61 pages • 2 hours read
David AttenboroughA Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2020A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Part 3, Chapters 12-14Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Summary: “Moving Beyond Growth”
Attenborough emphasizes that humanity must move beyond a mindset of perpetual growth and into a mindset that values sustainability. The first steps are to slow and eventually to halt the greenhouse gas effect that creates global warming; this, in turn, will allow biodiversity to flourish yet again, rebalancing the Earth. He recounts a list of actionable steps in which humanity can accomplish this: end dependence on fertilizers and other harmful environmental chemicals; stop intruding on wildlands with farmland; rethink the wasteful lifestyles of the wealthiest humans; and work to create a more equitable world, in terms of access to resources.
He returns to the problems of the Great Acceleration, which has led to “the Great Decline of the living world” (131). Rather than put emphasis on eternal growth, Attenborough argues, humanity should look toward building economic and environmental stability via the lens of “the three Ps”: this is a theory of the markets, introduced by a newly emerging group of environmental economists, that would “change the system so that markets around the world benefit not just profits, but people and the planet too” (131). This marks the shift to “green growth” rather than simple material growth (131). He points out that the Great Acceleration was made possible by leaps in technological innovations over time—among them “the advent of water power”; “our adoption of fossil fuels and steam power”; the “electrification of the early twentieth century”; and “the digital revolution” (132)—so it is possible to innovate for the betterment of humanity. In this context, it means only that humanity must turn its attention to the same kinds of technological innovation, but with green growth and the three Ps in mind.
Summary: “Switching to Clean Energy”
Attenborough points out that the advances to clean energy technology have far exceeded the initial expectations of the early twenty-first century. He emphasizes the importance of solar energy while also mentioning hydropower, nuclear power, geological power as alternative sources to fossil fuels. Investment in these “so called renewables” is inevitable if humanity is to halt the calamitous slide into the unstoppable consequences of climate change.
He argues that there are only a few obstacles to the widespread adoption of these renewable sources of energy. First, storage still remains a problem, though the technology here is rapidly advancing; second, renewables are still less affordable than fossil fuels. Attenborough argues, however, that “renewables are much cheaper to manage than other power sources” and that the costs of continuing to rely on fossil fuels is much higher, in the end (141). Finally, perhaps the biggest obstacle is that of “vested interests.” As he continues, “Change is a threat to any invested in the status quo” (141). Thus, large corporate interests and various industries which rely on fossil fuels must be given incentives to change. For example, Attenborough favors the carbon tax (see Index of Terms), as well as carbon capture plans (also known as CCS: carbon capture and storage). Most specifically, though Attenborough promotes a “nature-based solution” which, for him, “would be the ultimate win-win” (146). Rewilding the world would ensure that carbon is naturally captured, and biodiversity loss is reversed.
Summary: “Rewilding the Seas”
Attenborough first looks to the seas for his rewilding plans, in particular the fishing industry. He advocates the implementation of “a network of no-fish zones,” which would allow fish to grow to maturity, helping the overall ecosystem (148). He points out to places—such as in Cabo Pulmo, Mexico—where this process has worked: “After only 15 years, the amount of marine life in the no-fish zone had increased by more than 400 per cent to a level similar to reefs that had never been fished at all” (149). This repopulation creates spillover, wherein the marine life in surrounding areas also rebounds. Thus, there is more biodiversity, more health within the ecosystem, and more fish for humans to catch, sell, and eat. Attenborough also advocates a no-fishing zone for international waters. Effectively, this would make the open ocean “the world’s greatest wildlife reserve” (154).
In addition, he notes that methods of fishing are also impactful. Eliminating large trawling nets and other unsustainable methods in favor of targeted fishing would solve some of the problems associated with the industry. In keeping with the methodology of the three Ps, the way in which fishing is conducted should benefit the people “who rely on fish as their primary source of protein,” while keeping environmental concerns in mind—rather than focusing solely on profit. The people get to eat fish while protecting the planet, making a sustainable not limitless profit.
Attenborough also rails against the inefficiencies and unsustainability of most current aquaculture ventures. The problems with these ventures are numerous. Because the farms are overcrowded, diseases are rampant; the use of antibiotics and chemicals increases, which spills out into fresh and ocean water. The aquaculture farms also rely on “tonnes of baitfish which we remove from the ocean” in order to feed their stocks (155). There are also problems with non-native species getting loose and wreaking havoc on native ecosystems. He presents solutions to all of these problems, which have been implemented by a handful of producers: create more space for fish pens; avoid overcrowding the pens; vaccinate the fish rather than rely on antibiotics; feed them insects rather than baitfish; and create three-dimensional layers, wherein mollusks and other creatures live beneath the fish pens and feed on their waste (155).
