Benedict Cumberbatch is currently avoiding the sweltering outdoors, speaking from an air-conditioned hotel room in Soho during the height of summer. The actor notes the grim irony of promoting his new documentary, How to Live on Earth, against a backdrop of record-breaking temperatures that he acknowledges are driven by climate breakdown.
Recent data underscores the severity of the situation. A report co-authored by the Met Office indicates that by midsummer, England and Wales had already recorded 2,700 excess deaths attributable to the intense heat, which has placed enormous strain on nature, farming, and water supplies.
For Cumberbatch, these scorching conditions serve as a stark reminder of why his latest project matters. “The irony is not lost on anyone,” he observed. “We’re living in the results of climate breakdown so stepping outside is – literally – a call to action.”
In How to Live on Earth, Cumberbatch has assembled a diverse group of experts, ranging from Alaska to the Amazon, including figures such as Obama’s former chef and big cat conservationists. The film explores practical ways to heal the besieged planet, addressing topics that vary from the culinary merits of venison to the ethical complexities of elephant tusks, while pushing back against climate change naysayers.
Good for him using his platform, but documentaries rarely change minds. What concrete policy changes is he actually pushing for?
I was curious about the venison discussion. Does he actually eat it, or is it just a conversation point?
Wait, an actor from an air-conditioned room telling us how to save the planet? The irony really does feel thick this time around.
The stat about 2,700 excess deaths in England and Wales is genuinely horrifying. We need to take this seriously immediately.