Prince Harry: It is not 'hippy' to care about the planet
The Duke of Sussex has told The Daily Telegraph that conservation should not be dismissed as "hippy".
Monday 30 September 2019 10:02, UK
Prince Harry has said that caring about the environment should not be dismissed as "hippy" behaviour.
The Duke of Sussex made the comments as he prepared to guest edit National Geographic's Instagram account today.
He will be managing the magazine's Instagram account, which has 123 million followers, as part of the Sussexes' official tour to southern Africa.
It is part of the social media campaign Looking Up, which raises awareness of the role trees play in Earth's eco-system.
Followers will be invited to share their own pictures of trees from around the world.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, he said humans need to overcome "greed, apathy and selfishness" to save the planet.
"This may well sound hippy to some.
"But we cannot afford to have a 'them or us' mentality. Humans and animals and their habitats fundamentally need to co-exist or within the next 10 years our problems across the globe will become even more unmanageable.
"Nature teaches us the importance of a circular system, one where nothing goes to waste and everything has a role to play.
"If we interfere with it, rather than work with it, the system will break down.
"Conservation used to be a specialist area, driven by science.
"But now it is fundamental to our survival and we must overcome greed, apathy and selfishness if we are to make real progress."
The duke is currently on the eighth day of his official tour in Africa.
While temporarily taking the reins of National Geographic's Instagram account, he will share an image taken in Liwonde National Park, Malawi, where he is unveiling two initiatives to help preserve trees in the area.
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Earlier this year, the Duchess of Sussex guest edited an edition of Vogue, in which she highlighted female "changemakers" and interviewed former first lady Michelle Obama.
She was heavily criticised for her guest appearance, although a number of royals including Kate Middleton and Prince Charles have previously collaborated with media organisations.