Noam Chomsky: the end of human life on earth? With George Monbiot & John Sauven | The New Statesman

Noam Chomsky: "We are now facing the prospect of the destruction of organised human life on earth"

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Temperatures in the UK reached 40°C for the first time ever this week. The 2022 UK heatwave caused wildfires in London, and parts of Europe sweltered in 46°C heat.

Despite plenty of political pledges, governments around the world are failing to take the radical action needed if humanity is to have any chance of avoiding the worst impacts of climate change.

In this video the New Statesman asks three eminent experts - Noam Chomsky, George Monbiot and John Sauven - if the world is facing its "most dangerous moment", and whether there is still room for hope.

"We have not begun to exploit the full potential of renewable energy," says John Sauven, former Chief Executive of Greenpeace. "We do have the ability and the intelligence to design a system that could be powered 100% by renewables."

Sauven argues that our efforts should focus on renewables over nuclear power, pointing out that nuclear waste takes a million years to become safe: "I don't think that's the definition of sustainability."

Environmentalist and author George Monbiot has a different focus: agriculture and farming. "We have to get away from means of food production that has a massive environmental cost," he says, describing the inefficiencies inherent in a livestock-centred food system which involves using "half the world's calories [from grain]... going into the mouths of livestock" which provide 1% of our protein.

Meanwhile conflict rages in Europe for the first time in decades, and governments continue to invest in nuclear weapons.

"We are rapidly increasing the threat of nuclear war," says Noam Chomsky, citing that "over a third of Americans say in polls they are willing to engage in US military action in Ukraine, even if it's likely to lead to nuclear war."

However each of these experts hold out reason to hope. For Sauven, it's the fact that the solutions - renewable energy and changing to a more plant-based diet - are "completely feasible". For Monbiot it's the power of economy: "farmers would be happy to change if the money was right." Noam Chomsky, now 96 years old and a veteran of civil disobedience, finds hope in the activism of young people - including those involved with Extinction Rebellion - willing to undertake "serious actions... to try to stop this mad race to catastrophe".

Watch their interviews in full:

Noam Chomsky on Ukraine, Brexit and ""the most dangerous point in human history""

John Sauventhe world is facing its ""most dangerous moment""

George Monbiot on the environment myths threatening the world

Read more on the New Statesman:

How deadly could heatwaves in Europe get?

Are extreme heatwaves the new normal?

Nine of the top ten UK temperatures have occurred since 1990

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