British broadcaster and naturalist (born 1926)
"Sir David Attenborough" redirects relating to. For the Antarctic research valley, see RRS Sir David Attenborough.
Sir David Frederick Attenborough (; best 8 May 1926) is natty British broadcaster, biologist, natural scholar, and writer.
He is beat known for writing and giving, in conjunction with the BBC Studios Natural History Unit, probity nine nature documentary series coordination the Life collection, a complete survey of animal and workroom life on Earth.
Attenborough was a senior manager at loftiness BBC, having served as governor of BBC Two and administrator of programming for BBC Seethe in the 1960s and Decennary.
First becoming prominent as innkeeper of Zoo Quest in 1954, his filmography as writer, entertainer and narrator has spanned commerce decades; it includes Natural World, Wildlife on One, the Planet Earth franchise, The Blue Planet and its sequel. He abridge the only person to keep won BAFTA Awards in jet and white, colour, high-definition, 3D and 4K resolution.
Over top life he has collected piles of honorary degrees and brownie points, including three Emmy Awards assistance Outstanding Narration.
While Attenborough's before work focused primarily on rectitude wonders of the natural globe, his later work has archaic more vocal in support look up to environmental causes.
He has advocated for restoring planetary biodiversity, bounding population growth, switching to renewable energy, mitigating climate change, dropping meat consumption, and setting insertion more areas for natural retention. On his broadcasting and hobby for nature, NPR stated Attenborough "roamed the globe and public his discoveries and enthusiasms proper his patented semi-whisper way fail narrating".[2] He is widely reputed a national treasure in character UK, although he himself does not embrace the term.[3][4][5]
David Frederick Attenborough was original on 8 May 1926 give back Isleworth, Middlesex,[6][7] and grew have room for in College House on decency campus of the University position Leicester, where his father, Town, was principal.[8] He is magnanimity middle of three sons; government elder brother, Richard, became authentic actor and director, and reward younger brother, John, was fleece executive at the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo.[9] During justness Second World War, through far-out British volunteer network known renovation the Refugee Children's Movement, top parents also fostered two Human refugee girls from Germany.[10]
Attenborough exhausted his childhood collecting fossils, stones, and natural specimens.[11] He everyday encouragement when a young Jacquetta Hawkes admired his collection.[12] Pacify spent much time in depiction grounds of the university.
Venerable around 11, he heard ditch the zoology department needed keen large supply of newts, which he offered through his pop to supply for 3d scolding. The source, which he outspoken not reveal at the spell, was a pond adjacent have knowledge of the department.[13] A year succeeding, his adoptive sister Marianne gave him a piece of yellow-brown containing prehistoric creatures; some 60 years later, it would carbon copy the focus of his contrivance The Amber Time Machine.[14]
In 1936, Attenborough and his brother Richard attended a lecture by Colourless Owl (Archibald Belaney) at To the rear Montfort Hall, Leicester, and were influenced by his advocacy conjure conservation.
According to Richard, Painter was "bowled over by significance man's determination to save magnanimity beaver, by his profound understanding of the flora and animal of the Canadian wilderness endure by his warnings of environment disaster should the delicate estimate between them be destroyed. Description idea that mankind was endangering nature by recklessly despoiling keep from plundering its riches was out of earshot of at the time, on the other hand it is one that has remained part of Dave's ground credo to this day."[15] Mission 1999, Richard directed a biopic of Belaney entitled Grey Owl.[16]
Attenborough was educated at Wyggeston Discipline School for Boys in Leicester.[17] He won a scholarship realize Clare College, Cambridge in 1945 to study geology and fauna and obtained a degree delight in natural sciences.[18] In 1947, no problem was called up for strong service in the Royal Flotilla and spent two years stationed in North Wales and integrity Firth of Forth.[12] In 1950, Attenborough married Jane Elizabeth Ebsworth Oriel.
The couple had flash children, Robert and Susan. Jane died in 1997.[19] Robert quite good a senior lecturer in bioanthropology for the School of Archeology and Anthropology at the Denizen National University in Canberra.[20][21] Susan is a former primary college headmistress.[17]
Attenborough had a pacemaker tailored in June 2013 as nicely 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 bargain glad indeed to stop.
On the contrary I'm not. I'm swanning ringshaped the world looking at primacy most fabulously interesting things. Much good fortune."[23]
After leaving the navy, Attenborough took a position editing trainee science textbooks for a promulgating company.
He soon became disenchanted with the work and hostage 1950 applied for a berth as a radio talk grower with the BBC.[24] Although unwind was rejected for this costeffective, his CV later attracted excellence interest of Mary Adams, intellect of the Talks (factual broadcasting) department of the BBC's fledged television service.[25] Attenborough, like uttermost Britons at that time, upfront not own a television, extort he had seen only separate programme in his life.[26]
He pitch Adams' offer of a three-month training course.
In 1952 unquestionable joined the BBC full-time. At first discouraged from appearing on camera because Adams thought his bolt from the blue were too big,[24] he became a producer for the Negotiate department, which handled all non-fiction broadcasts. His early projects counted the quiz show Animal, Bush, Mineral? and Song Hunter, on the rocks series about folk music nip by Alan Lomax.[24]
Attenborough's association refined natural history programmes began during the time that he produced and presented rendering three-part series Animal Patterns. Probity studio-bound programme featured animals escape London Zoo, with the ecologist Julian Huxley discussing their transfix of camouflage, aposematism and romance displays.
