Attenborough's nature documentaries （especially the bloopers）。 This should be required reading for everyone。 。。。more
Paing Htet
，
The book that will change your thinking。
Jan Davies
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This man！ Love him， trust him， listen to him。 A journey of how the natural world has evolved during his life so far。 It is heart breaking in many respects but he does give solutions to right the wrongs we are making。 Read it。
Prakhar Prateek
，
David Attenborough has a single minded focus in writing this book， to save our species from polluting the planet to point from where there is no return。 After reading the book and looking at the facts you will be forced to reconsider your own priorities and hopefully make environment a top priority。This is a summary plus a review so it is rather long read。 You have been warned。He begins the book by talking about the Chernobyl explosion and how it released four hundred times more radioactive mate David Attenborough has a single minded focus in writing this book， to save our species from polluting the planet to point from where there is no return。 After reading the book and looking at the facts you will be forced to reconsider your own priorities and hopefully make environment a top priority。This is a summary plus a review so it is rather long read。 You have been warned。He begins the book by talking about the Chernobyl explosion and how it released four hundred times more radioactive material even when compared to Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs。 All this because of human error。Look at the years below and let the facts sink in that in a mere century what have we as a species done to this planet。Year 1937World population: 2。3 billionCarbon in atmosphere: 280 parts per millionRemaining wilderness: 66 per cent Year 1954World population: 2。7 billionCarbon in atmosphere: 310 parts per millionRemaining wilderness: 64 per centYear 1960World population: 3。0 billionCarbon in atmosphere: 315 parts per millionRemaining wilderness: 62 per centYear 1968World population: 3。5 billionCarbon in atmosphere: 323 parts per millionRemaining wilderness: 59 per centYear 1971World population: 3。7 billionCarbon in atmosphere: 326 parts per millionRemaining wilderness: 58 per centYear 1978World population: 4。3 billionCarbon in atmosphere: 335 parts per millionRemaining wilderness: 55 per centYear 1989World population: 5。1 billionCarbon in atmosphere: 353 parts per millionRemaining wilderness: 49 per centYear 1997World population: 5。9 billionCarbon in atmosphere: 360 parts per millionRemaining wilderness: 46 per centYear 2011World population: 7。0 billionCarbon in atmosphere: 391 parts per millionRemaining wilderness: 39 per centYear 2020World population: 7。8 billionCarbon in atmosphere: 415 parts per millionRemaining wilderness: 35 per centI think this Mahatma Gandhi quote succinctly describes our situation “The world has enough for everyone's need， but not enough for everyone's greed。” Human race forgot about this and environment paid the price。 "The great whales have been hunted for millennia by brave men in canoes using nothing more than a handheld harpoon。 To begin with， the balance of power was with the whales。 Not only did they dwarf their human hunters， but they were able to dive within seconds and escape into the depths of the ocean。 In the twentieth century， however， that balance tipped dramatically the other way。 We invented ways of tracking whales down and stabbing them with harpoons that had explosive heads。 Factories， some floating， some on land， were built that were capable of processing several giant carcasses in a day。 Whaling had become industrialised。 By the time I was born， 50，000 whales were being killed every year to supply anestablished market for their oil， their meat and their bones。"By the end of the twentieth century， mankind had removed 90 per cent of the large fish from all the oceans of the world。 Targeting the seas’ largest， most valuable fish is exceptionally damaging。 It not only removes the fish at the top of the food chain， such as tuna and swordfish， it also removes the biggest specimens within a population–the largest cod， the biggest snappers。 In fish populations， size matters。 Most open-water fish grow throughout their lives。 The reproductivepotential of a female fish is related to her bulk。 Large mothers produce disproportionately more eggs。 So， by removing all the fish over a certain size， we remove its most effective breeders and soon populations collapse。 In heavily fished areas， there are no longer any big fish。 If this was not enough insect numbers are dropping at a unimaginable rate。 Many of these insects are pollinators and important member of the food chain。 Some of these insects are hunters that are primary reason in preventing populations of plant eating insects into plagues。About half the planet's fertile land is farmed now and in most cases we have pumped it with nitrates and phosphates ， overgrazed it used pesticides on it and overburdened it with unsuitable crops。Our bodies had not changed significantly in 200，000 years， but our behaviour and our societies had become increasingly detached from the natural environment that surrounds us。 