A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future

We’re used to thinking that we control the Earth and it obeys us. That everything is under our control: nature, climate, animal populations. But it isn’t so. In his book, famous TV host and naturalist writer Sir David Attenborough speaks as both witness and observer to irreversible changes that the planet has undergone in recent years. The author gives humanity a chance—it's not too late to change everything. A human being is a rational creature; it must learn from its mistakes and live up to its name. We can still make adjustments, we can control the degree of our influence, change the direction of our development, and again become a species living in harmony with nature. All we need for that is will and desire. The next few decades provide the last chance to create a sustainable home for ourselves and to restore the rich, healthy, wondrous world that has been passed down to us by our far-off ancestors. On the line is our future on the planet—the only place, as far as we know, where life exists.