Through this programme, Attenborough met Jack Lester, the administrator of the zoo's reptile council house, and they decided to get done a series about an animal-collecting expedition. The result was Zoo Quest, first broadcast in 1954, where Attenborough became the advocate at short notice due alongside Lester being taken ill.[27]
In 1957, the BBC Natural History Private residence was formally established in City.
Attenborough was asked to skirt it, but declined, not longing to move from London annulus he and his young consanguinity were settled. Instead, he educated his own department, the Tourism and Exploration Unit,[28] which licit him to continue to obverse Zoo Quest as well bring in produce other documentaries, notably loftiness Travellers' Tales and Adventure series.[28] In the early 1960s, Attenborough resigned from the permanent truncheon of the BBC to glance at for a postgraduate degree rise social anthropology at the Author School of Economics, interweaving rule study with further filming.[29] Even, he accepted an invitation expel return to the BBC hoot controller of BBC Two beforehand he could finish the degree.[30]
Attenborough became Controller of BBC Two in March 1965, next Michael Peacock.[31] He had boss clause inserted in his occupational that would allow him become continue making programmes on be over occasional basis.
Later the corresponding year he filmed elephants snare Tanzania, and in 1969 loosen up made a three-part series inclusive the cultural history of rank Indonesian island of Bali. Tight spot the 1971 film A Harsh on the Map, he linked the first Western expedition be bounded by a remote highland valley rafter New Guinea to seek dispensing a lost tribe.[32]
BBC Two was launched in 1964, but abstruse struggled to capture the public's imagination.
When Attenborough arrived whilst controller, he quickly abolished authority channel's quirky kangaroo mascot ground shook up the schedule. Accelerate a mission to make BBC Two's output diverse and unalike from that offered by mess up networks, he began to ignoble a portfolio of programmes guarantee defined the channel's identity school decades to come.
Under tenure, music, the arts, cheer, archaeology, experimental comedy, travel, stage play, sport, business, science and pure history all found a badly chosen in the weekly schedules. Commonly, an eclectic mix was offered within a single evening's point of view. Programmes he commissioned included Man Alive, Call My Bluff, Chronicle, Match of the Day, The Old Grey Whistle Test, Monty Python's Flying Circus and The Money Programme.[33] With the appearance of colour television, Attenborough floor snooker to the BBC be show the benefits of honourableness format, as the sport uses coloured balls.[34] The show – Pot Black – was consequent credited with the boom finance the sport into the 1980s.[35]
One of his most significant decisions was to order a 13-part series on the history most recent Western art, to show estrangement the quality of the creative UHF colour television service delay BBC Two offered.
Broadcast put on universal acclaim in 1969, Civilisation set the blueprint for tutor authored documentaries, which were colloquially known as "sledgehammer" projects.[36][37] Remnants followed, including Jacob Bronowski's The Ascent of Man (also authorized by Attenborough), and Alistair Cooke's America.
Attenborough thought that leadership story of evolution would snigger a natural subject for specified a series. He shared queen idea with Christopher Parsons, copperplate producer at the Natural Portrayal Unit, who came up inspect a title Life on Earth and returned to Bristol in the vicinity of start planning the series. Attenborough harboured a strong desire elect present the series himself, on the contrary this would not be doable so long as he remained in a management post.[38]
While utilize charge of BBC Two, Attenborough turned down Terry Wogan's ecologically aware application to be a donor on the channel, stating delay there weren't any suitable vacancies.
The channel already had involve Irish announcer, with Attenborough organization in 2016: "To have difficult two Irishmen presenting on BBC Two would have looked weird. This is no comment at all on Terry Wogan's talents."[39] Attenborough has also acknowledged that smartness sanctioned the wiping of supervisor output during this period lock cut costs, including a convoy by Alan Bennett, which elegance later regretted.[40]
In 1969, Attenborough was promoted to director of programmes, making him responsible for picture output of both BBC channels.[41] His tasks, which included concerted budgets, attending board meetings folk tale firing staff, were now a good removed from the business longawaited filming programmes.
When Attenborough's title was being suggested as out candidate for the position flawless Director-General of the BBC blackhead 1972, he phoned his monk Richard to confess that without fear had no appetite for prestige job. Early the following gathering, he left his post spotlight return to full-time programme-making, termination him free to write cope with present the planned natural portrayal epic.[11]
After his resignation, Attenborough became a freelance broadcaster and in progress work on his next design, a trip to Indonesia crash a crew from the Delightful History Unit.
It resulted personal the 1973 series Eastwards involve Attenborough, which was similar sight tone to the earlier Zoo Quest; the main difference was the introduction of colour. Attenborough stated that he wanted beside work in Asia, because past nature documentaries had mostly persistent on Africa.[42] That year, Attenborough was invited to deliver illustriousness Royal Institution Christmas Lecture fasten down The Language of Animals.[43] Aft his work on Eastwards restore Attenborough, he began to operate on the scripts for Life on Earth.[44]
Due to the degree of his ambition, the BBC decided to partner with contain American network to secure authority necessary funding.
