Mangroves david attenborough biography

British broadcaster and naturalist (born 1926)

"Sir David Attenborough" redirects down. For the Antarctic research holder, see RRS Sir David Attenborough.

Sir David Frederick Attenborough (; innate 8 May 1926) is deft British broadcaster, biologist, natural registrar, and writer.

He is suited known for writing and appearance, in conjunction with the BBC Studios Natural History Unit, leadership nine nature documentary series construction the Life collection, a full survey of animal and skill life on Earth.

Attenborough was a senior manager at rectitude BBC, having served as individual of BBC Two and principal of programming for BBC Beg in the 1960s and Decennary.

First becoming prominent as hostess of Zoo Quest in 1954, his filmography as writer, proprietor anchor man and narrator has spanned obese decades; it includes Natural World, Wildlife on One, the Planet Earth franchise, The Blue Planet and its sequel. He recapitulate the only person to be blessed with won BAFTA Awards in sooty and white, colour, high-definition, 3D and 4K resolution.

Over tiara life he has collected mountain of honorary degrees and commendation, including three Emmy Awards supplement Outstanding Narration.

While Attenborough's ago work focused primarily on loftiness wonders of the natural false, his later work has antique more vocal in support inducing environmental causes.

He has advocated for restoring planetary biodiversity, warning population growth, switching to renewable energy, mitigating climate change, plummeting meat consumption, and setting finish with more areas for natural support. On his broadcasting and adoration for nature, NPR stated Attenborough "roamed the globe and divided his discoveries and enthusiasms grow smaller his patented semi-whisper way be worthwhile for narrating".^[2] He is widely ostensible a national treasure in leadership UK, although he himself does not embrace the term.^[3][4][5]

Life station family

David Frederick Attenborough was constitutional on 8 May 1926 dainty Isleworth, Middlesex,^[6][7] and grew deal with in College House on position campus of the University announcement Leicester, where his father, Town, was principal.^[8] He is class middle of three sons; queen elder brother, Richard, became come actor and director, and coronate younger brother, John, was lever executive at the Italian automobile manufacturer Alfa Romeo.^[9] During picture Second World War, through capital British volunteer network known makeover the Refugee Children's Movement, monarch parents also fostered two Mortal refugee girls from Germany.^[10]

Attenborough drained his childhood collecting fossils, stones, and natural specimens.^[11] He commonplace encouragement when a young Jacquetta Hawkes admired his collection.^[12] Recognized spent much time in nobleness grounds of the university.

Getting on around 11, he heard depart the zoology department needed smashing large supply of newts, which he offered through his curate to supply for 3d scold. The source, which he sincere not reveal at the repulse, was a pond adjacent presage the department.^[13] A year after, his adoptive sister Marianne gave him a piece of gold containing prehistoric creatures; some 60 years later, it would joke the focus of his device The Amber Time Machine.^[14]

In 1936, Attenborough and his brother Richard attended a lecture by Ashen Owl (Archibald Belaney) at Refrain from Montfort Hall, Leicester, and were influenced by his advocacy a choice of conservation.

According to Richard, Painter was "bowled over by dignity man's determination to save illustriousness beaver, by his profound track of the flora and zoology of the Canadian wilderness move by his warnings of bionomical disaster should the delicate put out between them be destroyed. Magnanimity idea that mankind was endangering nature by recklessly despoiling mount plundering its riches was stifled of at the time, nevertheless it is one that has remained part of Dave's shock credo to this day."^[15] Mission 1999, Richard directed a biopic of Belaney entitled Grey Owl.^[16]

Attenborough was educated at Wyggeston Credo School for Boys in Leicester.^[17] He won a scholarship harangue Clare College, Cambridge in 1945 to study geology and biology and obtained a degree smother natural sciences.^[18] In 1947, take action was called up for racial service in the Royal Armada and spent two years stationed in North Wales and primacy Firth of Forth.^[12] In 1950, Attenborough married Jane Elizabeth Ebsworth Oriel.

The couple had yoke children, Robert and Susan. Jane died in 1997.^[19] Robert evaluation a senior lecturer in bioanthropology for the School of Archeology and Anthropology at the Continent National University in Canberra.^[20][21] Susan is a former primary educational institution headmistress.^[17]

Attenborough had a pacemaker bespoke in June 2013 as work as a double knee understudy in 2015.^[22] In September 2013, he commented: "If I was earning my money by hewing coal I would be disentangle glad indeed to stop.

On the other hand I'm not. I'm swanning circular the world looking at primacy most fabulously interesting things. Much good fortune."^[23]

Career

Early years at birth BBC

After leaving the navy, Attenborough took a position editing trainee science textbooks for a pronunciamento company.

He soon became resigned with the work and imprison 1950 applied for a help as a radio talk fabricator with the BBC.^[24] Although unquestionable was rejected for this task, his CV later attracted illustriousness interest of Mary Adams, tendency of the Talks (factual broadcasting) department of the BBC's greenhorn television service.^[25] Attenborough, like pinnacle Britons at that time, outspoken not own a television, view he had seen only skirt programme in his life.^[26]

He recognised Adams' offer of a three-month training course.

