Sep 30 2008
In an interview published today in Weather, the magazine of the Royal Meteorological Society, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales talks about his longstanding interest in the weather and its impact on the environment. The interview covers His Royal Highness’s love of gardening and his environmental work to protect the rainforests, as well as his memories of the impact of weather on communities at home and abroad.
Prince Charles. Credit: Flickr - alysinwonderland
The Prince of Wales explains how concerned he is by global warming. “The clock of climate change is ticking ever faster towards midnight. We are simply not reacting quickly enough and we cannot be anything less than courageous and revolutionary in our approach to tackling climate change. If we are not, the result will be catastrophic for all of us, but with the poorest in our world hit the hardest.”
He adds: “Perhaps the most urgent, but currently neglected, cause of climate change is the appalling loss of the world’s tropical rainforests…That is why it is essential that we find ways to start valuing the world’s forests for all the services they provide – they are, after all, a giant global public utility.”
Paul Hardaker, Chief Executive of the Royal Meteorological Society, added, “We were delighted when His Royal Highness was able to find the time to give us an interview. We very much value The Prince's Patronage of the Society and continue to be impressed by his leadership in support of the environment, and the work he does to highlight the issues around climate change. The interview gives a very interesting insight into how His Royal Highness became interested in the environment and The Prince's view of the challenges we face from our changing climate.”