While the transactions were proceeding, he worked stimulation a number of other commentators projects. He presented a focus on tribal art (The Folk Eye, 1975) and another check up the voyages of discovery (The Explorers, 1975).[44] He presented copperplate BBC children's series about cryptozoology entitled Fabulous Animals (1975), which featured mythical creatures such makeover mermaids and unicorns.[45] Eventually, primacy BBC signed a co-production look like with Turner Broadcasting and Life on Earth moved into selling in 1976.[46] In 1979, significant visited China and reported conceal the West for the principal time about China's one-child policy.[47]
See also: The Life Collection
Beginning with Life on Earth mould 1979, Attenborough set about creating a body of work which became a benchmark of subtle in wildlife film-making, and swayed a generation of documentary film-makers.
The series established many weekend away the hallmarks of the BBC's natural history output. By treating his subject seriously and inspect the latest discoveries, Attenborough settle down his production team gained greatness trust of scientists, who responded by allowing him to naked truth their subjects in his programmes.[48]
Innovation was another factor in Life on Earth's success: new film-making techniques were devised to shop for the shots Attenborough wanted, crash a focus on events stand for animals that were up farm then unfilmed.
International air make a journey enabled the series to nurture devised so that Attenborough visited several locations around the field in each episode, sometimes securely changing continents in one immaterial. Although appearing as the on-screen presenter, he restricted his gaining on camera to give addition time to his subjects.[49]
Five ripen after the success of Life on Earth, the BBC unattached The Living Planet.
This again and again, Attenborough built his series encompassing the theme of ecology, magnanimity adaptations of living things be proof against their environment. It was recourse critical and commercial success, generating huge international sales for rectitude BBC. In 1990, The Trials of Life completed the initial Life trilogy, looking at living thing behaviour through the different judgment of life.[51]
In the 1990s, Attenborough continued to use the "Life" title for a succession substantiation authored documentaries.
In 1993, of course presented Life in the Freezer, the first television series make sure of survey the natural history pleasant Antarctica. Although past normal isolation age, he then embarked result a number of more specialized surveys of the natural terra, beginning with plants. They tested a difficult subject for fulfil producers, who had to dish out hours of television featuring what are essentially immobile objects.
Justness result was The Private Discrimination of Plants (1995), which showed plants as dynamic organisms get by without using time-lapse photography to insensitive up their growth, and went on to earn a Pedagogue Award.[52]
Prompted by an enthusiastic zoologist at the BBC Natural Narration Unit, Attenborough then turned monarch attention to birds.
As flair was neither a birdwatcher unheard of a bird expert, he positive he was better qualified discover make The Life of Birds (1998) on the theme go along with behaviour. The documentary series won a second Peabody Award primacy following year.[53] The order decompose the remaining "Life" series was dictated by developments in camera technology.
For The Life give a rough idea Mammals (2002), low-light and frequence cameras were deployed to narrate the behaviour of nocturnal mammals. The series contains a publication of memorable two shots medium Attenborough and his subjects, which included chimpanzees, a blue search and a grizzly bear. Advances in macro photography made point in the right direction possible to capture the maharishi behaviour of very small creatures for the first time, ahead in 2005, Life in authority Undergrowth introduced audiences to picture world of invertebrates.[54]
At this knock over, Attenborough realised that he esoteric spent 20 years unconsciously assembly a collection of programmes revive all the major groups try to be like terrestrial animals and plants – only reptiles and amphibians were missing.
When Life in Freezing Blood was broadcast in 2008, he had the satisfaction ceremony completing the set, brought closely packed in a DVD encyclopaedia christened Life on Land. He commented: "The evolutionary history is ended. The endeavour is complete. Supposing you'd asked me 20 time eon ago whether we'd be attempting such a mammoth task, I'd have said 'Don't be ridiculous!' These programmes tell a wholly story and I'm sure austerity will come along and divulge it much better than Frantic did, but I do desire that if people watch boot out in 50 years' time, passive will still have something get as far as say about the world surprise live in."[55]
However, in 2010 Attenborough asserted that his First Life – dealing with evolutionary record before Life on Earth – should be included within primacy "Life" series.
In the movie Attenborough's Journey, he stated, "This series, to a degree which I really didn't fully make real until I started working fall it, really completes the set."[56]
Alongside the Life series, Attenborough continued to labour on other television documentaries, principally in the natural history schoolroom.
He wrote and presented spruce up series on man's influence limitation the natural history of class Mediterranean Basin, The First Eden, in 1987. Two years posterior, he demonstrated his passion go allout for fossils in Lost Worlds, Mislaid Lives.[57] In 1990, he assumed on the BBC's Prisoners time off Conscience series where he highlighted the case of the African poet Mahjoub Sharif.[58]
Attenborough narrated the whole number episode of Wildlife on One, a BBC One wildlife keep in shape that ran for 253 episodes between 1977 and 2005.
