David Attenborough suggests price of plane tickets should go UP to save environment
The renowned naturalist admitted he was part of the problem and poorer families will suffer - but said air fares are "extraordinarily cheap"
Dan BloomOnline Political Editor
Air fares should be hiked to force families to cut down on their cheap holidays, David Attenborough suggested today.
The renowned naturalist and BBC presenter said "we've got to change our lifestyle" if humanity has a hope of getting through climate change.
Sir David admitted there was a "paradox" because he flies across the globe to present TV nature programmes.
And he confessed that "I'm afraid" such a hike would hit poorer families the hardest.
But he said airline tickets are "extraordinarily cheap" compared to the cost of the industry to the planet.
The 93-year-old predicted "great social unrest and great changes in the way we live" in 20 to 30 years' time.
David Attenborough says climate change to cause "great social unrest" in 20 years
Sir David admitted there was a "paradox" because he flies across the globe himself (Image: UK PARLIAMENT HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/REX)
Asked if people are "willing and ready" to cut their personal number of flights, Sir David told MPs: "I can't believe they would just happily say I don't care, I'm just going ahead.
"There is a way of course in which those in power as it is influence how many people take it, and that's economically.
"You adjust the price to the various restrictions you have."
Asked outright if he was arguing plane tickets should be more expensive, he replied: "I think that one way of reducing these things is to count the cost of what it is that air travel costs in real terms, in terms of the environment.
"And if you cost that, you would see that the tickets are extraordinarily cheap."
Asked if people should be "restricted" from taking several flights to France and Spain: "I don't know how you would restrict it other than economically."
He said airline tickets are "extraordinarily cheap" compared to the cost of the industry to the planet (Image: Getty Images)
Asked if it would affect poorer families less able to pay he replied: "Yes. I'm afraid that is the case."
Sir David appeared to accept he could be accused of hypocrisy over his own extensive air travel.
He told MPs on the Business Committee: "I certainly worry that the job I do involves me travelling.
"I have travelled by air only too frequently in the last six months in order to make programmes.
"Some of them programmes about the very subject we're talking about, which is, I daresay, a paradox.
"The long term solution is you work out a way of powering aeroplanes electrically."
Asked about the effect of restricting flights on today's young people he replied: "I'm arguing that unless we do restrict it to some degree they're going to have a much bigger and more serious collapse."
The renowned naturalist said climate change will cause "social unrest" in 20 years, compared youth climate strikes to the abolition of slavery and slapped down Donald Trump in a wide-ranging committee hearing today.
Sir David added: "The problem you're opening now is a very serious one. If the world climate change goes on, it is going to be facing huge problems with immigration.
"Large parts of Africa are going to be even less inhabitable than they are now, and there will be major upsets in the balance between our national boundaries.
"These kind of problems are going to grow inexorably and we are going to have to decide what we do about it, that's going to happen."
Read the full story on Sir David Attenborough's exchange with MPs here.
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