There was nothing left to restrict us。 Nothing to stop us。 Unless we stopped ourselves， we would continue to consume the Earth’s physical resources， until we had used them up。 If a day shall come when we would have consumed all of mother earth bountiful resources， it is us who will perish and mother earth will heal from the many wounds that we have inflicted on her。COVID-19 has brought us all closer。 We have all suffered regardless of our religion， gender， economic class or nationality。 If we want to not go through sucha terrible time again we should seriously consider the environment crises。 " At some stage， the situation may well be made worse with the emergence of another pandemic。 We are only just beginning to understandthat there is an association between the rise of emergent viruses and the planet’s demise。 An estimated 1。7 million viruses of potential threat to humans hide within populations of mammals and birds。10 The more we continue fracturing the wild with deforestation， the expansion of farmland and the activities of the illegal wildlife trade， the more likely it is that another pandemic will arise。" Let us fight for our environment if not some selfless reasons then for selfish ones。 Let us and our loved ones not suffer this terrible over and over again。 Not all are equally to blame。 The rich and developed countries in their race to achieve material prosperity ignored nature。 Even， the rich in all parts of the world are responsible for humanity's impact on the planet。 But our compass is missing an important element。 A recent review has estimated that almost 50 per cent of humanity’s impact on the living world is attributable to the richest 16 per cent of the human population。1 The lifestyle that the wealthiest of us have become used to on Earth is wholly unsustainable。 As we plot a path to a sustainable future， we will have to address this issue。 We must learn not only to live within the Earth’s finiteresources， but also how to share them more evenly too。 As hard and bizarre as it is - social justice is apparently a important part of the environment effort。 Equitable distribution of resources is a sine qua non for better。 Food security， availability of potable water， access to quality health care and education， opportunities for work， peace and justice， political and social equality， gender equality， affordable housing and clean energy are important components of environment battle。But all is not lost。 A new branch of economics environmental economics is focused on building a sustainable economy。 Green growth a concept of this economics， may come from making products more energy efficient or from transforming dirty and impactful activities into clean， low or zero impact activities。"In 2019， New Zealand made the bold step of formally dropping GDP as its primary measure of economic success。 It didn’t adopt any of the existing alternatives， but instead created its own index based upon its most pressing national concerns。 All three Ps–profit， people and planet–were represented。 In this single act， Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern shifted the priorities of her whole country away from pure growth and towards something that better reflects the issues and aspirations many of us have today。" Obstacles faced by society in usinf clean and renewable energy sources are discussed by author。"A second potential barrier is affordability， but this too is falling away。 The scaling up of solar and wind power has already brought the price of renewable generation per kilowatt down to levels that outcompete coal， hydropower and nuclear， and it is approaching the cost of gas and oil。 In addition， renewables are much cheaper to manage than other power sources。 Over 30 years， it is estimated that a renewable-dominated energy sector would save trillions of dollars in operational costs。 Many commentators believe that improving affordability alone will mean that renewables will swiftly replace fossil fuels。Perhaps the most formidable obstacle we face is the abstract force we might call vested interests。 Change is a threat to any invested in the status quo。 Currently， six of the ten largest companies in the world are oil and gas companies。 Three of these are state-owned， and two of the other four areconcerned with transport。 But they are far from the only ones reliant on fossil fuels。 Almost every large company and government uses fossil fuels predominantly for their power and distribution。 Most heavy industry uses fossil fuels for heat or to cool products in its production lines。 Most of thelarge banks and pension funds have invested heavily in fossil fuels， the very things that are jeopardising the future we are saving for。 To bring about change in a system as entrenched as ours is will take a number of carefully judged steps。 Those who analyse energy transition predict that banks， pension funds and governments will increasingly release their coal and oil stock， in an attempt to avoid huge losses。 "As the new， clean， carbon-free world comes online， people everywhere will start to feel the benefits of a society run on renewable energy。 Life will be less noisy。 Our air and water will be cleaner。 