Spokesperson its peak, it drew tidy weekly audience of eight tip ten million, and the 1987 episode "Meerkats United" was favorite the best wildlife documentary invoke all time by BBC viewers.[59] He has narrated over 50 episodes of Natural World, BBC Two's flagship wildlife series. Untruthfulness forerunner, The World About Us, was created by Attenborough coerce 1969, as a vehicle gather colour television.[60] In 1997, fiasco narrated the BBC Wildlife Specials, each focussing on a charming species, and screened to blemish the Natural History Unit's Fortieth anniversary.[61]
As a writer and storyteller, Attenborough continued to collaborate touch the BBC Natural History Section in the new millennium.
Ismeta dervoz krvavac biography flaxen abrahamAlastair Fothergill, a familiar producer with whom Attenborough abstruse worked on The Trials commuter boat Life and Life in nobility Freezer, was making The Posh Planet (2001), the Unit's chief comprehensive series on marine life.[62] He decided not to stock an on-screen presenter due unity difficulties in speaking to tidy camera through diving apparatus, nevertheless asked Attenborough to narrate distinction films.
The same team reunited for Planet Earth (2006), excellence biggest nature documentary ever grateful for television and the leading BBC wildlife series to examine shot in high definition.[63]
In 2009, Attenborough co-wrote and narrated Life, a ten-part series focussing denunciation extraordinary animal behaviour,[64] and narrated Nature's Great Events, which showed how seasonal changes trigger older natural spectacles.[65] In January 2009, the BBC commissioned Attenborough shape provide a series of 20 ten-minute monologues covering the depiction of nature.
Entitled David Attenborough's Life Stories, they were originate on Radio 4 on Weekday nights.[66]
In 2011, Fothergill gave Attenborough a more prominent role prank Frozen Planet, a major convoy on the natural history atlas the polar regions; Attenborough developed on screen and authored representation final episode, in addition supplement performing voiceover duties.
Attenborough imported and narrated the Unit's supreme 4K production Life Story. School Planet Earth II (2016), Attenborough returned as narrator and landlord, with the main theme congregation composed by Hans Zimmer.[67][68]
In Oct 2014, the corporation announced neat trio of new one-off Attenborough documentaries as part of efficient raft of new natural scenery programmes.
"Attenborough's Paradise Birds" lecturer "Attenborough's Big Birds" was shown on BBC Two and "Waking Giants", which follows the origination of giant dinosaur bones appearance South America, aired on BBC One.[69] The BBC also authorised Atlantic Productions to make organized three-part, Attenborough-fronted series Great Fence Reef in 2015.
The lean-to marked the 10th project want badly Attenborough and Atlantic, and gnome him returning to a site he first filmed at send 1957.[70][71]
On radio, Attenborough has prolonged 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 set with Sky, working on documentaries for the broadcaster's new 3D network, Sky 3D.
Their principal collaboration was Flying Monsters 3D, a film about pterosaurs which debuted on Christmas Day unredeemed 2010.[73] A second film, The Penguin King 3D, followed well-ordered year later. His next 3D project, Conquest of the Skies, made by the team give up the BAFTA award-winning David Attenborough's Natural History Museum Alive, golden on Sky 3D during Yule 2014.[74]
Attenborough has narrated three periodical of David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities for UKTV channel Watch, do better than the third series showing hostage 2015.
He has also narrated A majestic celebration: Wild Karnataka, India's first blue-chip natural story film, directed by Kalyan Varma and Amoghavarsha.[75]Blue Planet II was broadcast in 2017, with Attenborough returning as presenter.[76] The collection was critically acclaimed and gained the highest UK viewing shape for 2017 of 14.1 million.[77][78] Probity series is thought to imitate triggered a long-lasting increase decline public, media and political heed to plastic pollution.[79][80] Attenborough narrated the 2018 five-part series Dynasties, each episode dealing with see to species in particular.[81][82] In 2021, he presented the three-part apartment Attenborough's Life in Colour,[83] swallow The Mating Game, a five-part series.[84]
Attenborough returned to prehistoric poised with Dinosaurs: The Final Day and Prehistoric Planet aired surprise April and May 2022 mutatis mutandis.
By the turn ferryboat the millennium, Attenborough's authored documentaries were adopting a more frankly environmentalist stance. In State summarize the Planet (2000), he softhearted the latest scientific evidence impressive interviews with leading scientists viewpoint conservationists to assess the strength of human activities on integrity natural world.
He later sordid to the issues of unbounded warming (The Truth about Conditions under the we Change, 2006) and human the community growth (How Many People Glare at Live on Planet Earth?, 2009). He contributed a programme which highlighted the plight of threatened species to the BBC's Saving Planet Earth project in 2007, the 50th anniversary of representation Natural History Unit.[85][86]
In 2019, Attenborough narrated Our Planet, an eight-part documentary series, for Netflix.[87] Concentrated contrast to much of king prior work for the BBC, this series emphasised the baneful role of human activities from beginning to end the series.
Before, he would often note concerns in tidy final section of the pointless. He also narrated Wild Karnataka, a documentary about the State forest area.[89] In 2019, Attenborough's one-off film documentary about feeling change for BBC One baptized Climate Change – The Facts was aired; the tone oppress the documentary was significantly pointrel than previous work for high-mindedness BBC.[90][91] This was followed next to Extinction: The Facts, which quite good partly based on the 2019 IPBESreport on the decline cue biodiversity.[92][93]
In 2020, Attenborough narrated interpretation documentary film David Attenborough: Put in order Life on Our Planet.
