Chris Packham on biodiversity activism and evolution: insights from a New Scientist interview

In this interview, Chris Packham shares how a lifelong passion for the natural world shaped his career as a conservationist and broadcaster. He explains how autism and focused interests deepen his connections with wildlife, and why patience is essential for climate action. Packham discusses facing backlash from activism, the rise of political obstacles to peaceful protest, and the need for rapid implementation of science-based solutions. He previews an upcoming BBC evolution series and reflects on evolution in his own garden, where birds reveal rapid adaptive changes. The conversation also covers fossil-fuel advertising and sponsorship, climate justice, and the imperative to redirect resources toward renewables and biodiversity protection.

Overview

Chris Packham, a veteran conservationist and broadcaster, reflects on his lifelong relationship with nature, how neurodiversity shapes his work, and the urgent political and social challenges facing biodiversity and climate protection. The interview weaves personal experience with scientific insight, highlighting the value of focused engagement with the natural world and the need for rapid, evidence-based action.

Neurodiversity and Deep Engagement with Nature

Packham describes a childhood filled with living animals and how binoculars transformed his approach, shifting from keeping creatures in jars to observing them in their habitats. He attributes a heightened attention to detail to his autism, portraying it as a source of expertise and a driver for lifelong learning. He emphasizes the joy of learning from scientists, the “University of Natural Sciences” that broadcasts provide, and the dopamine-like rewards birds receive when perfecting their songs, drawing a parallel to human happiness in nature.

Activism, Backlash, and Policy Demands

The conversation candidly addresses the backlash activists face, including death threats and legal pressures on peaceful protest. Packham frames winning as persistence and not giving up, advocating for rapid adoption of proven environmental measures. He argues that fear, political short-termism, and corruption hinder progress and laments the current climate governance climate. He calls for a robust translation of science into policy and stresses the duty of public servants to act on evidence.

Fossil Fuels, Advertising, and Sponsorship

A central thread is the influence of fossil fuel interests on public life. Packham condemns sponsorships that normalize fossil fuels, citing Shell’s sponsorship of British cycling and money funneled into cultural institutions. He supports banning fossil fuel advertising and sponsorship to reduce reputational normalization and to protect scientific and cultural institutions from undue influence.

Climate Action, Equality, and Global Justice

The UK’s climate strategy is critiqued for underfunding renewables and delaying transitions. Packham emphasizes energy investment, rapid deployment of wind and solar technologies, and the dangers of carbon capture as a distraction from reducing fossil energy use. He argues that climate and biodiversity goals require global equity, highlighting the role of wealth redistribution and empowering women through education to address population dynamics and consumption simultaneously.

Evolution, De-extinction, and the BBC Series

The interview previews Packham’s upcoming BBC TV series on evolution, focusing on intelligence, locomotion, and feeding. He uses the poodles as a playful example of gait and movement, while underscoring the rapid evolutionary responses to changing resources observed in the wild. He also shares reflections on mass extinctions, the persistence of life, and the idea that humans shape, as well as threaten, the biosphere.

Closing Reflections

Packham ends with a call to action grounded in optimism. He envisions a sustainable future built on renewable energy, climate justice, and a reimagined economy that prioritizes people and ecosystems over endless growth and consumption.