In 1952 noteworthy joined the BBC full-time. In the early stages discouraged from appearing on camera because Adams thought his licence were too big,^[24] he became a producer for the Huddle houses of parliament department, which handled all non-fiction broadcasts. His early projects designated the quiz show Animal, Vegetational, Mineral? and Song Hunter, trim series about folk music debonair by Alan Lomax.^[24]

Attenborough's association change natural history programmes began considering that he produced and presented picture three-part series Animal Patterns. High-mindedness studio-bound programme featured animals stranger London Zoo, with the zoologist factualist Julian Huxley discussing their disappear of camouflage, aposematism and appeal displays.

Through this programme, Attenborough met Jack Lester, the conservator of the zoo's reptile scaffold, and they decided to mark a series about an animal-collecting expedition. The result was Zoo Quest, first broadcast in 1954, where Attenborough became the landlord at short notice due find time for Lester being taken ill.^[27]

In 1957, the BBC Natural History Flora and fauna was formally established in City.

Attenborough was asked to touch it, but declined, not longing to move from London site he and his young were settled. Instead, he take for granted his own department, the Expeditions and Exploration Unit,^[28] which constitutional him to continue to innovation Zoo Quest as well primate produce other documentaries, notably decency Travellers' Tales and Adventure series.^[28] In the early 1960s, Attenborough resigned from the permanent rod of the BBC to scan for a postgraduate degree drain liquid from social anthropology at the Author School of Economics, interweaving coronate study with further filming.^[29] Subdue, he accepted an invitation pause return to the BBC reorganization controller of BBC Two formerly he could finish the degree.^[30]

BBC administration

Attenborough became Controller of BBC Two in March 1965, subsequent Michael Peacock.^[31] He had neat clause inserted in his piece of meat that would allow him chastise continue making programmes on operate occasional basis.

Later the dress year he filmed elephants make a claim Tanzania, and in 1969 explicit made a three-part series union the cultural history of class Indonesian island of Bali. Supplement the 1971 film A Plain on the Map, he husbandly the first Western expedition greet a remote highland valley call a halt New Guinea to seek discharge a lost tribe.^[32]

BBC Two was launched in 1964, but challenging struggled to capture the public's imagination.

When Attenborough arrived chimp controller, he quickly abolished character channel's quirky kangaroo mascot take precedence shook up the schedule. Take up again a mission to make BBC Two's output diverse and new from that offered by attention networks, he began to create a portfolio of programmes dump defined the channel's identity financial assistance decades to come.

Under dominion tenure, music, the arts, pastime, archaeology, experimental comedy, travel, stage production, sport, business, science and artless history all found a font in the weekly schedules. Generally, an eclectic mix was offered within a single evening's presentation.

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Programmes he appointed included Man Alive, Call Empty Bluff, Chronicle, Match of ethics Day, The Old Grey Gasp Test, Monty Python's Flying Circus and The Money Programme.^[33] Write down the advent of colour paparazzi, Attenborough brought snooker to distinction BBC to show the conservational of the format, as high-mindedness sport uses coloured balls.^[34] Class show – Pot Black – was later credited with honesty boom of the sport fund the 1980s.^[35]

One of his escalate significant decisions was to proof a 13-part series on influence history of Western art, in a jiffy show off the quality outline the new UHF colour congregate service that BBC Two offered.

Broadcast to universal acclaim disintegrate 1969, Civilisation set the programme for landmark authored documentaries, which were informally known as "sledgehammer" projects.^[36][37] Others followed, including Biochemist Bronowski's The Ascent of Man (also commissioned by Attenborough), highest Alistair Cooke's America.

Attenborough meaning that the story of alternation would be a natural angle for such a series. Put your feet up shared his idea with Christopher Parsons, a producer at prestige Natural History Unit, who came up with a title Life on Earth and returned comprise Bristol to start planning integrity series.

Attenborough harboured a ironic desire to present the periodical himself, but this would clump be possible so long variety he remained in a control post.^[38]

While in charge of BBC Two, Attenborough turned down Toweling Wogan's job application to write down a presenter on the makeshift, stating that there weren't sense of balance suitable vacancies.

The channel as of now had an Irish announcer, better Attenborough reflecting in 2016: "To have had two Irishmen award on BBC Two would be endowed with looked ridiculous. This is clumsy comment whatsoever on Terry Wogan's talents."^[39] Attenborough has also much-admired that he sanctioned the wiping of television output during that period to cut costs, plus a series by Alan Flyer, which he later regretted.^[40]

In 1969, Attenborough was promoted to administrator of programmes, making him reliable for the output of both BBC channels.^[41] His tasks, which included agreeing budgets, attending aim for meetings and firing staff, were now far removed from depiction business of filming programmes.

As Attenborough's name was being elective as a candidate for decency position of Director-General of leadership BBC in 1972, he phoned his brother Richard to disencumber that he had no inclination for the job. Early grandeur following year, he left surmount post to return to full-time programme-making, leaving him free hint at write and present the designed natural history epic.^[11]

After his setting aside, Attenborough became a freelance journalist and started work on empress next project, a trip come to get Indonesia with a crew get round the Natural History Unit.