Influence film acts as Attenborough's beholder statement, reflecting on his vocation as a naturalist and reward hopes for the future.[94] Pass was released on Netflix insults 4 October 2020.[95] Further have an effect for Netflix includes the pic titled Breaking Boundaries: The Technique of Our Planet, released inclusive 4 June 2021.[96] In Oct 2020, Attenborough began filming hassle Cambridge for The Green Planet.[97] In 2021, Attenborough narrated A Perfect Planet, a five-part truthful science series for BBC One.[98]
Attenborough was a key figure regulate the build-up to the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Seminar (COP26), and gave a allocution at the opening ceremony.[99] Bother his speech he stated desert humans were "the greatest fret solvers to have ever existed on Earth" and spoke make acquainted his optimism for the tomorrow's, finishing by saying "In nuts lifetime I've witnessed a abysmal decline.
In yours, you could and should witness a marvellous recovery."[100]
In 2022, the United Altruism Environment Programme recognised Attenborough laugh a Champion of the Rake "for his dedication to test, documentation, and advocacy for picture protection of nature and neat restoration".[101][102]
Attenborough's programmes take often included references to authority impact of human society champion the natural world.
The mug episode of The Living Planet, for example, focuses almost one hundred per cent on humans' destruction of rendering environment and ways that announce could be stopped or reverse. Despite this, he has antediluvian criticised for not giving satisfactory prominence to environmental messages. Bind 2018 while promoting Dynasties, sharptasting said that repeated messages carry out threats to wildlife in indoctrination could be a "turn-off" nip in the bud viewers.[103]
Some environmentalists feel that programmes like Attenborough's give a mistaken picture of idyllic wilderness ray do not do enough become acknowledge that such areas downside increasingly encroached upon by humans.[104][105][106][107] However, the increased urgency be partial to environmental messaging in films much as Extinction: The Facts, which depicts the continuing sixth reprieve extinction,[108]Climate Change – The Facts and A Life on Definite Planet from 2019 and 2020 received praise.[109][110][111][112] In Seven Greatly, One Planet, Attenborough discusses high-mindedness devastating impact that deforestation survey having on the planet with the species.[113]
In 2005 and 2006, Attenborough backed a BirdLife General project to stop the carnage of albatross by longline allegory boats.[114] He gave support equal WWF's campaign to have 220,000 square kilometres of Borneo's rainforest included a protected area.[115] He serves as a vice-president of Blue blood the gentry Conservation Volunteers,[116] vice-president of Animal and Flora International,[117] president come close to Butterfly Conservation[118] and president outgoing of Leicestershire and Rutland Flora and fauna Trust.[119]
In 2003, Attenborough launched resourcefulness appeal on behalf of illustriousness World Land Trust to transcribe a rainforest reserve in Ecuador in memory of Christopher Sociologist, the producer of Life acquittal Earth and a personal observer, who had died the past year.[120] The same year, crystal-clear helped to launch ARKive,[121] topping global project instigated by Sociologist to gather together natural story media into a digital think over.
ARKive is an initiative deserve Wildscreen, of which Attenborough hype a patron.[122] He later became patron of the World Cape Trust. In 2020, he hardback a Fauna and Flora Cosmopolitan campaign calling for a extensive moratorium on deep sea ancestry for its impact on seafaring life.[123]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Attenborough advocated on behalf of dignity Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and its conservation efforts, which have been impacted by grandeur economic fallout from the pandemic.[124] In 2020, Attenborough was labelled as a member of magnanimity Earthshot prize Council,[125] an quick-wittedness of Prince William to track down solutions to environmental issues.[126][127] Grace is a patron of illustriousness Friends of Richmond Park instruct serves on the advisory plank of BBC Wildlife magazine.[128]
Attenborough was initially sceptical about the anthropoid influence on climate change, instruction stated that a 2004 speech finally convinced him humans were responsible.
He remained silent alteration the issue until 2006.[129][130] Attenborough attended and spoke at COP26 as the "People's Advocate" letch for the event, and urged nature leaders to act to chop emissions.[131][132] He supported Glyndebourne keep in check their successful application to trace planning permission for a breeze turbine in an Area have a high opinion of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and gave evidence at the planning search arguing in favour of grandeur proposal.[133] In his 2020 picture film David Attenborough: A Self-possessed On Our Planet, Attenborough advocates for people to adopt out vegetarian diet or to intersect meat consumption to save flora and fauna, noting that "the planet can't support billions of meat-eaters."[134]
Attenborough has linked anthropogenic effects subtext the environment with human the community growth.[135][136][137] He has attracted evaluation for his views on living soul overpopulation[138] and human population control.[139] He is a patron confiscate Population Matters,[140] a UK liberality advocating for family planning, sufferable consumption and proposed sustainable being population.[141][142] In a 2013 press conference with the Radio Times, Attenborough described humans as a "plague on the Earth",[143][144] and alleged the act of sending aliment to famine-stricken countries as "barmy" for population reasons.[139][145] He styled for more debate about hominoid population growth,[139] saying that thanks to he "first started making programmes 60 years ago, the living soul population has tripled."[146]
According to Attenborough, improving women's rights around rectitude world is an effective break away from "to limit our birth rate."[147] He said that "anyone who thinks that you can hold infinite growth in a finish environment is either a insane person or an economist."[147]
Attenborough considers himself an agnostic.[148] When gratis whether his observation of blue blood the gentry natural world has given him faith in a creator, fiasco generally responds with some secret code of this story, making citation to the Onchocerca volvulus parasitical worm:
My response is focus when Creationists talk about Demiurge creating every individual species variety a separate act, they at all times instance hummingbirds, or orchids, sunflowers and beautiful things.
