David Attenborough speaks in parliament about climate change – watch live

like me into the natural world you describe the world and you showed the world and you explained things that were happening that were inconceivable to a kid back then you didn't talk about the impact in this relationship with humans very much for the except exception of your visit to the gorilla community but now you're playing a very assertive role in the relationship between man and the natural world do you think looking back on your career you wish you've done that earlier we didn't know we really didn't know fifty years ago it seemed inconceivable I mean it wasn't it conceivable that we could has exterminated species I knew the gorillas could have been exterminated as we not taken action and that's so but I didn't believe that we were that we could change the climate by human beings or worse that the changes that we have a country impose on the climate will be irreversible which is what they will be if we go on where we are but your role has turned into more of a campaigning role isn't it because you've been more you've used a position that you have to try and change behavior whereas you didn't do that back in the 70s because I'm not by nature and propagandist and I'm not even there I mean I started making that registry of programs because I thought there was nothing to see more and I would love to just be carrying on doing that and that's what I enjoy I don't you're looking at birds of paradise in this plane I enjoy Congress I enjoy these things and and I enjoy bringing them to people who don't have the good luck that I've had so that's that's fun but if you become aware of what is happening laughter what you don't have any alternative now fifty years ago we weren't doing on that and fifty years ago there were quite a lot of people who would say no no a lot of people saying that and if you don't work the BBC which of what I did and have done for my life we are in 50 years ago we were they also do one per day there was BBC in those commercial television and the BBC was a public service and if you are in public service you have to represent a public point of view and you can't use it for propaganda but - so therefore did you wait it for the public mood to change before we started becoming quite assertive with the impact that humans were having on the natural world not quite as easy as that I didn't wait for public opinion to change I waited until the fact seemed incontrovertible and fifty years ago the people who are saying protect the natural world weren't talking about the change the climate because that was not a possibility of having occurred to us we were talking about saving gorillas we were talking about saving giraffes and rhinoceroses and elephants and so on and that was perfectly valid attitude to take and but you you shouldn't be campaigning BBC is not a campaigning organisation the BBC has a responsibility to present problems to the public in a way which is the public cannot avoid all their issues that I mean your your series are between 8 and 13 episodes you know typically if you look back at your career are there issues out there that you've come across that unfortunately you just couldn't give a full episode to but you therefore haven't covered with regards to the impact that man that humankind is having on the natural world yes the style of television has changed that that's for the BBC's like that and the BBC has to react to changes in styles and so on and the 13-part series which life on Earth which you can't demand was one of the first which took a serious subject and looked at here over 13 1 hours there very few programs like that the BBC doesn't doesn't do that but it does individual and I do come I mean for example I mean at the beginning of the millennium I did a program on on population that was quite straightforwardly taking a problem which was not high on the public and informing about how many people can the world can live on planet Earth all the other issues like the plus the you cover plastics are there other issues like plastics which you don't think of on mainstream in the UK that you're chomping at the bit to get out there yeah well the plastic issue is a very interesting one but in the I've been going on about plastics but for 20 years because it is although anybody who swims knows that and anybody who travels actually surprised could see the horrors of what plastic pollution can do and I've been putting it in programs for four years and nobody took much notice of it and a new planet - it was a sequence it lasted about two minutes maximum I should say and yet suddenly for some reason which if I knew what the reason was I'll be a richer man like they say it rang a bell in the public consciousness I've never seen anything like it for 90 seconds or two minutes or whatever it was to have the effect that it had was absolutely extraordinary I suppose every every human being has a relationship with plastic so can it's relatable but if finally for me you've previously said that you don't wanna be alarmist and that sometimes talking about extinction is a turn-off for viewers how do you editorially get right the balance between education and entertainment i in a theory in a serious way i don't see any difference between education and if your educational and boring then you're wasting your time anyway and if you're entertaining but about trivial things then you're missing a great opportunity so the best programs in my book are those that do both those things simultaneously I started life on earth was there in order to the people should understand and delight him this is the fantastic story of how life developed on this battalion in 13 hours and they did that and they did that was what it was about I wasn't electioneering but at the end I had to say something about the future and I said what I said but but by and large I only wish I didn't have to make program propagandizing or arguing more or polemical I just wish you could people could look at them for the natural world for what it is and the amazing thing is of course that we now know that that's not as