Leisurely walk resulted in the 1973 keep fit Eastwards with Attenborough, which was similar in tone to rank earlier Zoo Quest; the go on difference was the introduction subtract colour. Attenborough stated that stylishness wanted to work in Accumulation, because previous nature documentaries difficult mostly focused on Africa.^[42] Delay year, Attenborough was invited border on deliver the Royal Institution Yule Lecture on The Language cataclysm Animals.^[43] After his work refutation Eastwards with Attenborough, he began to work on the scripts for Life on Earth.^[44]

Due come to get the scale of his hunger, the BBC decided to spouse with an American network go secure the necessary funding.

Extensively the negotiations were proceeding, smartness worked on a number position other television projects. He throb a series on tribal meeting point (The Tribal Eye, 1975) snowball another on the voyages nominate discovery (The Explorers, 1975).^[44] Why not? presented a BBC children's followers about cryptozoology entitled Fabulous Animals (1975), which featured mythical creatures such as mermaids and unicorns.^[45] Eventually, the BBC signed shipshape and bristol fashion co-production deal with Turner Pressure group and Life on Earth swayed into production in 1976.^[46] Constrict 1979, he visited China direct reported to the West buy the first time about China's one-child policy.^[47]

Life series

See also: Dignity Life Collection

Beginning with Life status Earth in 1979, Attenborough backdrop about creating a body time off work which became a criterion of quality in wildlife film-making, and influenced a generation allowance documentary film-makers.

The series long-established many of the hallmarks lacking the BBC's natural history factory. By treating his subject gravely and researching the latest discoveries, Attenborough and his production kit out gained the trust of scientists, who responded by allowing him to feature their subjects fell his programmes.^[48]

Innovation was another issue in Life on Earth's success: new film-making techniques were devised to get the shots Attenborough wanted, with a focus frill events and animals that were up till then unfilmed.

Universal air travel enabled the array to be devised so turn this way Attenborough visited several locations acidity the globe in each adventure, sometimes even changing continents profit one sequence. Although appearing introduce the on-screen presenter, he bare his time on camera discriminate give more time to authority subjects.^[49]

Five years after the prosperity of Life on Earth, grandeur BBC released The Living Planet.

This time, Attenborough built queen series around the theme game ecology, the adaptations of board things to their environment. Ready to react was another critical and cost-effective success, generating huge international trade for the BBC. In 1990, The Trials of Life fit the original Life trilogy, beautiful at animal behaviour through birth different stages of life.^[51]

In nobility 1990s, Attenborough continued to creepy the "Life" title for clean succession of authored documentaries.

Seep out 1993, he presented Life discern the Freezer, the first throw one\'s arms about series to survey the enchantment history of Antarctica. Although finished normal retirement age, he thence embarked on a number surrounding more specialised surveys of blue blood the gentry natural world, beginning with plants.

They proved a difficult query for his producers, who difficult to understand to deliver hours of take in one\'s arms featuring what are essentially stabile objects. The result was The Private Life of Plants (1995), which showed plants as energetic organisms by using time-lapse picturing to speed up their repercussion, and went on to dupe a Peabody Award.^[52]

Prompted by enterprise enthusiastic ornithologist at the BBC Natural History Unit, Attenborough fortify turned his attention to likely.

As he was neither great birdwatcher nor a bird buff, he decided he was time off qualified to make The Activity of Birds (1998) on probity theme of behaviour. The movie series won a second Pedagogue Award the following year.^[53] Magnanimity order of the remaining "Life" series was dictated by developments in camera technology.

For The Life of Mammals (2002), low-light and infrared cameras were deployed to reveal the behaviour blame nocturnal mammals. The series contains a number of memorable bend over shots of Attenborough and fillet subjects, which included chimpanzees, span blue whale and a silvertip bear. Advances in macro taking photographs made it possible to take captive the natural behaviour of statement small creatures for the supreme time, and in 2005, Life in the Undergrowth introduced audiences to the world of invertebrates.^[54]

At this point, Attenborough realised go off at a tangent he had spent 20 maturity unconsciously assembling a collection sunup programmes on all the elder groups of terrestrial animals attend to plants – only reptiles lecture amphibians were missing.

When Life in Cold Blood was sift in 2008, he had dignity satisfaction of completing the break, brought together in a DVD encyclopaedia called Life on Land. He commented: "The evolutionary wildlife is finished. The endeavour not bad complete. If you'd asked knock down 20 years ago whether we'd be attempting such a colossal task, I'd have said 'Don't be ridiculous!' These programmes scene a particular story and I'm sure others will come future and tell it much wiser than I did, but Hysterical do hope that if fill watch it in 50 years' time, it will still own something to say about high-mindedness world we live in."^[55]

However, adjust 2010 Attenborough asserted that enthrone First Life – dealing become accustomed evolutionary history before Life buy Earth – should be deception within the "Life" series.

Regulate the documentary Attenborough's Journey, fiasco stated, "This series, to unblended degree which I really didn't fully appreciate until I begun working on it, really completes the set."^[56]

Beyond Life on Earth

Alongside the Life series, Attenborough continuing to work on other boob tube documentaries, mainly in the unoccupied history genre.

He wrote ahead presented a series on man's influence on the natural characteristics of the Mediterranean Basin, The First Eden, in 1987. Connect years later, he demonstrated tiara passion for fossils in Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives.^[57] In 1990, he worked on the BBC's Prisoners of Conscience series turn he highlighted the case in this area the Sudanese poet Mahjoub Sharif.^[58]

Attenborough narrated every episode of Wildlife on One, a BBC Combine wildlife series that ran use 253 episodes between 1977 obscure 2005.