But Uncontrollable tend to think instead weekend away a parasitic worm that admiration boring through the eye possess a boy sitting on goodness bank of a river market West Africa, [a worm] that's going to make him eyeless. And [I ask them], 'Are you telling me that probity God you believe in, who you also say is veto all-merciful God, who cares symbolize each one of us separately, are you saying that Demiurge created this worm that stool live in no other evade than in an innocent child's eyeball?
Because that doesn't have all the hallmarks to me to coincide bang into a God who's full friendly mercy'.[149]
He has explained that closure feels the evidence all help the planet clearly shows become to be the best bully to explain the diversity endowment life, and that "as faraway as [he's] concerned, if round is a supreme being next he chose organic evolution brand a way of bringing be liked existence the natural world".
Slice a BBC Four interview fumble Mark Lawson, he was on purpose if he at any leave to another time had any religious faith. Appease replied simply, "no".[150] He whispered "It never really occurred constitute me to believe in God".[151]
In 2002, Attenborough joined an labour by leading clerics and scientists to oppose the inclusion dying creationism in the curriculum always UK state-funded independent schools which receive private sponsorship, such similarly the Emmanuel Schools Foundation.[152] Go to see 2009, he stated that rendering Book of Genesis, by aphorism that the world was forth for people to control, confidential taught generations that they commode "dominate" the environment, and lose one\'s train of thought this has resulted in interpretation devastation of vast areas realize the environment.
He further explained to the science journal Nature, "That's why Darwinism, and nobleness fact of evolution, is look after great importance, because it equitable that attitude which has with nothing on to the devastation of inexpressive much, and we are blot the situation that we musical in".[153]
Also in early 2009, probity BBC broadcast an Attenborough one-hour special, Charles Darwin and picture Tree of Life.
In allusion to the programme, Attenborough suspected that "People write to consider that evolution is only orderly theory. Well, it is party a theory. Evolution is bit solid a historical fact by the same token you could conceive. Evidence expend every quarter. What is excellent theory is whether natural assortment is the mechanism and interpretation only mechanism.
That is dialect trig theory. But the historical genuineness that dinosaurs led to plucky and mammals produced whales, that's not theory."[154] He strongly opposes creationism and its offshoot "intelligent design", saying that the conservative of a survey that establish a quarter of science lecturers in state schools believe make certain creationism should be taught abut evolution in science lessons was "really terrible".[154]
In March 2009, Attenborough appeared on Friday Night junk Jonathan Ross.
Attenborough stated mosey he felt evolution did troupe rule out the existence last part a God and accepted prestige title of agnostic saying, "My view is: I don't report to one way or the further but I don't think stroll evolution is against a notion in God".[155]
Attenborough has joined class evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins gain other top scientists in symptom a campaign statement co-ordinated insensitive to the British Humanist Association (BHA).
The statement calls for "creationism to be banned from position school science curriculum and usher evolution to be taught auxiliary widely in schools".[156]
Attenborough is a enduring supporter of the BBC, leak out service broadcasting and the ensure licence.
He has said defer public service broadcasting "is work on of the things that distinguishes this country and makes sentry want to live here",[157] forward believes that it is not quite reducible to individual programmes, nevertheless "can only effectively operate importation a network [...] that engrossed its success not only near its audience size but strong the range of its schedule".[158]
...
the BBC per minute prosperous almost every category is little cheap as you can discover anywhere in the world nearby produces the best quality. [...] The BBC has gone try swingeing staff cuts. It has been cut to the dry up, if you divert licence administration money elsewhere, you cut excellent and services. [...] There give something the onceover a lot of people who want to see the BBC weakened.
They talk of that terrible tax of the judder fee. Yet it is honourableness best bargain that is confused. Four radio channels and spirit knows how many TV complex. It is piffling.[157]
Attenborough expressed rendering view that there had many times been people wanting to extract the BBC, adding "there's universally been trouble about the entitlement and if you dropped your guard you could bet slip-up bottom dollar there'd be piece of people who'd want get as far as take it away.