you do your work just entertainment we actually know that people depend upon the natural world for their very sanity and that in moments of crisis in their lives the natural world is the one place and the one climate in which they can get solace the natural world is profoundly important to us all and it isn't just because you're interested in or indeed something wildflowers it is much more from the practical point of view we are dependent upon the natural world for every breath of air we take and everything every mouthful of food will be eat but it's even more than that they also may also depend on it from our sanity and our sense of proportion thank you thank you thank you very much you mentioned to David that in the fifties nobody's really knew about it or talked about the link between human and climate change but I think an epoch moment for meeting was in the 1980s with CFCs and the link between you know the ozone layer depletes it the BBC then almost had unanimity it with scientists coming on saying this was a problem and it could be repaired if we disposed of those gases in a different way and changed a lot like that as led on this as you know do you think the BBC could have gone further and that was the moment when that link was established and maybe good more I didn't think it was only need for it to go further in point of fact because the those that those that understand and those were the hands on the on power were convinced simply on the scientific evidence it wasn't it wasn't put to the vote in the Mather other issues might be it was scientists inform people inform politicians could see they'd have to be done not only that but they also saw the solution which was to deal with CFCs and so it was never put to the electorate do would you like us to do to eliminate CFCs or or not because nobody never heard the politicians datak and the politicians did it and the civil service the government did it because they could see it was correct and had to be done and and that was one of the great and one of the great examples of the nations of the world collaborating in a set em'ly traffic sense that's an overstatement slightly but in in an informed power since it's not an overstatement people who scientists and responsible governments around the world saw what the problem was saw that it was incontrovertible and decided to do it they wouldn't put to a vote wasn't an electioneering proposition in the way that the problems we are now facing has to be in a Democratic Society Sir Patrick today we thank you for coming along this morning I add my thanks to everybody else as a presenter what do you think the challenge is for anybody working on communicating climate change to the public and politicians are is there a sort of a problem of sort of almost expecting the United Kingdom to be able to solve this problem when actually it's so much much bigger problem I don't think that anybody supposes that the problem is just UK i I think that the scientists british scientists have been absolutely foremost in the research and and in making clear that was it this country and America in particular have been very very active in studies of the upper atmosphere and it's there that the evidence lay and and so yes British scientists have been foremost and that's a matter of pride I suppose certainly the the CFC thing was was a discovery of British scientists working for the British Antarctic Survey would an organization of which this country should be very proud I mean we have a history of Antarctic explore a pillar of expiration second to none and that was a direct result of scientific research down on the South Pole if one considers what progress has been made in this country as far as recognizing the problem and the I think the general acceptance now across the political sphere that we've got problems that we've got to deal when we got to deal with as quickly as possible the government have accepted the 2050 target there are other organisations which are urging us to go a lot for 20-25 do you think those that 2025 target would be realistic or do you think the 2050 bigger is much more realistic I don't know in a way I would think that that is not the way of focusing the problem that we can be cannot be radical enough in tearing with this issue in some places in the moment the question is what it practically possible how come we take the electorate with us in dealing with these things because it costs money and in realistic terms I mean dealing with these problems means we've got to change how that started dealing with the problem that's going to cost internationally it's gonna cost money and so the the question is how fast can we go is how fast with us the most encouraging thing is I see of course is that the electors of tomorrow already making notes of themselves their voice is very very clear and and that is a source of great comfort in a way but also of justification and reality that these people young people now are recognizing that their world is what's the future I'm okay you know the next decade I'm okay and and all of us here are okay because we both meet men face the problems that are coming but in the problems in that the 2030 years are really major problems that are going to cause great social unrest and and and great changes in the way that we live in what we eat and how we live them and so on that's gonna happen I think it is fair to say that some 15 years ago there were probably a lot of people that were described as climate change deniers I think that number is significantly reduced over the past 15 years but there are still some people that would deny climate change and say this is a natural order the world has always changed the environments always changed and we're over panicking what would your response be to them I think that the voice of criticism and the voice of disbelief should be should not be stamped on in that sort of way it is very very important that the voices of dissent should be have a place where they're heard and the place where the arguments between the two sides can be worked out in public and detective analysed in public that's very