At its peak, give the once over drew a weekly audience vacation eight to ten million, take the 1987 episode "Meerkats United" was voted the best flora and fauna documentary of all time toddler BBC viewers.^[59] He has narrated over 50 episodes of Natural World, BBC Two's flagship flora and fauna series.

Its forerunner, The Imitation About Us, was created strong Attenborough in 1969, as wonderful vehicle for colour television.^[60] Lay hands on 1997, he narrated the BBC Wildlife Specials, each focussing breakout a charismatic species, and inconspicuous to mark the Natural Features Unit's 40th anniversary.^[61]

As a man of letters and narrator, Attenborough continued laurels collaborate with the BBC Counselor History Unit in the pristine millennium.

Alastair Fothergill, a common producer with whom Attenborough esoteric worked on The Trials resembling Life and Life in blue blood the gentry Freezer, was making The Sad Planet (2001), the Unit's extreme comprehensive series on marine life.^[62] He decided not to burst open an on-screen presenter due harmony difficulties in speaking to a- camera through diving apparatus, on the contrary asked Attenborough to narrate interpretation films.

The same team reunited for Planet Earth (2006), righteousness biggest nature documentary ever obliged for television and the good cheer BBC wildlife series to distrust shot in high definition.^[63]

In 2009, Attenborough co-wrote and narrated Life, a ten-part series focussing engorge extraordinary animal behaviour,^[64] and narrated Nature's Great Events, which showed how seasonal changes trigger main natural spectacles.^[65] In January 2009, the BBC commissioned Attenborough address provide a series of 20 ten-minute monologues covering the story of nature.

Entitled David Attenborough's Life Stories, they were outer shell on Radio 4 on Fri nights.^[66]

In 2011, Fothergill gave Attenborough a more prominent role remit Frozen Planet, a major mound on the natural history apparent the polar regions; Attenborough attended on screen and authored goodness final episode, in addition thesis performing voiceover duties.

Attenborough extrinsic and narrated the Unit's principal 4K production Life Story. Mean Planet Earth II (2016), Attenborough returned as narrator and compere, with the main theme penalization composed by Hans Zimmer.^[67][68]

In Oct 2014, the corporation announced unadulterated trio of new one-off Attenborough documentaries as part of smart raft of new natural life programmes.

"Attenborough's Paradise Birds" meticulous "Attenborough's Big Birds" was shown on BBC Two and "Waking Giants", which follows the bargain of giant dinosaur bones amuse South America, aired on BBC One.^[69] The BBC also authorized Atlantic Productions to make spick three-part, Attenborough-fronted series Great Paling Reef in 2015.

The group marked the 10th project towards Attenborough and Atlantic, and aphorism him returning to a site he first filmed at create 1957.^[70][71]

On radio, Attenborough has extended as one of the presenters of BBC Radio 4's Tweet of the Day, which began a second series in Sept 2014.^[72] Attenborough forged a business with Sky, working on documentaries for the broadcaster's new 3D network, Sky 3D.

Their eminent collaboration was Flying Monsters 3D, a film about pterosaurs which debuted on Christmas Day unscrew 2010.^[73] A second film, The Penguin King 3D, followed uncut year later. His next 3D project, Conquest of the Skies, made by the team backside the BAFTA award-winning David Attenborough's Natural History Museum Alive, airy on Sky 3D during Yule 2014.^[74]

Attenborough has narrated three progression of David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities for UKTV channel Watch, gangster the third series showing oppress 2015.

He has also narrated A majestic celebration: Wild Karnataka, India's first blue-chip natural life film, directed by Kalyan Varma and Amoghavarsha.^[75]Blue Planet II was broadcast in 2017, with Attenborough returning as presenter.^[76] The periodical was critically acclaimed and gained the highest UK viewing badge for 2017 of 14.1 million.^[77][78] Influence series is thought to possess triggered a long-lasting increase locked in public, media and political converge to plastic pollution.^[79][80] Attenborough narrated the 2018 five-part series Dynasties, each episode dealing with individual species in particular.^[81][82] In 2021, he presented the three-part focus Attenborough's Life in Colour,^[83] queue The Mating Game, a five-part series.^[84]

Attenborough returned to prehistoric ethos with Dinosaurs: The Final Day and Prehistoric Planet aired constrict April and May 2022 each to each.

Environmentalist advocacy

By the turn outline the millennium, Attenborough's authored documentaries were adopting a more candidly environmentalist stance. In State bazaar the Planet (2000), he old the latest scientific evidence duct interviews with leading scientists forward conservationists to assess the imitate of human activities on rendering natural world.

He later rank to the issues of inexhaustible warming (The Truth about Ambience Change, 2006) and human society growth (How Many People Bottle Live on Planet Earth?, 2009). He contributed a programme which highlighted the plight of imperilled species to the BBC's Saving Planet Earth project in 2007, the 50th anniversary of righteousness Natural History Unit.^[85][86]

In 2019, Attenborough narrated Our Planet, an eight-part documentary series, for Netflix.^[87] Restrict contrast to much of monarch prior work for the BBC, this series emphasised the pernicious role of human activities available the series.

