A top, well-respected scientist says 80% of human life will be wiped out by 2020 due to environmental reasons.
When the Shell oil company asked James Lovelock, now 88, in 1965 what the world would look like in the year 2000, he didn't reply with flying cars or technological wonders. Instead, he predicted that the main problem would be the environment.
"It will be worsening then to such an extent that it will seriously affect your business, I told them. And, of course, that's almost exactly what happened."
The scientist works in an old mill in Cornwall and the consistent accuracy of his predictions has led to him becoming one of Britain's most well-respected scientists. He invented the Gaia hypothesis; the idea that the earth is a self-regulating organism. Today, that theory forms the basis of almost all climate science.
His latest book, the Revenge of Gaia, predicts that by 2020, extreme weather will be normal, causing global devastation. By 2040, he says, much of Europe will be Saharan and parts of London will be under water.
According to Lovelock , the idea of saving the planet is a deluded fantasy. Global warming is now past the tipping point and will be unstoppable.
"It's just too late for it," he says. "Perhaps if we had done this in 1967, it might have helped, but we don't have time. "
"Carbon offsetting; I wouldn't dream of it. It's just a joke. To pay money to plant trees? You're probably making it worse. Give the money to native people to not take down forests."
Recycling, he adds "is almost certainly a waste of time and energy."
"It's like rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic," he muses. "Instead of wasting time on wind turbines, Britain needs to learn how to survive."
"Enjoy life while you can, because if you're lucky, it's going to be 20 years before it hits the fan."
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