Finally, he addresses the role of ocean foresters in rewilding the seas: these are people who sustainably farm and harvest kelp and other sea grasses, which are crucial to the success of various marine life, from fish and sea urchins to the sea otters that eat these animals. Instead of “overexploiting the ocean,” humankind can focus on how “to harvest it in a way that allows it to thrive” (158). This, combined with a hands-off approach in certain areas, will help revitalize the world’s largest habitat.
Chapters 12-14 Analysis
Attenborough focuses his attention in Part 3 to how humanity and nature can coexist sustainably, through the process of rewilding as well as the process of rethinking humanity’s relationship to nature. He argues near the beginning of Part 3 that, during the Great Acceleration, humans “moved from being a part of nature to being apart from nature” (125). It is this way of thinking that has convinced humanity that nature exists to be used—to whatever degree can maximize growth and profit—rather than preserved for the future not only of the planet but also of humanity itself. With his discussion of green growth and the three Ps (profit minimized in favor of the planet and its people), Attenborough presents an ecofriendly and people-centered vision for the future.
He also argues, throughout this section and beyond, that the solutions are all to be found in nature: “We need look no further than the living world itself. All the answers are there” (128). In this way, Attenborough emphasizes the self-healing, self-generating, self-sustaining nature of the natural world. He optimistically sees in the past the possibilities for the future. Nature has always self-corrected; now, humanity must help it along—saving nature from humanity’s worst impulses.
For example, the rainforest is such a self-sustaining system that it only needs to be returned to its natural state: “Ever adjusting, reacting and refining, the Amazon rainforest community can continually thrive over tens of millions of years without demanding any further raw resources from the Earth” (130). Attenborough advocates for a hands-off approach. That is, humankind need not come up with any new innovations for rewilding; it requires no real intervention. It simply requires restraint. Attenborough also hints that humanity should take its lead from such places as the rainforest: “It is the most biodiverse place on the planet—the most successful of life’s enterprises—but it has no need for net growth. It is mature enough simply to last” (130). Rather than focusing on unsustainable, unrealistic continuous growth, humankind would do better to imitate the maturity of the rainforest.
He also uses solar energy as an example of a naturally self-sustaining system. Solar energy engenders photosynthesis, sustaining the plant life that, in turn, sustains animal life as it takes in carbon dioxide and gives out oxygen. The entire Earth is a self-sufficient solar energy system. In addition, the rewilding of the world in general will create a greater bulwark against the carbon emissions that create global warming: “the rewilding of the world will suck enormous amounts of carbon from the air and lock it away in the expanding wilderness” (146). As pointed out above in the summaries, Attenborough sees this situation as “the ultimate win-win” (146). With rewilding, biodiversity loss would be halted; carbon would be offset; and humanity would enjoy a future without the catastrophic changes described in Part 2. This is at the heart of his arguments about no-fishing zones in selected areas and in international seas.
These arguments also emphasize the idea of interconnectivity: not only are ecosystems highly sensitive, intertwined and often specialized areas of life, but also are humans, as another animal, an integral part of these interconnected systems (see Themes: Biodiversity). That is, humanity is both a part of the Earth’s vast ecosystem and a collaborator in ensuring the continued viability of its habitat. Without human cooperation on a global scale, the Earth faces insurmountable challenges. However, by implementing Attenborough’s plans for rewilding, this trend can be reversed. He uses his plan for rewilding the open ocean as a prime example of this necessary cooperation: “The high seas would become the world’s greatest wildlife reserve, and a place owned by no one would become a place cared for by everyone” (154). Instead of being disconnected from nature, humanity becomes intimately intertwined with it—caretakers not exploiters.
Indeed, Attenborough’s ideas about rewilding involves some active participation from humankind. Not only must agreements be forged among nation-states about interfering in certain ecosystems, such as the open ocean, but also there must be the implementation of new ideas in how to interact with ecosystems when necessary and desirable. That is, with regard to the rewilding of the seas as an example, the ideal intersection would be between taking a hands-off approach coupled with harvesting (say, in the case of kelp) and harnessing (as in the positive forms of aquaculture). Thus, rewilding is not merely leaving the wild free from human intervention; it is about making thoughtful, beneficial choices when interacting with particular ecosystems. He writes, “What is certainly true is that if we stop overexploiting the ocean and begin to harvest it in a way that allows it to thrive, it will help us to restore biodiversity and stabilise the planet at a speed and scale we could hope to achieve on our own” (158). Nature and humanity are intimately bound up together—and need each other to survive.