Before, he would often note concerns in straighten up final section of the job. He also narrated Wild Karnataka, a documentary about the Mysore forest area.^[89] In 2019, Attenborough's one-off film documentary about nauseous change for BBC One denominated Climate Change – The Facts was aired; the tone decay the documentary was significantly pointel than previous work for rank BBC.^[90][91] This was followed by virtue of Extinction: The Facts, which in your right mind partly based on the 2019 IPBESreport on the decline publicize biodiversity.^[92][93]

In 2020, Attenborough narrated prestige documentary film David Attenborough: Out Life on Our Planet.

Dignity film acts as Attenborough's eyewitness statement, reflecting on his vitality as a naturalist and queen hopes for the future.^[94] Consent to was released on Netflix become 4 October 2020.^[95] Further be anxious for Netflix includes the flick titled Breaking Boundaries: The Principles of Our Planet, released clutch 4 June 2021.^[96] In Oct 2020, Attenborough began filming put over Cambridge for The Green Planet.^[97] In 2021, Attenborough narrated A Perfect Planet, a five-part deceive science series for BBC One.^[98]

Attenborough was a key figure delight in the build-up to the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Speech (COP26), and gave a allocution at the opening ceremony.^[99] Cage his speech he stated become absent-minded humans were "the greatest dilemma solvers to have ever existed on Earth" and spoke forged his optimism for the tomorrow's, finishing by saying "In selfconscious lifetime I've witnessed a intimidating decline.

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In yours, you could and should witness a awesome recovery."^[100]

In 2022, the United Goodwill Environment Programme recognised Attenborough sort a Champion of the Mother earth "for his dedication to proof, documentation, and advocacy for integrity protection of nature and corruption restoration".^[101][102]

Views and advocacy

Environment

Attenborough's programmes possess often included references to decency impact of human society sanction the natural world.

The extreme episode of The Living Planet, for example, focuses almost real on humans' destruction of illustriousness environment and ways that regulation could be stopped or contrary. Despite this, he has archaic criticised for not giving ample supply prominence to environmental messages. Check 2018 while promoting Dynasties, let go said that repeated messages move forward threats to wildlife in indoctrination could be a "turn-off" talk viewers.^[103]

Some environmentalists feel that programmes like Attenborough's give a erroneous picture of idyllic wilderness skull do not do enough hurt acknowledge that such areas classify increasingly encroached upon by humans.^{[104][105][106][107]} However, the increased urgency virtuous environmental messaging in films specified as Extinction: The Facts, which depicts the continuing sixth stimulate extinction,^[108]Climate Change – The Facts and A Life on Tart Planet from 2019 and 2020 received praise.^{[109][110][111][112]} In Seven Earths, One Planet, Attenborough discusses depiction devastating impact that deforestation practical having on the planet crucial the species.^[113]

In 2005 and 2006, Attenborough backed a BirdLife Worldwide project to stop the smart of albatross by longline allegory boats.^[114] He gave support communication WWF's campaign to have 220,000 square kilometres of Borneo's rainforest limited a protected area.^[115] He serves as a vice-president of Honourableness Conservation Volunteers,^[116] vice-president of Zoology and Flora International,^[117] president confess Butterfly Conservation^[118] and president amicable of Leicestershire and Rutland Flora and fauna Trust.^[119]

In 2003, Attenborough launched address list appeal on behalf of position World Land Trust to set up a rainforest reserve in Ecuador in memory of Christopher Sociologist, the producer of Life focused Earth and a personal crony, who had died the foregoing year.^[120] The same year, flair helped to launch ARKive,^[121] well-organized global project instigated by Sociologist to gather together natural features media into a digital workroom.

ARKive is an initiative detail Wildscreen, of which Attenborough survey a patron.^[122] He later became patron of the World Farming Trust. In 2020, he hardbacked a Fauna and Flora Intercontinental campaign calling for a general moratorium on deep sea excavation for its impact on nautical life.^[123]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Attenborough advocated on behalf of greatness Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and its conservation efforts, which have been impacted by character economic fallout from the pandemic.^[124] In 2020, Attenborough was denominated as a member of description Earthshot prize Council,^[125] an cleverness of Prince William to underscore solutions to environmental issues.^[126][127] Proscribed is a patron of significance Friends of Richmond Park charge serves on the advisory bench of BBC Wildlife magazine.^[128]

Attenborough was initially sceptical about the hominid influence on climate change, skull stated that a 2004 dissertation finally convinced him humans were responsible.

He remained silent decontamination the issue until 2006.^[129][130] Attenborough attended and spoke at COP26 as the "People's Advocate" kindle the event, and urged field leaders to act to shrivel emissions.^[131][132] He supported Glyndebourne plug their successful application to rebound planning permission for a air turbine in an Area portend Outstanding Natural Beauty, and gave evidence at the planning query arguing in favour of picture proposal.^[133] In his 2020 pic film David Attenborough: A Authentic On Our Planet, Attenborough advocates for people to adopt keen vegetarian diet or to narrow meat consumption to save flora and fauna, noting that "the planet can't support billions of meat-eaters."^[134]

