Latest news with #Ocean:Earth'sLastWilderness
IOL News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- IOL News
The Ocean Is Breaking: Why We Must Listen to ‘Earth's Last Wilderness'
Ocean is a sweeping chronicle of Earth's most mysterious habitat—revealing its power to shape climate, sustain life, and recover if we act in time Image: Supplied Reading Ocean: Earth's Last Wilderness by Sir David Attenborough and Colin Butfield has been one of the most profoundly moving experiences of my life. This is not simply a book about marine biology or environmental science; it is a reckoning, a call to awaken to the ocean's shimmering depths, to feel its pulse beneath your skin, and to understand the inextricable bond that ties us to this vast, mysterious, and fragile world. Attenborough doesn't lecture. He invites us in with a seasoned friend's voice, marked by decades of witnessing extraordinary beauty and heartbreaking loss. Colin Butfield, co-author, complements this narrative with sharp insight into the ocean's role as the lifeblood of our planet and the urgency of safeguarding it. The Ocean as a Living, Breathing Force From the first pages, the ocean is not an abstract concept. It is alive—waving, singing, and breathing beneath the surface. Attenborough's portrayal of the blue whale is breathtaking. I could almost feel the immense heartbeat of the whale echoing in the deep, sense the weight of its tongue heavier than an elephant's, and marvel at its graceful passage through the vast blue. Yet that wonder quickly turns to sorrow. These gentle giants were hunted almost to extinction, and the scars of that brutal history still linger. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading As Attenborough writes, 'No one will protect what they don't care about; and no one will care about what they have never experienced.' This statement hit me like a jolt. We have become distanced—oceans reduced to a backdrop, a vacation spot, or worse, a dumping ground. We forget that the ocean absorbs over 90 percent of the heat caused by greenhouse gases and takes in nearly a quarter of all carbon dioxide emissions, playing a crucial role in regulating the climate and sustaining life on Earth. Colin Butfield's words echo this urgency: 'The ocean is the lifeblood of our planet, quietly sustaining every breath we take. Yet, it remains out of sight and out of mind for many—until we see it as the living system it truly is, we risk losing it forever.' This dual perspective, poetic and practical, reminded me that knowledge without care and action is meaningless. The Haunting Reality of Ecological Loss The book immerses readers in the ocean's wonders, from playful otters darting through kelp forests to the delicate balance of coral reefs. It also journeys to the silent guardians of the coast—mangroves—those tangled, salt-tolerant forests that shelter juvenile fish, protect shorelines from storms, and lock away vast amounts of carbon in their roots and soil. Once dismissed as swamps to be drained, these ecosystems are now recognised as some of the most powerful natural defences against climate change. Yet they are disappearing three to five times faster than global forests, cleared for development or poisoned by pollution. I often found myself closing my eyes to picture the ocean as it should be: kelp swaying like a forest beneath the waves, whale songs rippling through the water, shafts of sunlight dancing on fish scales. Then the scene shifts—ghostly reefs, sea turtles choking on plastic bags mistaken for jellyfish, beaches where microplastics outnumber plankton. It is not just loss; it is spiritual devastation, a desecration of a mother who has cradled life on Earth for millennia. The ocean's health is deteriorating rapidly. Marine heatwaves are more frequent and intense, acidification disrupts the very building blocks of marine food chains, and entire ecosystems are unravelling. The book provides sobering facts and stories, not to paralyse, but to ignite urgency for change. The Ocean's Role in Climate and Global Systems This book deepened my understanding of the ocean as the planet's great regulator. It absorbs the vast majority of excess heat from greenhouse gas emissions, slowing the pace of global warming. It draws down carbon dioxide, playing a vital role in the carbon cycle. The Southern Ocean, encircling Antarctica, is one of Earth's most powerful carbon sinks, storing around 40% of the human-made CO₂ absorbed by the world's oceans. Its frigid currents drive nutrient upwellings that sustain marine life from krill to great whales. Yet warming waters and melting ice are disrupting these currents, threatening to unravel a food web on which countless species—and ultimately we—depend. The ocean's decline impacts food security for billions who rely on fish, intensifies climate disasters like storms and floods, and threatens cultural and spiritual connections to the sea. The book underscores that the ocean's fate is our fate.
