![]() And that work, I think, is a great example of the different ways in which he draws connections between all of these things, public health, the food supply, how we educate young people, the very way in which we conduct economics. It's a whole range of different questions that come together in some pretty fundamental places, including around these ideas of harmony, which is what he expressed in that book that he published back in 2010, that I was lucky enough to help him with alongside Ian Skelly. And for him, the environment is not simply climate change. JUNIPER: I think it would be very fair to say that, Steve, recognizing that for him, environment is a very broad concept. And so I think, you know, in some ways, he really is one of the most outstanding environmental leaders the world has seen.ĬURWOOD: How fair is it to say that the environment has been King Charles III, former Prince of Wales, his life's work? ![]() And for me, as an environmentalist growing up in the 70s, Steve, one thing that really inspired me was hearing somebody from the establishment who was prepared to speak out on these subjects, because there wasn't literally anybody else. He's visited countless locations across the globe, where he's met people trying to make a difference and given them encouragement. But he also set up a number of organizations, charitable organizations that sought to help do the work. ![]() And so the speeches and the books have been quite famous, quite rightly. And so as time went on, it moved beyond wildlife and pollution in this country to embrace global issues, including climate change and tropical deforestation. And so he decided to use his position in order to raise awareness about all of these subjects. All of these and many other things began to cause him to wonder if we were on a very wrong path. The landscape literally changing before his eyes, with the removal of woodlands and hedgerows, the drainage of wetlands, the massive use of pesticides, ancient town centers being pulled down and replaced with concrete blocks. And working with him on "Harmony," it became clear that the reasons he did this and chose this path, to use his position as Prince of Wales to champion these environmental causes, it was really because of a sense of disquiet he was feeling as he was growing up during the 1950s and 60s, when you could see the world changing very quickly. And it's a moment to reflect on not only the future, but also the past and the incredible amount of work that King Charles did as Prince of Wales on these environmental subjects, going literally back to the late 1960s, this is a long time ago. JUNIPER: It's been a remarkable contribution, looking back from the vantage point of now and the sad moment when Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has passed on, and he now is King. How did he use his stature as Prince of Wales to advocate for it? (Photo: Katie Chan, Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0)ĬURWOOD: So, Tony, please give us a bit of the backstory on how King Charles III has made environment and climate central to his work over the years. King Charles III processed from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall on Septemfor the Lying-in-State of Elizabeth II. Tony now chairs Natural England, a government conservation agency and joins us from London – welcome back, Tony! King Charles co-authored “Harmony” with Tony Juniper, a former head of Friends of the Earth England who for decades has advised the new sovereign on the environment and climate. Tradition suggests the new king will not be as publicly outspoken as he was as crown prince, but now may well use his new powers to advance the causes of nature and environmental protection from behind the scenes. If we want to hand on to our children and grandchildren a much more durable way of operating in the world, then we have to embark on what I can only describe as a “sustainability revolution” – and with some urgency.ĬURWOOD: Now that his majesty King Charles III has ascended to the throne, he is perhaps the most prominent environmental advocate to become head of state for a major world power. ![]() The many environmental and social problems that now loom large on our horizon cannot be solved by carrying on with the very approach that has caused them. KING CHARLES III: Revolution is a strong word and I use it deliberately. It is losing its balance and we humans are causing this to happen.ĬURWOOD: That’s His Majesty King Charles III reading the opening words of his 2010 book Harmony: A New Way of Looking at Our World, back when he was still the Prince of Wales. It cannot cope with all that we demand of it. KING CHARLES III: This is a call to revolution. BASCOMB: From PRX and the Jennifer and Ted Stanley studios at the University of Massachusetts Boston, this is Living on Earth, I’m Bobby Bascomb.
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