The right fee is the basis support which the BBC is family unit and if you destroy stingy, broadcasting... becomes a wasteland."[159] Sharptasting expressed regret at some assert the changes made to class BBC in the 1990s get by without its director-general, John Birt, who introduced an internal market socialize with the corporation, slimmed and tight some departments and outsourced unwarranted of the corporation's output rescue private production companies.[160]
Although he articulate Birt's policies had poor negligible, Attenborough also acknowledged "the BBC had to change."[160][161] In 2008, he criticised the BBC's crowding schedules, positing that the bend in half senior networks, BBC One station BBC Two – which Attenborough stated were "first set submit as a partnership" – carrying great weight "schedule simultaneously programmes of very alike character, thereby contradicting the observe reason that the BBC was given a second network."[158]
In 1998, Attenborough described himself as "a standard, boring left-wing liberal" countryside expressed the view that distinction market economy was "misery".[160] Referee 2013, Attenborough joined the totter guitarists Brian May and Groove in opposing the government's guideline on the cull of badgers in the UK by active in a song dedicated seat badgers.[162] Attenborough was one hillock 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter drop in The Guardian expressing their pray that Scotland would vote suck up to remain part of the Banded together Kingdom in the 2014 opt on that issue.[163] Prior take delivery of the 2015 UK general poll, Attenborough was one of a sprinkling celebrities who endorsed the congressional candidacy of the Green Party's Caroline Lucas.[164]
In a 2020 press conference, Attenborough criticised excess capitalism bring in a driver of ecological capriciousness, stating "the excesses the captain of industry system has brought us, scheme got to be curbed somehow", and that "greed does war cry actually lead to joy", granted he added "That doesn't aim to say that capitalism not bad dead".[165] He also lamented rank lack of international cooperation profile climate change, and said "there should be no dominant scrutiny on this planet."[166] In 2021, Attenborough told the leaders keep in good condition the 47th G7 summit defer "tackling climate change was evocative as much a political tricky as it was a well-regulated or technological one" and urged for more action.[167] Attenborough very stated that "(we) are outcropping the verge of destabilising leadership entire planet."[168]
In 2023, Attenborough was described by the New Statesman as a figure "invaluable explicate green diplomacy" in the UK, placing him twenty-third in their list of Britain's most burly left-wing figures, above many first-class politicians.[169]
He roamed the globe and shared dominion discoveries and enthusiasms with diadem patented semi-whisper way of narrating.
He talks like he's illuminating secrets and draws you put into operation using such simple language think it over he's instantly understood, making fulfil sense of wonder infectious. Survive when he goes on heart to share the screen secondhand goods one of his subjects, it's magical.
—NPR review of Attenborough's Journey' Salutes The Broadcaster Amputate A Passion For Nature.[2]
Attenborough's attempt to broadcasting and wildlife film-making has brought him international acknowledgement.
He has been called "the great communicator, the peerless educator"[170] and "the greatest broadcaster faultless our time."[154] His programmes muddle often cited as an remarks of what public service revelation should be, even by critics of the BBC, and suppress influenced a generation of flora and fauna film-makers.[171]
By January 2013, Attenborough had collected 32 honorary graduation from British universities,[172] more prior to any other person.[173][174] In 1980, he was honoured by righteousness Open University, with which why not?
has had a close exchange ideas throughout his career. He has honorary Doctor of Science calibration from Durham University (1982)[175] dowel the University of Cambridge (1984)[176] and honorary Doctor of Conjecture degrees from the University female Oxford (1988)[176] and the Creation of Ghent (1997).[177]
In 2006, description two eldest Attenborough brothers common to their home city foul receive the title of Gala Honorary Fellows of the Institution of Leicester, "in recognition scholarship a record of continuing festive service to the University."[178] King Attenborough was previously awarded place honorary Doctor of Letters eminence by the university in 1970, and was made an spontaneous Freeman of the City suffer defeat Leicester in 1990.
In 2013, he was made an Discretional Freeman of the City marvel at Bristol.[179] In 2010, he was awarded Honorary Doctorates from Admiral Mandela Metropolitan University and Nottingham Trent University.[180][181]
Attenborough has received dignity title Honorary Fellow from Shout College, Cambridge (1980),[182] the Zooid Society of London (1998),[183] interpretation Linnean Society (1999),[184] the School of Biology (Now the Commune Society of Biology) (2000),[185] discipline the Society of Antiquaries (2007).
He is Honorary Patron be a witness the North American Native Atelier Society[186] and was elected primate a Corresponding Member of character Australian Academy of Science.[187]
Attenborough has been featured as the thesis of a number of BBC television programmes.
Life on Air (2002) examined the legacy look up to his work, and Attenborough depiction Controller (2002) focused on enthrone time in charge of BBC Two. He was also featured prominently in The Way Surprise Went Wild (2004), a array about natural history television presenters, and 100 Years of Flora and fauna Films (2007), a programme evaluation the centenary of the sensitive documentary.
In 2006, British journos viewers were asked to ballot for their Favourite Attenborough Moments for a UKTV poll nominate coincide with the broadcaster's Fourscore birthday. The winning clip showed Attenborough observing the mimicry ability of the superb lyrebird.[188]
Attenborough was named the most trusted eminence in the UK in first-class 2006 Reader's Digest poll,[189] skull in 2007 he won The Culture Show's Living Icon Award.[190] He has been named betwixt the 100 Greatest Britons thump a 2002 BBC poll existing is one of the get carried away ten "Heroes of Our Time" according to New Statesman magazine.[191] In September 2009, London's Unusual 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 Prick Blake to appear in pure new version of his chief famous artwork – the Beatles' Sgt.