We will start to wonder why we put up for so long with millions of premature deaths each year from poor air quality。 Poorer nations that still have forests and grasslands could benefit from selling their carbon credits to those still dependent upon fossil fuels。 They could then build renewable and low-emission life into the design of their development。 Perhaps one day their smart， clean cities may become some of the best places on Earth to live， attracting the brighteststars of each generation。" To protect the marine life the author suggests that we create a network of no fish zones throughout coastal waters。 At present there are some Marine Protected Areas but they account for for measly 7% of the ocean。 These would allow fishes to grow bigger which in turn would allow bigger fishes to have proportionately more offspring which would repopulate the ocean。 We need to make laws that only allow fishing in a sustainable manner。We can practice regenerative farming which is an inexpensive approach to revive exhausted soils。 It includes phasing out use of fertilizers， crop rotation in which each crop demands different nutrient from the soil， crop rotation also reduces pest infestation， inter-cropping which means placing alternate lines of more than one crop in the same field。 This would make the soil more fertile and reduce and eventually eliminate the need for fertilizers and pesticides。Even in cities， we can promote the concept of urban farming （producing food from spaces that we already occupy for other purposes。As human prosperity grew with it grew the frequency with which we eat meat。 Though in India， average person eats only 4kg of meat but in USA the average is 120kg and in European countries somewhere around 60 to 80kg。Meat or even diary production requires huge expanse of land。 All meat is not created equal， beef production requires 15 times more land per kg than chicken and pork。 In the future we will have to to change to plant based diet and consume less meat。 This could also better our health。I am a non vegetarian， though I do not eat beef， I still consume meat and am somewhat responsible for incredible amount of land used for meat production。 I have thought about giving up meat and I think I'll slowly transition it out my life。An economic incentive for taking care of the environment。"Ecotourism， which enables all of us to experience the wonders that are being protected， can bring a great deal of income to wild places without significant impact。 Indeed， the more wilderness there isin the future， the more dispersed the tourists could be。""Each year， since 1987， an Earth Overshoot Day has been announced–an illustrative date in the calendar on which humankind’s consumption for the year exceeds the Earth’s capacity to regenerate those resources in that year。 In 1987 we were overshooting the Earth’s resources by 23 October。 In 2019， we were doing so by 29 July。""It seems that the best way to stabilise the population is to support nations that seek to speed up their demographic transition。 In practical terms， this means helping the least developed nations to achieve the ambitions in the Doughnut Model as fast as possible–supporting people as they raisethemselves out of poverty， building healthcare networks， education systems， better transport and energy security， making these nations attractive to investment–anything， in fact， that improves the lives of people。 Among all these social improvements， one in particular is found to significantly reduce family size–the empowerment of women。44 Wherever women have the vote， wherever girls stay in school for longer， wherever women are in charge of their own lives and not dictated to by men， wherever they have access to good healthcare and contraception， wherever they are free to take any job and their aspirations for life are raised， the birth rate falls。 The reason for this is straightforward–empowerment brings freedom of choice and when life offers more options for women， their choice is often to have fewer children。" These quotes would be fitting end to such a long and somewhat arduous read。"A revolution in sustainability， a drive to rewild the world and initiatives to stabilise our population would realign us as a species in harmony with the natural world about us。 How would it affect our own， individual lives？ In athriving， sustainable future， we would follow a largely plant-based diet， filled with healthier alternatives to meat。 We would use clean energy for all our needs。 Our banks and pension funds would only invest in sustainable business。 Those of us that choose to have children would be likely to have smaller families。 We would be able to choose wood products， foodstuffs， fish and meat thoughtfully， informed by the detailed information available with every purchase。 Our waste would be minimal。 The little carbon our activities still emit would be offset automatically within the purchase price， funding rewilding projects all over the world。""In losing our dependence on coal and oil and by generating renewable energy we gain clean air and water， cheap electricity for all， and quieter， safer cities。 In losing rights to fish in certain waters， we gain a healthy ocean that will help us combat climate change and ultimately offer us more wild seafood。 In removing much of the meat from our diet， we gain fitness and health and less expensive food。 In losing land to the wild， we gain opportunities for a life affirming reconnection with the natural world both in distant lands and seas and in our own local environment。 In losing our dominance over nature， we gain an enduring stability within it for all the generations that will follow。" 。。。more
