LONDON, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Britain's Prince Harry has
suggested that the coronavirus pandemic is a rebuke from nature
as he called for more action to tackle climate change.
The prince spoke during a conversation about the environment
with the chief executive of a streaming platform for climate
documentaries.
"Somebody said to me at the beginning of the pandemic, it's
almost as though Mother Nature has sent us to our rooms for bad
behaviour, to really take a moment and think about what we've
done," Harry said.
"It's certainly reminded me about how interconnected we all
are, not just as people but through nature. We take so much from
her and we rarely give a lot back."
Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have
spoken out on issues such as race and the environment since
stepping down from their roles as working members of the royal
family at the end of March and moving to California.
The prince, who has been criticised in the past for his use
of private jets, urged people to imagine being a raindrop in
order to help repair the Earth.
"Every single raindrop that falls from the sky relieves the
parched ground," he said. "What if every one of us was a
raindrop? If every single one of us cared? We do, because we
have to, because at the end of the day nature is our life
source."
Since the start of the pandemic, scientists have stepped up
warnings that deforestation, ecosystem destruction and illegal
trade in wildlife can increase the risk of disease transmission
from animals to people, and have urged tighter controls.
(Reporting by Andrew MacAskill
Editing by Gareth Jones)