Prince fears 'environmental crisis'
Thursday, 9 July 2009 12:00 AM
By Liz Stephens
The Prince of Wales has issued a warning about climate change, warning the UK needs to "urgently confront" the dangers to avoid "destroying our children's future".
Prince Charles made the comments last night while giving the 33rd Richard Dimbleby from St James's palace.
The Prince's audience for the lecture, entitled 'Facing the Future', included former US President Bill Clinton and the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Prince said: "We face a future where there is a real prospect that if we fail the earth, we fail humanity."
"We are standing at a moment of substantial transition where we face the dual challenges of a world view and an economic system that seem to have enormous shortcomings, together with an environmental crisis - including that of climate change - which threatens to engulf us all."
He added: "We must remember that the ultimate source of all economic capital is nature's capital."
The heir to the throne has a reputation for being outspoken on environmental issues.
In the last 12 months has visited eco-systems in Indonesia, Borneo and Brazil.
However, he faced criticism for the trips, after it was revealed they cost the taxpayer an estimated £1.3 million.
The Prince has also faced criticism for the number of air-miles he uses on his environmental campaigns.
The lecture will be broadcast tonight on the BBC.
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