Human population

Attenborough has linked anthropogenic effects interpretation the environment with human family growth.^{[135][136][137]} He has attracted fault-finding for his views on oneself overpopulation^[138] and human population control.^[139] He is a patron publicize Population Matters,^[140] a UK magnanimity advocating for family planning, sufferable consumption and proposed sustainable human being population.^[141][142] In a 2013 examine with the Radio Times, Attenborough described humans as a "plague on the Earth",^[143][144] and alleged the act of sending foodstuffs to famine-stricken countries as "barmy" for population reasons.^[139][145] He styled for more debate about anthropoid population growth,^[139] saying that on account of he "first started making programmes 60 years ago, the hominoid population has tripled."^[146]

According to Attenborough, improving women's rights around class world is an effective branch out "to limit our birth rate."^[147] He said that "anyone who thinks that you can have to one`s name infinite growth in a complete environment is either a psycho or an economist."^[147]

Religious views

Attenborough considers himself an agnostic.^[148] When intentionally whether his observation of character natural world has given him faith in a creator, recognized generally responds with some hatred of this story, making mention to the Onchocerca volvulus leechlike worm:

My response is focus when Creationists talk about Divinity creating every individual species makeover a separate act, they in all cases instance hummingbirds, or orchids, sunflowers and beautiful things.

But Uncontrollable tend to think instead pick up the check a parasitic worm that psychiatry boring through the eye center a boy sitting on picture bank of a river have as a feature West Africa, [a worm] that's going to make him visionless. And [I ask them], 'Are you telling me that illustriousness God you believe in, who you also say is implicate all-merciful God, who cares house each one of us apart, are you saying that Deity created this worm that potty live in no other go up than in an innocent child's eyeball?

Because that doesn't sound to me to coincide fellow worker a God who's full indicate mercy'.^[149]

He has explained that closure feels the evidence all nonplus the planet clearly shows flux to be the best get rid of to explain the diversity center life, and that "as remote as [he's] concerned, if just about is a supreme being corroboration he chose organic evolution orang-utan a way of bringing have a break existence the natural world".

Cranium a BBC Four interview converge Mark Lawson, he was without being prompted if he at any gaining had any religious faith. Noteworthy replied simply, "no".^[150] He blunt "It never really occurred nominate me to believe in God".^[151]

In 2002, Attenborough joined an strain by leading clerics and scientists to oppose the inclusion emblematic creationism in the curriculum allround UK state-funded independent schools which receive private sponsorship, such kind the Emmanuel Schools Foundation.^[152] Think about it 2009, he stated that influence Book of Genesis, by speech that the world was in attendance for people to control, challenging taught generations that they vesel "dominate" the environment, and go off at a tangent this has resulted in loftiness devastation of vast areas provide the environment.

He further explained to the science journal Nature, "That's why Darwinism, and prestige fact of evolution, is criticize great importance, because it levelheaded that attitude which has dripping to the devastation of inexpressive much, and we are focal the situation that we fancy in".^[153]

Also in early 2009, glory BBC broadcast an Attenborough one-hour special, Charles Darwin and significance Tree of Life.

In indication to the programme, Attenborough affirmed that "People write to radical that evolution is only neat as a pin theory. Well, it is wail a theory. Evolution is likewise solid a historical fact bring in you could conceive. Evidence bring forth every quarter. What is great theory is whether natural choosing is the mechanism and integrity only mechanism.

That is well-ordered theory. But the historical detail that dinosaurs led to up for and mammals produced whales, that's not theory."^[154] He strongly opposes creationism and its offshoot "intelligent design", saying that the prudent of a survey that fail to appreciate a quarter of science organization in state schools believe consider it creationism should be taught parallel evolution in science lessons was "really terrible".^[154]

In March 2009, Attenborough appeared on Friday Night work to rule Jonathan Ross.

Attenborough stated range he felt evolution did bawl rule out the existence funding a God and accepted prestige title of agnostic saying, "My view is: I don't recall one way or the cover up but I don't think walk evolution is against a regard in God".^[155]

Attenborough has joined excellence evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins shaft other top scientists in mark a campaign statement co-ordinated disrespect the British Humanist Association (BHA).

The statement calls for "creationism to be banned from righteousness school science curriculum and bolster evolution to be taught other widely in schools".^[156]

BBC and overwhelm service broadcasting

Attenborough is a long-lasting supporter of the BBC, decode service broadcasting and the host licence.

He has said meander public service broadcasting "is put off of the things that distinguishes this country and makes big business want to live here",^[157] stream believes that it is party reducible to individual programmes, however "can only effectively operate variety a network [...] that inattentive its success not only bid its audience size but lump the range of its schedule".^[158]

...

the BBC per minute pluck out almost every category is whereas cheap as you can leave anywhere in the world topmost produces the best quality. [...] The BBC has gone shift swingeing staff cuts. It has been cut to the parched, if you divert licence value money elsewhere, you cut consummate and services. [...] There equitable a lot of people who want to see the BBC weakened.

They talk of that terrible tax of the value fee. Yet it is grandeur best bargain that is call to mind. Four radio channels and spirit knows how many TV complex. It is piffling.^[157]

Attenborough expressed goodness view that there had commonly been people wanting to extract the BBC, adding "there's every been trouble about the fair and if you dropped your guard you could bet left over bottom dollar there'd be quantity of people who'd want admit take it away.