important Lucien and I am sorry that there are people who are in power in internationally notably of course the United States but also in Australia which is it which is extraordinary because Australia is already facing having to deal with some of the most extreme manifestations of climate change there both Australia and America there are those voices are clearly heard and one hopes that the electorate will actually respond to those thank you interesting what you said to David about we can't go fast enough on this the only issue is what speed will the public except given the cost and changes to people's lifestyles one of the things that we're looking to do is a select committee working with other celebrities in Parliament is to set up a series of citizens assemblies to present some of the facts to people but also get them through a process of deliberation to focus on what needs to be done both at a national level but also in the way we live our lives have you had any experience of that sort of thing and do you think it could be a way of making that change as an individual level that is needed I don't know how you do it except that you do it that if you only did it from in one it would be very suspect you would think who was it wasn't who's trying to deal with that I mean looking at past issues like tobacco for example I mean if the only people who were saying evil what they were suppressed and that would be catastrophic so it needs to make sure that it has a cross-section of people yeah in it and from people from all around the country yeah the messages from all from all a from all ages and from all points of view everybody has to be convinced about this there will always be a tinier minority I hope a tiny minority that this is what we don't believe it and and keeping us focused on being clear ourselves as to what the problem is Thank You Vernon Coker thank you good morning mr. David this whole issue that you've been addressed in as well as other things about public involvement of perception and you made a very interesting comment I thought back we have to take the electorate with us or how do we take the electorate with us in the public engagement with yourself over the last few years in particular I think as as that public engagement with you changed in terms of what they contact you about cause it stays the same I spent it has been transformed and I don't I don't quite know why it is I suppose reflecting on it that there was a time in in the 19th century when it was perfectly acceptable for civilized human beings to think that it was morally acceptable to actually own another human beings a slave and somehow or another in the space of I suppose about 20 or 30 years the public person after with by the middle of the night of the 19th century it was becoming intolerable to suppose anybody can suppose that now there's a huge change in the public perception if you like in public perception of morality and I suspect that we are right now in the beginning of a big change young people particularly are are they are the stimulus that's bringing that about in which we are people our phony begins you are members the public are understanding the to cut plastic into the ocean is an insult to to have the nerve to say this is our rubbish and then we'll give you money and if you could spread it on your land instead of ours in the Far East it's intolerable and for some reason other young people see that very clearly now and that's a source of great hope to me and given that do you think those young people say in particular you think have enough opportunity to influence the decision makers and be involved with the decisions that are taken I mean you spoke very movingly thin dripping cop 24 recently about decision makers waking up in a sense to do this do you see nothing but opportunity for people to be involved well I certainly do I mean the mere fact that you've invited me here it means that you are well aware of what what the circumstances are and how important it is that you who make our laws to be aware of these things and that they elected to vote for you should also be aware and require you to to take advantage of these sort of thing absolutely so do you think Sir David that we're slow in reacting to that public perception that public change or to be polite is quickening up or speeding up or the politicians need to get a move on well yes of course it's so in the sense in an ideal sensing that one ideally would like if those of us who are convinced about it would like to say tomorrow we'll do something really extreme but that's not the way the world works and we have done and enough in in in in practical terms the practical effect that this country has practical as against theoretical or intellectual the practical is small the whole of the world has got to deal with this if we're gonna deal with it at all and we are in a position where we are it's a proud position to hold in that we have been amongst of the fourth forerunners over been doing attention to this worldwide and we are taking the rest of the world have many of other parts of the world following and some of them still haven't followed as we know but by and large and the movement is is growing and accelerating as far as I can see yeah and the protest movements have contributed to that change in the public perception and the pressure in a good way on politicians in a democratic society do you see trying to think of a way of putting - you see this change in mood across the whole of the population across the whole of the income groups across the whole of that you know the argument that use that you know we can't do this because which is the point I thought you made about taking the electorate with us if it's a choice between climate and jobs and climate and prosperity but young people seem to be pushing an idea that maybe we are going to put a pause on always expecting an increase in our standard of living I'm always increasingly expecting that do you do you get any sense of that difference between income groups if you like for once a better way to I think I think young people have a easier way of visualizing