Prince Harry insists we need to put aside ‘greed, apathy and selfishness’ to protect the planet from climate destruction and says caring about the environment does not make him a ‘hippy’
- The Duke of Sussex said we need to learn from past mistakes to protect world
- He warned of ‘vast ecosystems’ set ablaze in Africa and communities destroyed
- The Duke is on a Royal visit to Africa with wife Meghan Markle and son Archie
Published: 18:10 EDT, 29 September 2019 | Updated: 23:43 EDT, 29 September 2019
Prince Harry has rubbished suggestions that climate campaigning is ‘hippy’ in a plea for people to ramp up efforts to safeguard the planet.
The Duke of Sussex, who is on a Royal trip to Africa with Meghan and his son Archie, said to make progress humans needed to overcome ‘greed, apathy and selfishness’ and that it was essential to learn from past mistakes to protect the world’s most valuable assets.
He also warned of ‘vast ecosystems’ set ablaze in Africa, communities destroyed for short-term gain, and said that a ‘natural order’ between humans and wildlife must be restored.
Prince Harry arrives at the Nalikule College of Education to learn about the CAMA network and how it is supporting young women in Malawi
The Duke of Sussex makes a speech at a reception at the British High Commissioner’s Residence in Lilongwe, Malawi
Writing in the Daily Telegraph from Malawi, Harry added: ‘This may well sound hippy to some. But we cannot afford to have a “them or us” mentality.
‘Humans and animals and their habitats fundamentally need to co-exist or within the next 10 years our problems across the globe will become even more unmanageable.
‘Nature teaches us the importance of a circular system, one where nothing goes to waste and everything has a role to play.
‘If we interfere with it, rather than work with it, the system will break down.
‘Conservation used to be a specialist area, driven by science.
The Duke of Sussex poses with the CAMA choir during a visit to the Nalikule College of Education to learn about the CAMA networ
‘But now it is fundamental to our survival and we must overcome greed, apathy and selfishness if we are to make real progress.’
The column comes ahead of his visit to Malawi’s Liwonde National Park on the eighth day of a tour of southern Africa to highlight conservation and anti-poaching work.
Harry said his role had given him an opportunity to ‘meet, listen and learn from those who live in some of the world’s harshest conditions and understand what it is they so desperately need to thrive’.
The Duke also highlighted environmental catastrophes including overfishing, and elephant and rhino poaching.
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