Prince William Accused of Being 'Massively Hateful' Over a Speech - What Did He Say?
"Racist" and a "hypocrite," are two of the adjectives allegedly being hurled at Prince William after his on the human population of Africa. Comments he made at the Tusk Conservation Awards went viral, and now the 39-year-old grandson of Queen Elizabeth II is being slammed on social media, especially Twitter.
To many, William's plea to defend the natural world from human interference was unsettling, offensive, and indignation inspiring. He has long been an advocate for combating climate change and safeguarding the globe.
"The increasing pressure on Africa's wildlife and wild spaces as a result of human population presents a huge challenge for conservationists, as it does the world over," William told the audience as he presented awards to leading conservationists from African nations during the ceremony, which took place last week in London.
"But it is imperative that the natural world is protected not only for its contribution to our economies, jobs and livelihoods, but for the health, well-being and future of humanity," he continued. "We owe it to our children and future generations to act now."
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"Africa's extraordinarily rich biodiversity has the ability to sequester vast amounts of carbon. But this is only possible if these landscapes remain truly intact and are protected as functioning eco-systems." he added.
"Our wildlife plays a vital role in keeping nature in balance and maintaining this precious cycle of life," he said. "If we keep destroying or removing the threads that make up the natural tapestry of life on earth, it will simply begin to break down, exacerbating climate change still further."
For some, what he said was actually an attack on the Black population. They specifically pointed out that he is a "rich white" from a country with questionable colonial history.
"'If the natives keep reproducing, there won't be as many impalas for me to shoot!' Morally backward as this line of thinking is, one cannot help but be amused by the audacity," tweeted conservative commentator Michael Knowles.
Film producer Franklin Leonard, who founded the Black List, claimed that saying there are too many Africans is offensive.
On Twitter, Bolu Babalola reacted to the insults and said the prince is so hateful and cruel that he borders on being comical.
A group was compelled to post a video showing a Kenyan ecologis, Mordecai Ogada pointing out that "Africa has a lower population density than either Europe or Asia," and as a result, the continent's population as a whole poses no threat to the environment.
According to him, the typical western family of five will have a carbon footprint the size of a few hundred Maasai tribesmen in Kenya.