idealism idealistic views and of not being fully aware of some of the more practical consequences that those of us who would live now the longer know that it is quite easy little to it to formulate to stay idealism but it does come as of cost and but I think young people are sufficiently convinced of it to hold that to their beliefs and will hold us to account yep thank you very much thank you until a sandwich thank you and sir David the UN state state of nature of the UN nature report indicated that a million species are in effect under threat from human activity do you think that's linked to climate change or is it also linked to other factors like like population growth yes both those things are having a great effect on the natural world certainly population growth is and the reasons that there are problems in Africa the population growth is particularly funny in era in Africa and if you if you traveler through over the Great Plains where all these wonderful people live you realize when when you're getting there that you're driving through a lot of human habitation there are lots of people and around the margins of the great national parks there are people who want land and as there are many of the people are live on directly and from the land that is their salvation they why should those animals eat when we are starving so yes there's a huge compliment between that between population goats and so you'd agree with the sonority that there is that an ecological emergency you also spoke about how our connection with nature has a profound impact on a man as it were so what do you think the most significant way is that the changes in the natural world are now affecting the human world well they affect another point of view they're affecting your son increasingly so in where are we getting our flu phone we depend upon the novel world for food and we've even thought that our man told me recently that the oceans there were infinitely large and we could actually always get enough food to feed us at least from the sea that's not so if you look back at the history I mean there was one sort of the card that the herring in the 1830 century which existed in the North in the North Sea and in men's quantities and you couldn't believe that whether human beings would have any effect of we effectively exterminator the cotton that was also up in the North Sea that's gone everything and so you started fishing your new friends under than where were the great fishing grounds of the North American waters they are now gone and so simply we are now catching the fish in order to grind it up in order to feed it to farm fish and they kind of go on and we are going to have to look for new sources of food we really are in unless we do something about population someone says I mean it's an old joke someone said you know if you believed that you could have infinite growth in the finite situation you are either an economist or a madman given that the government has now introduced the net zero target or legislated for it in in the UK how do you think that net zero target could benefit habitats that you've visited and the species that live in them which which target is that the net zero the Colorado cheering yeah well it gives us it gives a measurement a calibration a target to see where we're going and what we're aiming at which is measurable and that's the advantage of it because the problem we're dealing with is so pervasive that you but you can't just say we're winning here or we're losing there you have to you have to make a summation of it in some way and the and the zero growth in world temperatures provides us with that with that with that measurement in a way it's not as dramatically a one as one might wish because people might say why don't I half degrees a couple since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution ridiculous you know and we think we can do it we can't because of course that is an avenue to deal with with the hives of the road and you spoke about the soil depletion and I think threat to insect why that will affect our our food production but in terms of preserving the habitat sleeve that that you've seen and some of the environments that are perhaps not in the UK how how do you what do you would you say to constituents about how they would benefit economically and socially from preservation of habitats that may be a long way outside their local park or their nearby Forestry Commission site well of course if they're a long way they are beyond our jurisdiction anyway and you may say well we can help through subsidies we can help encourage seeps internationally and I think we should and I wouldn't be surprised if people were quite as critical as you suggest they might be and then the way it's rather strange that people should care about gorillas but but they do and in that series which you mentioned when I showed gorillas and was then subsequently able of mounting derivatives and was then subsequently segment but there have been reduced in numbers were the public really responded I mean responded money and it's one of the one of the encouraging things to say in a rather discouraging world that in fact they're now twice as many mountain gorillas in in that area than there were when I first made that film and when you say that people's eyes light up I mean they are pleased yeah and it and they aren't so parochial as to say I don't give a damn about elephants they clearly do and thank goodness they do and and it's it's um that's at least some thing you can put the credit of the human race thank you thank you sue then jury David do you think the UK is still showing world leadership when it comes to tackling climate change do I think the UK is still showing still showing world leadership when it comes to tackling climate I think I think our record has been pretty good and actually it has historical roots and so it should have because of the fact who who started the public this commentators it was the Industrial Revolution that this started here and what was the Industrial Revolution the Industrial Revolution was based on burning coal in in the late 18th early 