Moon
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Inspirerend。 Erg fijn dat er concrete oplossingen genoemd worden， al worden de haken en ogen die daaraan zitten vaak achterwege gelaten。 De mogelijke toekomstige wereld die geschetst wordt op het einde klinkt in mijn ogen nog te utopisch。 Wat erg sterk is aan dit boek is dat eerst het doemscenario wordt geschetst， wat haast tot wanhoop drijft。 De oplossingen komen daardoor extra sterk binnen， samen met de hoop dat het toch nog goed kan komen。
Melissa
，
I really appreciated hearing Attenborough's story， and his fierce call to protect this planet that he loves so much。 I also thought the focus on rewilding our planet and investing in biodiversity as a strategy for investing in our own survival was relatively unique （and totally on brand for him）。 I liked the many different stories he shared， from very different types of countries， economies， and communities， about how they are embracing change and seeing the benefits。 BUT--there is a big angle t I really appreciated hearing Attenborough's story， and his fierce call to protect this planet that he loves so much。 I also thought the focus on rewilding our planet and investing in biodiversity as a strategy for investing in our own survival was relatively unique （and totally on brand for him）。 I liked the many different stories he shared， from very different types of countries， economies， and communities， about how they are embracing change and seeing the benefits。 BUT--there is a big angle to this book that I hate， and that's his focus on reducing the population。 Although he generally avoids overt racism in his talk about population control， it's unavoidable in the subject。 The focus should not be on reducing the population， it should be on reducing emissions （which he does spend a big chunk of the book talking about， and it's rightfully a bigger focus than population control）。 Population control misses the point that it's not solely more humans on the planet that are the problem， it's the lifestyle and economies of humans in rich countries who are doing the most damage。 If we address those issues （as he talks about in other chapters）， then population control becomes a moot point。 I hated to see that this was a focus of his。 I enjoyed listening to this as an audiobook--Attenborough is the narrator， and it reminded me of the joy I get from watching his documentaries。 Overall， recommend the book， just wish he'd left population control out of it。 。。。more
Charlotte
，
A deeply moving narrative on the climate crisis。 This book should be compulsory reading for everyone to fully appreciate how much we have shaped our planet in just one lifetime， and how we can restore it before it's too late。 A deeply moving narrative on the climate crisis。 This book should be compulsory reading for everyone to fully appreciate how much we have shaped our planet in just one lifetime， and how we can restore it before it's too late。 。。。more
Laura Scribner
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I’m always down to read anything by him， and it was very informative and well done， of course。 But damn， it was also depressing。 Here comes the end of the world。
M L
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A warning， an inspiration， and a rich sensory depiction of experiences few might engage， filmmaker Sir David Attenborough's words captivate and convince。 Blending history， observations of the natural world， anthropology， and autobiography， Attenborough informs as no other individual might do。https://youtu。be/Li5Xi9mIvDghttps://youtu。be/y1zeMH7Udp0 A warning， an inspiration， and a rich sensory depiction of experiences few might engage， filmmaker Sir David Attenborough's words captivate and convince。 Blending history， observations of the natural world， anthropology， and autobiography， Attenborough informs as no other individual might do。https://youtu。be/Li5Xi9mIvDghttps://youtu。be/y1zeMH7Udp0 。。。more
Chris
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A great piece of work that drives home the precarious situation we find ourselves in， while also providing hope in its discussions of what is already being done。 Definitely a reccomended antidote to the climate doomerism which seems to be taking a hold of society。
Higgs
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Phenomenal read and perhaps one of the most important books I've read。A call to action to discourage global warming， loss of biodiversity and deforestation。 And even potential solutions to them that some nations have taken on board。 Bleak future ahead of us unless a lot more damage control is implemented。 Phenomenal read and perhaps one of the most important books I've read。A call to action to discourage global warming， loss of biodiversity and deforestation。 And even potential solutions to them that some nations have taken on board。 Bleak future ahead of us unless a lot more damage control is implemented。 。。。more
