Prince Charles thinks tackling "terrifying environmental issues" should be treated as a bigger priority.
The 68-year-old royal is a passionate campaigner for the environment and during his annual tour to Wales, Charles has reaffirmed his commitment to the cause, telling a sustainability conference in Llandovery College, Carmarthenshire, that humans are "doing our utmost to test" nature’s resilience.
In order to tackle the problems facing the environment, society could look towards crafts, music, education and engineering, the Prince explained.
During his 20-minute speech, he said: "This is not backward-looking and anti-science, it is reinstating the discarded baby that was rashly removed with the bath water."
Earlier this year, Prince Charles threw his support behind a campaign that aims to stop plastic being dumped in the oceans.
Speaking about the Ocean Rescue campaign, he said: "One of the most troubling environmental trends, as I see it at least, is the progressive build-up of plastic waste in the oceans.
"Eighty per cent of it is coming from the land as everyday products such as plastic bags, straws and bottles as they travel along the rivers to the sea and finish up being spread right around the world, even on the most remote stretches of oceans, the farthest-flung beaches on earth and the deepest reaches of the ocean.
"Some of that plastic is being swallowed by sea birds, by whales, by dolphins, seals and other creatures to the point today where plastic waste is estimated to be in the guts of all marine mammals."