London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Sir David Attenborough says it’s ‘too late’ to reverse climate change

Sir David Attenborough says it’s ‘too late’ to reverse climate change

Sir David Attenborough has said it is ‘too late’ to reverse climate change and warned of mass civil unrest if steps aren’t taken to address the crisis.

The broadcaster and natural historian added that ‘the best we can hope is that we will slow it down and slow it down considerably’.

He made the comments during an interview with Channel 4 News.

Jon Snow told the legendary environmentalist an 11-year-old had written in to ask what the worst thing to happen in his life would be ‘if we don’t tackle climate change’.

Sir David replied: ‘I think civil unrest on a great scale, and mass migration on a great scale.

‘I think we will go on finding enough food, though it may not be precisely the choice that we would take freely.’

Asked if it was ‘too late to reverse climate change’, he said: ‘It’s too late to reverse it. Not only in my lifetime, but in the next lifetime.


‘I don’t think you can reverse it. I think the best that we can hope is that we will slow it down, and slow it down considerably.’

Sir David said it was ‘very difficult to detect real action in politicians’, adding that it was ‘really rather sad’ that the first climate debate among party leaders during an election only took place on Channel 4 last week.

He criticised Boris Johnson’s ‘shameful’ decision not to take part in the event, during which he was replaced with an ice sculpture, adding: ‘I don’t know what else he had to do, but it would have to be very, very important to dodge this one.’

When asked whether he thought the public would emerge from such a critical general election ‘with a better understanding of the need to change our ways’, Sir David said he doesn’t.

He said that the problem with short term elections was that politicians ‘think the issues facing the electorate are ones that are going to change their lives tomorrow or the day after, and those are the ones they concentrate on’.

Sir David said: ‘I don’t think things are going to get better. I think we can slow the degree to which they are getting worse.’

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×