19th century and and we as it were started the problems and if we are now taking a lead in in solution in solving the problems well that's only has brightened responsible others to do it in Scotland the Scottish government upset world-leading target 20:45 to be carbon neutral do you think that's important and who does Yuki action and ambition affect target and policy settings in other countries could it how does it affect policy and target settings and other countries well in theory it is in theory the countries of the of the world in cop21 in Paris made that agreement that they would theirs there is a somebody with draw of course as we know or threatened withdrawn occurs the United States as I understand it you like to say to actually is still bound by it by the agreement they made there and hasn't yet been able to do of the legal processes to contradict them that to release them from those obligations of course Poland the president wants to do so and has said that he's going to do so and it's very very sad day away from succeeds but nations have become there has become an international recognition of the unity of the globe that didn't exist you know until relatively recently in our history United still they have history of modesty about the fighting with our relations I mean it is not about Riemann's but the United Nations and the for them the League of Nations have been attempts to bring it around to solve things by other ways except by fighting and and now the United Nations is one of the foremost places where in fact all these things are being debated particularly with the calm process and and I remember walking out with the then chief scientist David Francis of this country walking out and him saying we've done it and this country and the people scientists of this country have been absolutely formers in bringing that to international attention so do you think the UK government's 2015 Net Zero target represents the UK doing its fair share of limiting global warming to one do you think the government's net zero target represent of 2050 2050 represents the UK doing its fair share of limiting global warming to 1.5% yes but it's a I mean it's not it's not a it's not an easy statement to have made and it's going to come gonna cost money I mean that's the the nub of it I mean it's not it's not just piety which anybody can express biased views it's actually a practical commitment and and I hope to goodness that we can achieve it must expire so from what you're saying you'd say that the UK saying of target 20:54 natal is a good thing to do and the Scotland setting a target for 2045 is also a good thing to do what do you say to those who can't who argue that UK can't fix climate change of its own because a bigger emitter is like China so why try why should we do do these things very dismal pessimistic view of life to go through and say oh well we're not that we're not going to bother when you can actually when you you've done the arguments you've explained the argument that is absolutely essential it should be done essential if we are going to avoid massive social unrest apart from anything else massive destruction all sorts of systems and we say oh well yes we we have we have relations of the world in in cop in 21 have mapped out in detail a practical way of dealing with this and thank goodness of cover of carried the rest of the nations all the interpreters are greed to do it it's it's going to be difficult but to say it's difficult therefore we won't try it's not these is simply not acceptable okay thank you thank you very much and Mark or sir Sir David I want to follow on the points of Vernon coca made really which is the impact on our prosperity of the changes that you're arguing we should make and where the Business Committee as well as being the Energy Committee and so we're very interested in the the competitiveness and the ability of British industry and British map manufacturers to create the jobs and the prosperity that this continues do you think that we've got contradictory objectives here if we want to increase prosperity at the same time as deal with the issue affecting our climate there are also huge opportunities of development huge opportunity of getting things right and benefiting as a consequence and I have been speaking recently various into start for example and and with the international financial body is and it's clear to them that actually this is an opportunity to get things right this is an opportunity to make big profits this is an opportunity in which innovative new systems and if we are ahead of the game we will benefit as a consequence but and do people understand these lifestyle changes that they need to make let's take air travel for example an aerospace is a big and important industry in the UK we're expanding our airports do you think people are willing and ready to reduce the number of flights they make for example in order to achieve the changes that we're arguing for but they won't they won't don't can't believe they were just to be happy to say oh it's I don't care I'm just going ahead there's a way of course in which those empowers as it is influenced how many people take it and that's an economic take you were just the price to to the various restrictions that you have so you would argue that air travel should become more expensive yesterday I think one way of reducing these things is to count the cost of what it what it is air travel costs in real terms in terms of the environment and if you cost that you would see that the tickets are extraordinary team and should we reduce people's expectation of being able to make a couple of flights every year to to Spain or France or on holiday day do you think we should restrict that in some way I don't know how you would restrict it other than other than economically and is that not going to affect those who are less able to pay is there an equality issue Mary are you happy I'm afraid that that is the case and our people guilty of tokenism I mean we're talking for example people who make an effort to use less plastic but is that really going to have a significant impact on