logo
episode-header-image
Nov 1969
28m 58s

Impact of Man on His Environment

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

The Vice-President of the Conservation Foundation in Washington, DC and renowned ecologist Sir Frank Fraser Darling explores the concept of Man's responsibility for his natural environment in his Reith series entitled 'Wilderness and Plenty'.

In his second lecture entitled 'Impact of Man on His Environment', Sir Fraser Darling explores the continuous affect of man on his natural habitat. Taking examples from prehistoric man, the industrial revolution and modern day technology, he considers whether man has taken all he can from the world to increase growth and development. He explores and criticises how politics and political policies have had a lasting affect on the contamination of the world and its ecology.

Up next
Dec 2025
4. Fighting for Humanity in the Age of the Machine
Rutger Bregman's 2025 Reith Lectures, called "Moral Revolution", explore the moral decay and un-seriousness of today's elites, drawing historical parallels to past eras of corruption that preceded transformative movements especially the 19th Century campaign to abolish slavery. I ... Show More
57m 17s
Dec 2025
3. A conspiracy of decency
Dutch historian Rutger Bregman's 2025 Reith Lectures, called "Moral Revolution", explore the moral decay and un-seriousness of today's elites. He argues that small, committed groups can spark moral revolutions, emphasizing the importance of perseverance and long-term vision. In t ... Show More
57m 26s
Dec 2025
2. How to start a moral revolution
Dutch historian Rutger Bregman gives the second of his 2025 Reith Lectures, called "Moral Revolution." History, he says can be "a reservoir of hope." He outlines how small groups of people have changed the course of history such as Elizabeth Fry, who brought compassion into the p ... Show More
57m 38s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2023
The story that shapes your relationship with nature | Damon Gameau
Are we separate and superior to nature? This question has been a driving force behind humanity's industrialization and economic progress for centuries -- but it's brought us to the brink of an ecological crisis, says filmmaker Damon Gameau. In an impassioned talk, he calls for a ... Show More
14m 44s
Jan 2023
A Strand in the Web: Torngat Mountains National Park
In July 2013, while camping in Torngat Mountains National Park in northern Labrador, Matt Dyer was pulled from his tent by a polar bear. He was ultimately saved, but the experience would live with him forever.For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, foll ... Show More
1h 22m
May 2023
Civilization and the planet
We seldom hear how the environment affected the growth and collapse of civilizations across the world and history. More than any other factor, the environment has been a defining factor to where we live, how we organize and what we consume. Today we’re joined by the great Peter F ... Show More
38m 43s
Sep 2018
Our Better Nature
<p>If you live in a big city, you may have noticed new buildings popping up — a high-rise here, a skyscraper there. The concrete jungles that we've built over the past century have allowed millions of us to live in close proximity, and modern economies to flourish. But what have ... Show More
25 m
Mar 2024
Ashish Kothari: Touched by Nature
<p>Ashish Kothari draws on his experience in the areas of wildlife and biodiversity to explore the profound consequences of human disconnection from nature. From bonding with a baby monkey in Kerala to discussing the impact of farmer protests in North India, we navigate through t ... Show More
1h 12m
Mar 2021
ENRIQUE SALMÓN on Moral Landscapes Amidst Changing Ecologies /225
We are often reminded of the tremendous amount of loss that transpires every day on this Earth; loss of language, biodiversity, and ancestral knowledge. In response, it’s understandable that many of us may be hyper-fixated on preserving whatever we can and fighting to stave off t ... Show More
56m 27s
Oct 2025
How to measure the planet’s heartbeat | Yadvinder Malhi
Ecosystem scientist Yadvinder Malhi takes us on a jaw-dropping journey through the hidden flows of energy that make life on Earth tick. From sun-soaked forests to tropical islands, he shows how his team measures the vibrancy of ecosystems across the world. This complex web of ene ... Show More
15m 28s
Jul 2024
Protecting wildlife from human activity
From the way we catch food, to how we generate energy, human activity inevitably impacts on wildlife and the environment in unintended ways. So this week we’re looking at ways to reduce this collateral damage. We visit a windfarm in Finland that's using AI to predict bird flight ... Show More
22m 59s
Mar 2022
How Rewilding Works
A big new push toward nature conservation (and saving the planet) is based on a simple premise: remove humans from the equation and let nature take its own course.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
46 m
May 2023
Douglas Brinkley
The historian Douglas Brinkley has written over 20 books on everything from the American space program to Rosa Parks. But more than any other subject, his work has touched on the environment—Teddy Roosevelt’s pioneering preservation work, F.D.R.’s under-appreciated efforts to pro ... Show More
39m 59s