Prince George was so upset by 'Extinction: The Facts' his dad had to turn it off

Photo credit: Chris Jackson - Getty Images
Photo credit: Chris Jackson - Getty Images
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From Country Living

The Duke of Cambridge says we must "fix our climate by 2030" otherwise the damage already caused will be irreversible and affect not only future generations, "but all of us alive today."

The royal gave his stark warning during a Ted Talk, given as part of Ted Countdown, the first free and virtual TED Conference devoted entirely to championing and accelerating solutions to the climate crisis.

His message was recorded on the grounds of Windsor Castle, during which he also commended humanity's ability for problem-solving, and resolved to remain optimistic for the future.

"Over my grandmother’s lifetime, the last 90 years or so, our impact has accelerated so fast that our climate, oceans, air, nature and all that depends on them are in peril," William explained.

"This oak has stood here for centuries but never has it faced a decade like this. We start this new decade knowing that it is the most consequential period in history.

"The science is irrefutable. If we do not act in this decade, the damage that we have done will be irreversible and the effects felt not just by future generations, but by all of us alive today."

He continued: "How can we hope to fix such massive, intractable problems? It may seem overwhelming, but it is possible. Humans have an extraordinary capacity to set goals and strive to achieve them."

The duke recently launched his Nobel-style environmental award The Earthshot Prize, with a £50m prize fund, which will recognise and celebrate ideas and technologies that can target the climate crisis.

During the launch of his new environmental initiative, Prince William revealed that Sir David Attenborough's latest BBC documentary, Extinction: The Facts, proved too upsetting for Prince George, and he had to turn it off.

The naturalist recently attended a special screening of his new documentary at Kensington Palace, where he gifted Prince George a fossilised tooth.

"Having watched so many David Attenborough documentaries recently with my children, they absolutely love them, the most recent one—the extinction one—actually George and I had to turn it off, we got so sad about it halfway through," William said, via Sky News. "He said to me, 'You know, I don't want to watch this anymore.'"

William added: "[George asked]'Why has it come to this?' And you know, he's seven years old and he's asking me these questions already. He really feels it, and I think every seven year old out there can relate to that.

"I really feel from an emotional point of view as well, I think every parent, everyone wants to do the best for their children, and I think we have to have a decade of change, a decade of repairing the planet so that we can hand it on to the next generation and future generations and sustain the prosperity for their lives too."

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