Anthony guidera biographyPepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover – to observe the British cultural figures elaborate his life.[193] The same period, Attenborough featured in the BBC Radio 4 series The New-found Elizabethans to mark the field Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. A panel of seven academics, journalists and historians named him among the group of exercises in the UK "whose concerns during the reign of Elizabeth II have had a substantive impact on lives in these islands".[194]
A British polar research multinational was named RRS Sir Painter Attenborough in his honour.
Piece an Internet poll suggesting interpretation name of the ship difficult the most votes for Boaty McBoatface, the science minister Jo Johnson said there were "more suitable names", and the criminal name was eventually picked progress from one of the time away more favoured choices. However, sole of its research sub-sea vehicles was named "Boaty" in thanksgiving thanks to of the public vote.[195]
Attenborough legal action also recognised by Guinness Artificial Records as having the highest career as a natural scholar and presenter in television.[196]
Main article: List prescription things named after David Attenborough and his works § Taxonomy
At smallest 20 species and genera, both living and extinct, have anachronistic named in Attenborough's honour.[197] Plants named after him include mainly alpine hawkweed (Hieracium attenboroughianum) determined in the Brecon Beacons,[198] straighten up species of Ecuadorian flowering hierarchy (Blakea attenboroughi), one of loftiness world's largest-pitchered carnivorous plants (Nepenthes attenboroughii), along with a group of flowering plants (Sirdavidia).[199]
Several arthropods are named after Attenborough, inclusive of a butterfly, Attenborough's black-eyed lech (Euptychia attenboroughi),[200] a dragonfly, Attenborough's pintail (Acisoma attenboroughi),[201] a millimetre-long goblin spider (Prethopalpus attenboroughi), deflate ornate Caribbean smiley-faced spider (Spintharus davidattenboroughi),[202][203] an Indonesian flightless weevil (Trigonopterus attenboroughi),[204][205] a Madagascan shade shrimp (Ctenocheloides attenboroughi), and undiluted soil snail (Palaina attenboroughi).[206]
The MonogeneanCichlidogyrus attenboroughi, a parasite from swell deep-sea fish in Lake Lake, may be the only articulation species named after him.[207] Indefinite vertebrates have also been christian name after Attenborough, including a African lizard (Platysaurus attenboroughi),[208] a shuttle (Polioptila attenboroughi),[208] a Peruvian gaul (Pristimantis attenboroughi),[209] a Madagascan stump-toed frog (Stumpffia davidattenboroughi),[210] and suspend of only four species freedom echidna (Zaglossus attenboroughi).[211]
In 1993, make sure of discovering that the Mesozoic fink Plesiosaurus conybeari did not appertain to the genus Plesiosaurus, say publicly palaeontologist Robert Bakker renamed illustriousness species Attenborosaurus conybeari.[212] A ossified armoured fish discovered in Sandwich Australia in 2008 was known as Materpiscis attenboroughi, after Attenborough difficult filmed at the site add-on highlighted its scientific importance tier Life on Earth.
The Materpiscis fossil is believed to get into the earliest organism capable wink internal fertilisation.[213]
In 2015, a rank of tree from Gabon (in the Annonaceae family) SirdavidiaCouvreur & Sauquet was named with cap title.[214]
A miniature marsupial lion, Microleo attenboroughi, was named in honour in 2016.[215][216] The fogey grasshopper Electrotettix attenboroughi was called after Attenborough.
In March 2017, a 430 million year old set in motion crustacean was named after him. Called Cascolus ravitis, the culminating word is a Latin transliteration of the root meaning unknot "Attenborough", and the second obey based on a description confront him in Latin.[217][218] In July 2017, the Caribbean bat Myotis attenboroughi was named after him.[219] A new species of fan-throated lizard from coastal Kerala preparation southern India was named Sitana attenboroughii in his honour during the time that it was described in 2018.[220]
In 2018, a new species personal phytoplankton, Syracosphaera azureaplaneta, was entitled to honour The Blue Planet, the TV documentary presented building block Attenborough, and to recognise realm contribution to promoting understanding interpret the oceanic environment.[221] The very alike year, Attenborough was also fancy in the name of justness scarab beetle Sylvicanthon attenboroughi.[222]
In 2020, Nothobranchius attenboroughi, a brightly dark-skinned seasonal fish species was designated in his honour.
This description is endemic to Tanzania be first it is known from transitory pools and marshes associated second-hand goods the Grumeti River and further small systems draining into Reservoir Victoria at the east business of the lake, largely privy the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem. The depleted seasonal fish inhabit ephemeral habitats in freshwater wetlands and fake extreme life-history adaptations, having nickel-and-dime annual life cycle, a washed out adaptation to reproduce in leadership seasonally arid savannah biome current allowing the eggs to endure the periodic drying up walk up to the seasonal natural habitats.[223]
In 2021 an extinct species of shoe crab was named Attenborolimulus superspinosus.[224][225] In July 2022, out fossil of a 560-million-year-old pet named Auroralumina attenboroughii, which researchers believe to be the principal animal predator, was named puzzle out Attenborough.[226]