Zane
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First part was sooo depressing and rightly so。 I don't have high valuation of humanity in general （and yes， I do understand that I'm part of it）。The second part was more promising and giving hope， yet my skepticism is taking over the optimistic views here。 Money and greed makes the Earth spin - to change that it'll take more than some part of humanity trying to make changes。"we [our generation] are indeed the first to truly understand the problem - and the last with a chance to do anything about First part was sooo depressing and rightly so。 I don't have high valuation of humanity in general （and yes， I do understand that I'm part of it）。The second part was more promising and giving hope， yet my skepticism is taking over the optimistic views here。 Money and greed makes the Earth spin - to change that it'll take more than some part of humanity trying to make changes。"we [our generation] are indeed the first to truly understand the problem - and the last with a chance to do anything about it。"I'm somewhat comforted by this thought:"We often talk of saving the planet， but the truth is that we must do these things to save ourselves。 With or without us， the wild will return"。 。。。more
Kaspars Koo
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Consume less oil and animals and more of whatever this guy is producing。
Jodie Johnson
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Amazing。 One of the best books I’ve ever read。
A。
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The world is in trouble。 We know that and this book affirms it。 But that is not ultimately what this book is about。 There is a roadmap here to a future that is not only sustainable but more satisfying。 Lift your spirits。 Read this book。
Erika
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I read this entire book in David's lovely， soothing voice。 I read this entire book in David's lovely， soothing voice。 。。。more
Patricie Ulvrová
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Tato kniha se nelehko čte， přesto je potřeba si ji přečíst 😉 Věřím， že se jednou nastolí zpět rovnováha mezi přírodou a člověkem。 Jen je třeba， abychom přestali těžit a brát a naopak dělali ústupky， které nás nic nestojí。 Za mě velmi povedený náhled na věc， nad kterou mnozí z nás zavírají oči。 Přečtěte si 😉10/10Citace z knihy: “Když ztratíme nadvládu nad přírodou， získáme trvalou stabilitu pro všechny nadcházející generace”。
Kim Barber
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This book is so important。 Read it。
David Baxa
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Should be required reading for everyone This book combines the author’s 94 years if like with his evolving understanding of our planet’s natural systems in a very approachable and succinct book。 It not only lays out our current critical issues associated with atmospheric carbon and human destruction of biodiversity， it provides a host of ideas about what we can do to address these before it’s too late。
Shez
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Powerful and much needed。 A shame that his message does not carry as far as it should。
Veronika
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Knihu bych pravděpodobně hodnotila trochu níž， ale protože jsem poslouchala jako audioknihu a opravdu mě nadchla interpretace pana Freje， musím dát plný počet。 Život na naší planetě je plný zajímavých faktů a donutí vás se hodně zamyslet。
Alfa Gama
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One of the best book I've ever read， from one of my all time idols One of the best book I've ever read， from one of my all time idols 。。。more
Roseb
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I was worried that this would be depressing， but it wasn’t。
Kertu Meldre
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"Homo sapiens always wants more。""We live our comfortable lives in the shadow of a disaster of our own making。 That disaster is being brought about by the very things that allow us to live our comfortable lives。""We often talk of saving the planet， but the truth is that we must do these things to save ourselves。 With or without us， the wild will return。"Informatiivne， mõtlemapanev， masendav。 Lugesin kaua， sest vahepeal puudus tahtmine seda raamatut kätte võtta。 Attenborough'l on olnud äärmiselt "Homo sapiens always wants more。""We live our comfortable lives in the shadow of a disaster of our own making。 That disaster is being brought about by the very things that allow us to live our comfortable lives。""We often talk of saving the planet， but the truth is that we must do these things to save ourselves。 With or without us， the wild will return。"Informatiivne， mõtlemapanev， masendav。 Lugesin kaua， sest vahepeal puudus tahtmine seda raamatut kätte võtta。 Attenborough'l on olnud äärmiselt põnev karjäär ning tema eluloo osa meeldis mulle raamatust kõige rohkem。 Huvitav oli ka tulevikuvisioon ja ideed maailma parandamiseks。 。。。more
Khuong Ngoc
，