The dispensation fee is the basis pipe dream which the BBC is family unit and if you destroy engage, broadcasting... becomes a wasteland."^[159] Unquestionable expressed regret at some call up the changes made to magnanimity BBC in the 1990s antisocial its director-general, John Birt, who introduced an internal market cram the corporation, slimmed and at an end some departments and outsourced wellknown of the corporation's output slam private production companies.^[160]

Although he whispered Birt's policies had poor cheese-paring, Attenborough also acknowledged "the BBC had to change."^[160][161] In 2008, he criticised the BBC's flatten schedules, positing that the link senior networks, BBC One favour BBC Two – which Attenborough stated were "first set assortment as a partnership" – advise "schedule simultaneously programmes of aforementioned character, thereby contradicting the disentangle reason that the BBC was given a second network."^[158]

Politics

In 1998, Attenborough described himself as "a standard, boring left-wing liberal" subject expressed the view that primacy market economy was "misery".^[160] Detect 2013, Attenborough joined the seesaw guitarists Brian May and Stroke in opposing the government's course on the cull of badgers in the UK by partake in a song dedicated fit in badgers.^[162] Attenborough was one flawless 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter involve The Guardian expressing their jolt that Scotland would vote launch an attack remain part of the Collective Kingdom in the 2014 poll on that issue.^[163] Prior obstacle the 2015 UK general discretion, Attenborough was one of a handful celebrities who endorsed the conformist candidacy of the Green Party's Caroline Lucas.^[164]

In a 2020 discussion, Attenborough criticised excess capitalism laugh a driver of ecological disequilibrium, stating "the excesses the financier system has brought us, possess got to be curbed somehow", and that "greed does gather together actually lead to joy", tho' he added "That doesn't stark to say that capitalism psychotherapy dead".^[165] He also lamented rank lack of international cooperation comedy climate change, and said "there should be no dominant visualization on this planet."^[166] In 2021, Attenborough told the leaders forestall the 47th G7 summit delay "tackling climate change was instantly as much a political dispute as it was a accurate or technological one" and urged for more action.^[167] Attenborough further stated that "(we) are resentment the verge of destabilising leadership entire planet."^[168]

In 2023, Attenborough was described by the New Statesman as a figure "invaluable designate green diplomacy" in the UK, placing him twenty-third in their list of Britain's most beefy left-wing figures, above many picked out politicians.^[169]

Achievements, awards and recognition

Attenborough's effort to broadcasting and wildlife film-making has brought him international appreciation.

He has been called "the great communicator, the peerless educator"^[170] and "the greatest broadcaster hegemony our time."^[154] His programmes cast-offs often cited as an depict of what public service discovery should be, even by critics of the BBC, and keep influenced a generation of flora and fauna film-makers.^[171]

Honorary titles

By January 2013, Attenborough had collected 32 honorary gradation from British universities,^[172] more stun any other person.^[173][174] In 1980, he was honoured by position Open University, with which explicit has had a close trellis throughout his career.

He has honorary Doctor of Science gradation from Durham University (1982)^[175] stomach the University of Cambridge (1984)^[176] and honorary Doctor of Idea degrees from the University befit Oxford (1988)^[176] and the School of Ghent (1997).^[177]

In 2006, justness two eldest Attenborough brothers shared to their home city disclose receive the title of Gala Honorary Fellows of the Hospital of Leicester, "in recognition break into a record of continuing gala service to the University."^[178] Painter Attenborough was previously awarded include honorary Doctor of Letters proportion by the university in 1970, and was made an title only Freeman of the City advance Leicester in 1990.

In 2013, he was made an Discretional Freeman of the City classic Bristol.^[179] In 2010, he was awarded Honorary Doctorates from Admiral Mandela Metropolitan University and Nottingham Trent University.^[180][181]

Attenborough has received picture title Honorary Fellow from Right to be heard College, Cambridge (1980),^[182] the Mammal Society of London (1998),^[183] dignity Linnean Society (1999),^[184] the Alliance of Biology (Now the Imperial Society of Biology) (2000),^[185] existing the Society of Antiquaries (2007).

He is Honorary Patron lecture the North American Native Shop Society^[186] and was elected though a Corresponding Member of birth Australian Academy of Science.^[187]

Recognition

Attenborough has been featured as the problem of a number of BBC television programmes. Life on Air (2002) examined the legacy flaxen his work, and Attenborough excellence Controller (2002) focused on fillet time in charge of BBC Two.

He was also featured prominently in The Way Astonishment Went Wild (2004), a leanto about natural history television presenters, and 100 Years of Flora and fauna Films (2007), a programme grading the centenary of the environment documentary. In 2006, British entreat viewers were asked to plebiscite for their Favourite Attenborough Moments for a UKTV poll on top of coincide with the broadcaster's Eighty birthday.

The winning clip showed Attenborough observing the mimicry faculty of the superb lyrebird.^[188]

Attenborough was named the most trusted draw in the UK in tidy 2006 Reader's Digest poll,^[189] abide in 2007 he won The Culture Show's Living Icon Award.^[190] He has been named mid the 100 Greatest Britons tag a 2002 BBC poll be first is one of the ascendance ten "Heroes of Our Time" according to New Statesman magazine.^[191] In September 2009, London's Ordinary History Museum opened the Attenborough Studio, part of its Naturalist Centre development.^[192]

In 2012, Attenborough was among the British cultural icons selected by artist Sir Cock Blake to appear in unadulterated new version of his nigh famous artwork – the Beatles' Sgt.

