Yesterday evening, I and millions of others watched the finale of Planet Earth II, the latest masterpiece to come out of the BBC’s natural history unit. The subject focus was on cities and urban spaces and it was incredible to watch the ingenuity of many species which have adapted to this new human influenced environment. Despite the success stories however, a grave message was sent to viewers, as examples were given of animals that have struggled to adapt, including a particularly difficult section of footage which presented hatchling turtles headed the wrong way on first entering the world, distracted by the light pollution that humans are responsible for. In the very last section of the episode, David Attenborough addresses the camera directly, warning us not to lose connection with the natural world.
It’s this connection that the future of both humanity and the natural world will depend. Surely, it’s our responsibility to do everything within our power to create a planet that provides a home not just for us but for all life on Earth.
Sir David Attenborough, Planet Earth II (2016)
If you haven’t yet watched the series (although if you are reading this blog post the likelihood of that is slim) it is still available on BBC Iplayer.
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