Around the question

Why are we destroying the planet?

Audio 48:30

Cover of the book “Why are we destroying the planet” by Thierry Ripoll.

© The Waterfront

By: Simon Rozé Follow

1 min

There is urgency: urgency to act in the face of climate change.

The science is clear, the researchers repeat: a disaster is brewing.

And yet, we persist in doing nothing, or very little, like rabbits caught in the headlights of a car.

Why do we continue to knowingly destroy the planet?

What are the biological, historical and cultural explanations for such behavior?

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There is “emergency”, there is “no planet B”, “our house is burning and we are looking elsewhere”.

We have known it for years, even decades: the climate is disrupted, biodiversity is collapsing.

It's a fact, the science is clear, Man is responsible for it.

And yet, nothing is being done. Last year, humanity has never emitted so many greenhouse gases, in total contradiction with the objectives set at COP21 in Paris. 

Why this discrepancy between what we know to be necessary and our actions, individual and collective?

What is it that we don't succeed or even that we don't even try?

Is the answer only due to economy, overconsumption, the comfort to which we have become accustomed?

Or does it have its roots in our history of Sapiens... and the way our brain has gradually been built?

With 

(professor of science and cognitive psychology) for his book

published by Le Bord de l'eau.

Raphaël Hittier's film

is currently online on Arte.tv.

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