Prince William criticises space race and tourism’s new
frontier
Duke of Cambridge says world’s greatest minds need to
focus on trying to fix the Earth instead
Prince
William: great minds should focus on saving Earth not space travel – video
PA Media
Thu 14 Oct
2021 08.48 BST
The Duke of
Cambridge has criticised the space race and space tourism, saying the world’s
greatest minds need to focus on trying to fix the Earth instead.
Prince
William’s comments, in an interview with Newscast on BBC Sounds, will be aired
the day after William Shatner made history by becoming the oldest person in
space.
The
90-year-old actor, known for his role as Captain James T Kirk in Star Trek,
lifted off from the Texas desert on Wednesday in a rocket built by the Amazon
founder Jeff Bezos’s space travel company Blue Origin.
The prince,
who was interviewed about the climate crisis ahead of his inaugural Earthshot
prize awards, said: “We need some of the world’s greatest brains and minds
fixed on trying to repair this planet, not trying to find the next place to go
and live.”
'Most
profound experience': William Shatner starstruck by encounter with space –
video
03:21
'Most
profound experience': William Shatner starstruck by encounter with space –
video
He also
warned the attendees of the Cop26 summit, where world leaders will gather in
Glasgow at the end of the month, against “clever speak, clever words but not
enough action”.
“I think
for Cop to communicate very clearly and very honestly what the problems are and
what the solutions are going to be, is critical,” he said. “We can’t have more
clever speak, clever words but not enough action.”
William
expressed his concerns about a rise in climate anxiety in young people, and
said it would be an “absolute disaster” if his eldest son, Prince George, was
having to talk about the same issue in 30 years when it would be too late.
“We are
seeing a rise in climate anxiety. Young people now are growing up where their
futures are basically threatened the whole time. It’s very unnerving and it’s
very anxiety making,” he said.
He added
that his father, the Prince of Wales, who is known for his longstanding
commitment to green issues, had a “really rough ride” when he first started
talking about the climate crisis.
William,
who was interviewed by the Newscast presenter Adam Fleming, said his late
grandfather the Duke of Edinburgh had started the royal interest in
environmental issues.
He said of Charles: “It’s been a hard road for him. My
grandfather started off helping out WWF a long time ago with its nature work
and biodiversity, and I think that my father’s sort of progressed that on and
talked about climate change a lot more, very early on, before anyone else
thought it was a topic.
“So yes, he’s had a really rough ride on that, and I
think he’s been proven to being well ahead of the curve. Well beyond his time
in warning about some of these dangers.
“But it
shouldn’t be that there’s a third generation now coming along having to ramp it
up even more. And you know, for me, it would be an absolute disaster if George
is sat here talking to you or your successor, Adam, you know in like 30 years’
time, whatever, still saying the same thing, because by then we will be too
late.”
He added
that his viewpoint had changed since he had children: “I want the things that
I’ve enjoyed – the outdoor life, nature, the environment – I want that to be
there for my children, and not just my children but everyone else’s children.
“If we’re
not careful we’re robbing from our children’s future through what we do now.
And I think that’s not fair.”
William
discussed his Earthshot prize, saying it was about trying to create action.
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