Evening Standard
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Evening Standard
Happy birthday Sir David Attenborough
"}],"loginUrl":"/login"}> On his 99th birthday, the great man is still campaigning, this time for our oceans Emma Robertshaw Today Sir David Attenborough celebrates his 99th birthday. The outpouring of love for the world's favourite storyteller began several days ago when Prince William hailed David's 'lifetime of extraordinary service to our planet' and declared, 'may we all raise a glass to a true giant and continue the mission he has led with such grace and urgency'. Elsewhere, Billie Eilish and others did their best to pin down the magic of David's inspiration in the pages of the Guardian. David 'brings out the childlike curiosity within us all' (Eilish). 'His voice is one of wonder that we have the good fortune to exist in the same space and time as these bewildering, beautiful creatures' (Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage). 'He's shown me life on Earth is miraculous, beautiful, brutal; that all species matter and in harming nature we harm ourselves' (climate scientist Dave Reay.) I've seen David, a great spontaneous orator, arrive to celebrate the opening of new Wildlife Trust nature reserves and, after a brief guided tour and some searching questions, witnessed him raising the roof with the most rousing of speeches in front of thousands of people. But while Sir David may be the most professional of communicators, I prefer author Amy-Jane Beer's description of him as 'a real-world Gandalf or Merlin' whose 'quests have enriched, bewitched, inspired and motivated generations.' When Blue Planet came out, the great producer Alastair Fothergill reported that applicants for the marine biology course at the University of Southampton doubled. No doubt this will be replicated in the coming months, for today is also the day his awe-inspiring new film, Ocean: Earth's Last Wilderness, opens in cinemas and his book of the same name is out too. No one can say he's taking it easy – and there's an understandable urgency to his work. Of his latest documentary about the natural wonders and threats to the sea, he writes: 'I will not see how that story ends, but, after a lifetime of exploring our planet, I remain convinced that the more people enjoy and understand the natural world, the greater our hope of saving both it and ourselves becomes.' Despite a career spent exploring the farthest corners of the globe, Sir David loves the wildlife, seasons and landscapes of Great Britain best and his support of nature charities here is testament to this. Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust's Tilton Cutting Nature Reserve is where he searched for fossils as a young boy and it is said to have given him his love of the natural world. (Indeed, Ocean begins with David's earliest memories of ammonites there.) Since then, Sir David has spent 60 years championing the work of The Wildlife Trusts and nature recovery projects across the UK. Happy birthday Sir David, from us all! Emma Robertshaw is Head of Media Relations at The Wildlife Trusts MORE ABOUT
National Observer
07-05-2025
- Science
- National Observer
Book Review: David Attenborough transports readers to ‘Earth's Last Wilderness' in ‘Ocean'
British biologist Sir David Attenborough will celebrate his 99th birthday two days after the publication of his latest book, 'Ocean: Earth's Last Wilderness,' co-written with long-time BBC collaborator Colin Butfield. And I'm willing to bet instead of a cake or any gifts, he'd appreciate it if every nation would sign on to the U.N. High Seas Treaty and stop exploiting the ocean for short-term gains. 'Ocean' is the complementary book to a National Geographic film of the same name available on the Disney family of streaming services. It will no doubt be an amazing look at the watery world that makes up two-thirds of this planet's surface and '99% of its habitable area.' But if you don't want to wait for the main course -— Attenborough's dulcet tones narrating over stunning high-definition images from the deep blue — the book serves as a fine appetizer. Covering eight unique salt-water habitats, 'Ocean' transports readers to coral reefs, the deep, open ocean, kelp forests, the Arctic, mangroves, oceanic islands and seamounts, and the Southern Ocean. Attenborough begins each chapter with a story from his lifetime of exploration, including his first scuba dive in 1957. ('I was so taken aback by the spectacle before me that I momentarily forgot to breathe.') Butfield picks up the baton from there, offering a wealth of scientific facts and history about each habitat. Trivia buffs or people who just like to learn new stuff will delight in all the data. The end of each chapter can prompt a fun game of 'Did You Know?' with friends and family. For example: The average depth of the ocean is 3,500 meters (11,483 feet), phytoplankton absorb 40% of the carbon dioxide produced by human activity, and a blue whale's tongue weighs two tons. Despite detailing the impact of global warming throughout the ocean ecosystem, the book is not all doom and gloom. The authors present a case study in hope near the end of most chapters, like the coral reefs of Cabo Pulmo, off the coast of Baja California. Once teeming with life, unrestricted commercial fishing decimated the region in the 1980s. But after a local fisherman teamed up with a marine professor to convince the Mexican government to declare a no-fishing zone and create a marine preserve, Cabo Pulmo recovered over the next decade, a sign, they write, that 'simply leaving parts of the ocean alone creates the capacity for it to regenerate.'