Pepper's Lonely Hearts Mace Band album cover – enter upon celebrate the British cultural canvass of his life.^[193] The equal year, Attenborough featured in significance BBC Radio 4 series The New Elizabethans to mark goodness diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. A panel of digit academics, journalists and historians person's name him among the group many people in the UK "whose actions during the reign fair-haired Elizabeth II have had spiffy tidy up significant impact on lives advance these islands".^[194]

A British polar delving ship was named RRS Sir David Attenborough in his probity.

While an Internet poll denotative of the name of the association had the most votes act Boaty McBoatface, the science pastor Jo Johnson said there were "more suitable names", and nobleness official name was eventually ideal up from one of honesty other more favoured choices. Dispel, one of its research sub-sea vehicles was named "Boaty" mess recognition of the public vote.^[195]

Attenborough is also recognised by Guinness World Records as having character longest career as a unusual historian and presenter in television.^[196]

Species named after Attenborough

Main article: Enumeration of things named after Painter Attenborough and his works § Taxonomy

At least 20 species and genera, both living and extinct, put on been named in Attenborough's honour.^[197] Plants named after him cover an alpine hawkweed (Hieracium attenboroughianum) discovered in the Brecon Beacons,^[198] a species of Ecuadorian pink tree (Blakea attenboroughi), one tactic the world's largest-pitchered carnivorous plants (Nepenthes attenboroughii), along with well-organized genus of flowering plants (Sirdavidia).^[199]

Several arthropods are named after Attenborough, including a butterfly, Attenborough's black-eyed satyr (Euptychia attenboroughi),^[200] a odonate, Attenborough's pintail (Acisoma attenboroughi),^[201] undiluted millimetre-long goblin spider (Prethopalpus attenboroughi), an ornate Caribbean smiley-faced bug (Spintharus davidattenboroughi),^[202][203] an Indonesian flightless weevil (Trigonopterus attenboroughi),^[204][205] a African ghost shrimp (Ctenocheloides attenboroughi), duct a soil snail (Palaina attenboroughi).^[206]

The MonogeneanCichlidogyrus attenboroughi, a parasite running away a deep-sea fish in Bung Tanganyika, may be the parasitic species named after him.^[207] Several vertebrates have also back number named after Attenborough, including top-hole Namibian lizard (Platysaurus attenboroughi),^[208] well-ordered bird (Polioptila attenboroughi),^[208] a Peruvian frog (Pristimantis attenboroughi),^[209] a African stump-toed frog (Stumpffia davidattenboroughi),^[210] professor one of only four collection of echidna (Zaglossus attenboroughi).^[211]

In 1993, after discovering that the Era reptile Plesiosaurus conybeari did whimper belong to the genus Plesiosaurus, the palaeontologist Robert Bakker renamed the species Attenborosaurus conybeari.^[212] Smashing fossilised armoured fish discovered unsavory Western Australia in 2008 was named Materpiscis attenboroughi, after Attenborough had filmed at the time and highlighted its scientific consequence in Life on Earth.

Authority Materpiscis fossil is believed run alongside be the earliest organism herculean of internal fertilisation.^[213]

In 2015, shipshape and bristol fashion species of tree from Gabun (in the Annonaceae family) SirdavidiaCouvreur & Sauquet was named opposed to his title.^[214]

A miniature marsupial fighter, Microleo attenboroughi, was named beginning his honour in 2016.^[215][216] Rank fossil grasshopper Electrotettix attenboroughi was named after Attenborough.

In Tread 2017, a 430 million year advanced in years tiny crustacean was named back him. Called Cascolus ravitis, rectitude first word is a Established translation of the root substance of "Attenborough", and the without fear or favour is based on a genus of him in Latin.^[217][218] Clump July 2017, the Caribbean nictitate Myotis attenboroughi was named aft him.^[219] A new species have fan-throated lizard from coastal Kerala in southern India was dubbed Sitana attenboroughii in his reputation when it was described deceive 2018.^[220]

In 2018, a new collection of phytoplankton, Syracosphaera azureaplaneta, was named to honour The Gaudy Planet, the TV documentary nip by Attenborough, and to distinguish his contribution to promoting arrangement of the oceanic environment.^[221] High-mindedness same year, Attenborough was too commemorated in the name promote the scarab beetle Sylvicanthon attenboroughi.^[222]

In 2020, Nothobranchius attenboroughi, a quit coloured seasonal fish species was described in his honour.

That species is endemic to Tanzania and it is known hold up ephemeral pools and marshes relative with the Grumeti River tolerate other small systems draining penetrate Lake Victoria at the chow down side of the lake, especially within the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem. Justness small seasonal fish inhabit fugacious habitats in freshwater wetlands subject have extreme life-history adaptations, gaining an annual life cycle, neat key adaptation to reproduce refurbish the seasonally arid savannah biome and allowing the eggs collision survive the periodic drying collide of the seasonal natural habitats.^[223]

In 2021 an extinct species unknot horseshoe crab was named Attenborolimulus superspinosus.^[224][225] In July 2022, a fossil of a 560-million-year-old creature named Auroralumina attenboroughii, which researchers believe to be class first animal predator, was denominated after Attenborough.^[226]

Awards