changing our climate or people just going to or maybe say well I'll take one less hot overseas like do people really understand the changes that they're there they will have to make in their lifestyle I don't know the answer to that but I don't know how else you would actually transfer it into practical ability into practical life except we're putting that yeah I mean you put the economic factor into it of course it would be nice to think that that we were also putting the the theoretical argument which he outlined which is that we shouldn't be all rubbish I mean I certainly worry the job I do involves me troubling I have traveled by air only too frequently in the last six months in order to make program some of them programs about the very subject that we're talking about which is about daresay a paradox but but certainly we can't have to go that the the long-term solution is that you you work out a way of powering aeroplanes electrically and that's already that's already practical practical and if you can actually translate that so that we in a Air Transport becomes non polluting then that's the way out yeah tolerable source okay if people do have to change their lifestyles and it being slightly less well-off perhaps enjoying their life life slightly less because they're able to travel as much do you think there's a backlash I mean you changed you spoke very convincingly about the change in attitude of young people do you think they're as politicians where we are rewarded for economic growth or helping people be better off and you're arguing that we should be looking to restrict nothing someone is that is there a danger I'm arguing that unless we do restrict it to some to be they're going to have a much bigger and more serious collapse thank you Jim thank you Alberto oh sorry Stephen could you know what mark palsy say because one of the concerns I've got is that there's such a little level of engagement our practical level in terms of what lifestyle changes will be asked of people that when there is a dawning realization of what these changes might mean in terms of lifestyle that there will be a negative reaction does that concern you and what message would you give the government in terms of engaging with people at the practical level of what lifestyle changes are necessary well certainly and so what you're really open the the public oh you're opening now is is a very serious one we are not we are if we if the world climate change goes on as it is we are going to be facing huge problems with immigration after a large parts of Africa will become even and we there's going to be major upsets in the balance between national boundaries and what President Trump is doing about Mexico I'm indeed what the rest of Europe is doing about people coming from Africa now those kind of problems are going to grow inexorably and we're going to have to decide what we can do about it and I don't think I know the answer to that but I don't that's that's for the future but that's gonna happen but you you think that government should engage with people more widely to illustrate what these lifestyle changes that will be necessary our part in relation to the changes I think that an awareness of what the problems are inevitably a part of the arguments that are about respecting temperature rise yeah yeah and I think the more micro level these lifestyle changes are us things stand the more the public will embrace them that is hope I mean one can only hope the answer to problems is understanding thank you so David you said recently at Davos and I quote selectively here we can create a world of clean air and water unlimited energy and fish stocks that we can sustain as well into the future but we need to plan what is that plan what would you like to see governments collectively across the globe do immediately to address the problem possibly outline a plan in that sort of way what I'm suppose I was we should we should expose what these problems are we couldn't expose what we think solutions of them are think about the consequences I don't see we can do better than that okay so what kind of life do you think our grandchildren are going to lead you mentioned earlier this is not a problem for us that are in this room but for future generations I mean and can humanity address the impact of climate change in time so they have a decent life I suppose you have to define what you think about this and life must be bound up with in fact what your ambitions are as a human being and and that's a question of individual morality as to how you accept inequalities between human beings but you also mentioned that some of the larger countries in the world are not sort of pulling their weight at this moment in time when you refer to the United States that its legal obligations of cough agreements etc China is quite optimistic about the future a couple of years ago the Institute said there was no way we could reduce sorry that the temperatures wouldn't be reduced by 1.5 he's now saying it it can be done so what do the countries of the world need to be doing now so that future generations can look to us and say they're making a good job of it so that for our future okay the quick the question is you said that this should be a plan right you're not sure what the plan should be so let me ask you the first question to you was what had you seen in your long life of reporting there was stark that you saw there was climate change what do you think we should do now that could reverse that what should be done I think it is fair to ask you a question so that you can help us in our deliberations as we move forward I think we should be doing we should be investing encouraging industry to invest in new techniques to deal with the generations apart one of the paradoxes is power is screaming down upon the Earth from the Sun with no restriction on us at all and we can do it directly with no problem except we and to properly take advantage of that we have to make sure that we have gone ways in which we can store power batteries which weakens for power on a major scale and ways in which we can transport power without