From Obama\u2019s chef to a big cat obsessive, the actor has gathered experts from Alaska, the Amazon and beyond for a film about how to heal our besieged planet. He talks about naysayers, elephant tusks \u2013 and the wonders of venison<\/p>\n
Benedict Cumberbatch is dreading stepping outside. He\u2019s speaking to me from his air-conditioned hotel room in Soho at the peak of the summer heat. Few doubt that climate breakdown was a major cause of those scorchers, with nature, farming and water supplies all placed under huge strain. By midsummer, according to a report co-authored by the Met Office<\/a>, there were 2,700 excess deaths in England and Wales due to the searing heat.<\/p>\n But for Cumberbatch, in a bittersweet way, the record-breaking temperatures have come at a good time. The actor has been on a tour to promote his new documentary, How to Live on Earth. \u201cThe irony is not lost on anyone,\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019re living in the results of climate breakdown so stepping outside is \u2013 literally \u2013 a call to action.\u201d<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/eab2ae04d2bb6cbcc8adfd716c17352fd3ad7bf9\/1686_1544_4511_3609\/master\/4511.jpg?width=140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=fc5e1e8f47a16740d6ca2ece3d2f6271\" "\\"Benedict")
<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"