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Book Review: David Attenborough takes readers to ‘Earth's Last Wilderness' in ‘Ocean'
British biologist Sir David Attenborough will celebrate his 99th birthday two days after the publication of his latest book, 'Ocean: Earth's Last Wilderness,' co-written with long-time BBC collaborator Colin Butfield. And I'm willing to bet instead of a cake or any gifts, he'd appreciate it if every nation would sign on to the U.N. High Seas Treaty and stop exploiting the ocean for short-term gains. 'Ocean' is the complementary book to a National Geographic film of the same name available on the Disney family of streaming services. It will no doubt be an amazing look at the watery world that makes up two-thirds of this planet's surface and '99% of its habitable area.' But if you don't want to wait for the main course -— Attenborough's dulcet tones narrating over stunning high-definition images from the deep blue — the book serves as a fine appetizer. Covering eight unique salt-water habitats, 'Ocean' transports readers to coral reefs, the deep, open ocean, kelp forests, the Arctic, mangroves, oceanic islands and seamounts, and the Southern Ocean. Attenborough begins each chapter with a story from his lifetime of exploration, including his first scuba dive in 1957. ('I was so taken aback by the spectacle before me that I momentarily forgot to breathe.') Butfield picks up the baton from there, offering a wealth of scientific facts and history about each habitat. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Trivia buffs or people who just like to learn new stuff will delight in all the data. The end of each chapter can prompt a fun game of 'Did You Know?' with friends and family. For example: The average depth of the ocean is 3,500 meters (11,483 feet), phytoplankton absorb 40% of the carbon dioxide produced by human activity, and a blue whale's tongue weighs two tons. Despite detailing the impact of global warming throughout the ocean ecosystem, the book is not all doom and gloom. The authors present a case study in hope near the end of most chapters, like the coral reefs of Cabo Pulmo, off the coast of Baja California. Once teeming with life, unrestricted commercial fishing decimated the region in the 1980s. But after a local fisherman teamed up with a marine professor to convince the Mexican government to declare a no-fishing zone and create a marine preserve, Cabo Pulmo recovered over the next decade, a sign, they write, that 'simply leaving parts of the ocean alone creates the capacity for it to regenerate.' Here's hoping that reading or watching 'Ocean' will help raise the level of global awareness required to protect this last wilderness. ___ AP book reviews: Rob Merrill, The Associated Press
San Francisco Chronicle
06-05-2025
- Science
- San Francisco Chronicle
Book Review: David Attenborough takes readers to ‘Earth's Last Wilderness' in ‘Ocean'
British biologist Sir David Attenborough will celebrate his 99th birthday two days after the publication of his latest book, 'Ocean: Earth's Last Wilderness,' co-written with long-time BBC collaborator Colin Butfield. And I'm willing to bet instead of a cake or any gifts, he'd appreciate it if every nation would sign on to the U.N. High Seas Treaty and stop exploiting the ocean for short-term gains. 'Ocean' is the complementary book to a National Geographic film of the same name available on the Disney family of streaming services. It will no doubt be an amazing look at the watery world that makes up two-thirds of this planet's surface and '99% of its habitable area.' But if you don't want to wait for the main course -— Attenborough's dulcet tones narrating over stunning high-definition images from the deep blue — the book serves as a fine appetizer. Covering eight unique salt-water habitats, 'Ocean' transports readers to coral reefs, the deep, open ocean, kelp forests, the Arctic, mangroves, oceanic islands and seamounts, and the Southern Ocean. Attenborough begins each chapter with a story from his lifetime of exploration, including his first scuba dive in 1957. ('I was so taken aback by the spectacle before me that I momentarily forgot to breathe.') Butfield picks up the baton from there, offering a wealth of scientific facts and history about each habitat. Trivia buffs or people who just like to learn new stuff will delight in all the data. The end of each chapter can prompt a fun game of 'Did You Know?' with friends and family. For example: The average depth of the ocean is 3,500 meters (11,483 feet), phytoplankton absorb 40% of the carbon monoxide produced by human activity, and a blue whale's tongue weighs two tons. Despite detailing the impact of global warming throughout the ocean ecosystem, the book is not all doom and gloom. The authors present a case study in hope near the end of most chapters, like the coral reefs of Cabo Pulmo, off the coast of Baja California. Once teeming with life, unrestricted commercial fishing decimated the region in the 1980s. But after a local fisherman teamed up with a marine professor to convince the Mexican government to declare a no-fishing zone and create a marine preserve, Cabo Pulmo recovered over the next decade, a sign, they write, that 'simply leaving parts of the ocean alone creates the capacity for it to regenerate.'