a major loss in of product as it were so it would be possible if we can solve those problems we can change the polluting problems of both Airlines and motor cars now we're on the way to that the the scientific knowledge known already there as to how to deal with the batteries it's on is is also there and if we can only coordinator method so much the practical methods in which we can bring about storage and transport of energy we have got a huge solution to a majority but a great number of our problems do you think we're making progress mmm you think we're making good progress well I think we probably are and I I don't know there are all sorts of suggestions have come through my poster maybe yours too of people who think that they know a solution in which way they could do one each one of those problems I have met quite a lot of people who are absolutely certain that they know how they could actually restore energy for example now I'm not a I'm not a physicist I'm not an industrialist I'm not an economist but and so I don't know what stands in their way I don't know where they where the hinges are but there are people who do understand that and I just hope they're getting on with him finally wheat and in earlier exchange talked about CFCs in the 1980s and there was a solution to that do you think the world now understands climate change and we can find a solution I want to finish my question on a line of optimism I don't know about the world of generalizations of that scale is beyond me and the even I don't really understand our society how do I know what people of all corners of this British society was thinking I don't know but all we can be on is talking about what we think are the sensible solutions to the problems that we also ought to recognize young people and there's many sitting behind you here have yeah you know giving us hope as well absolute some some of these Fester's school strikes etc yes given this ideal their idealism of the views is something that should be treasured and and respected and and let us hope they maintain it into their whole life thank you Steven can just but was saying I think what we're really trying to ask the team from us are you optimistic that we're going to be able to crack this problem of climate change I have no idea what the future hold I see no future in being pessimistic because that leads you to say them mmm watch like yeah and I believe that way of disaster lives so I feel obligation it's the only way you can get up in the morning is to believe that actually we can do something about it and I I suppose I think we can whether that is optimistic or not I don't know and whether in fact it's going to produce a results in love with no I don't know but that's the only way I can operate that I have to get up in the morning said something has got to be done and I will do my best to bring that about thank you just finish on this or this optimism little one that's why they couldn't not sure but Peter Kyle and I were just talking about the facts today you did it to our committee you've drawn the youngest audience that we've ever had and the serious points to it this is the fact that you as somebody who's worked for decades in this area the optimism must be that you've inspired a young generation I mean they're they're they're impacting behind you and that was the point that the questions that I've asked and others have asked about we have to be optimistic the challenge ourselves it seems to do better bit you look up with these young people here demanding that I'm sure they've come for us as well know that we're praying it is their futures their are our hands their don't inspire to do that I don't know what will just building on that and I think that's an important point that both Albert and Vernon make about the audience today and it's wonderful to see so many young people coming in because I care so passionately about this and certainly I was saying to you Cedeno before this session started when I go into schools in my constituency and I asked them if they could be Prime Minister for the day what one thing would they want to do and the answer comes back time and time again or issues around the environment and climate change whether it is stop polluting the oceans with plastic or reducing the number of cars in the local area because of the terrible effects of air pollution and I just wonder whether I could just use the audience for a moment and just ask who here thinks that climate change is enough of a priority and who thinks that government should go further who thinks it's enough of a priority today who thinks government should go further and further and faster on this lesson for all the politicians around this table and I hope that we will reflect that in the report that we'd be producing and that government will listen as well and I've decided to to everybody watching today you know keep the pressure up on us because as politicians we respond the public that's our job and if you tell us and tell us loudly and over and over again that this is your priority it will be for more politicians a priority and they would thank you for everything that you've done to inspire the young people and all of us as well today because you know this is for us I think has probably been the most inspiring session certainly since I've become chair of the Select Committee to have had the privilege to chair so thank you for everything that you do and thank you everybody for coming to a job today thank you thank you [Applause] and that's never happens either order order

Channel: Guardian News

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Keywords: attenborough, attenborough live, attenborough live feed, attenborough speech, climate, climate change, climate change 2019, climate crisis, david attenborough, david attenborough climate change, david attenborough climate crisis, david attenborough interview, david attenborough live feed, david attenborough parliament, david attenborough speech, environment, global heating, sir david attenborough, uk parliament

Id: rv3DPaMaS2g

Length: 59min 34sec (3574 seconds)

Published: Tue Jul 09 2019