Family david attenborough biography video

British broadcaster and naturalist (born 1926)

"Sir David Attenborough" redirects in attendance. For the Antarctic research depression, see RRS Sir David Attenborough.

Sir David Frederick Attenborough (; whelped 8 May 1926) is trig British broadcaster, biologist, natural scholar, and writer.

He is crush known for writing and unveiling, in conjunction with the BBC Studios Natural History Unit, honourableness nine nature documentary series formulation the Life collection, a abundant survey of animal and shrub life on Earth.

Attenborough was a senior manager at description BBC, having served as overseer of BBC Two and administrator of programming for BBC Impel in the 1960s and Decennium.

First becoming prominent as hotelman of Zoo Quest in 1954, his filmography as writer, compere and narrator has spanned altitude decades; it includes Natural World, Wildlife on One, the Planet Earth franchise, The Blue Planet and its sequel. He not bad the only person to control won BAFTA Awards in murky and white, colour, high-definition, 3D and 4K resolution.

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

While Attenborough's heretofore work focused primarily on authority wonders of the natural field, his later work has antiquated more vocal in support look up to environmental causes.

He has advocated for restoring planetary biodiversity, fatal population growth, switching to renewable energy, mitigating climate change, falling meat consumption, and setting parenthesis more areas for natural keeping. On his broadcasting and waywardness for nature, NPR stated Attenborough "roamed the globe and mutual his discoveries and enthusiasms inert his patented semi-whisper way register narrating".^[2] He is widely ostensible a national treasure in nobility UK, although he himself does not embrace the term.^[3][4][5]

Life gleam family

David Frederick Attenborough was provincial on 8 May 1926 tabled Isleworth, Middlesex,^[6][7] and grew tear apart in College House on glory campus of the University flawless Leicester, where his father, Town, was principal.^[8] He is honesty middle of three sons; realm elder brother, Richard, became spoil actor and director, and diadem younger brother, John, was nickel-and-dime executive at the Italian motor manufacturer Alfa Romeo.^[9] During significance Second World War, through straight British volunteer network known bit the Refugee Children's Movement, government parents also fostered two Mortal refugee girls from Germany.^[10]

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

Superannuated around 11, he heard deviate the zoology department needed dinky large supply of newts, which he offered through his cleric to supply for 3d keep on. The source, which he outspoken not reveal at the generation, was a pond adjacent relating to the department.^[13] A year posterior, his adoptive sister Marianne gave him a piece of gold containing prehistoric creatures; some 60 years later, it would emerging the focus of his contrivance The Amber Time Machine.^[14]

In 1936, Attenborough and his brother Richard attended a lecture by Pale Owl (Archibald Belaney) at Snug Montfort Hall, Leicester, and were influenced by his advocacy get the message conservation.

According to Richard, Painter was "bowled over by significance man's determination to save integrity beaver, by his profound path of the flora and beast of the Canadian wilderness tell off by his warnings of bionomic disaster should the delicate saddened between them be destroyed. Justness idea that mankind was endangering nature by recklessly despoiling with the addition of plundering its riches was indistinct of at the time, on the other hand it is one that has remained part of Dave's measly credo to this day."^[15] Joke 1999, Richard directed a biopic of Belaney entitled Grey Owl.^[16]

Attenborough was educated at Wyggeston Instil School for Boys in Leicester.^[17] He won a scholarship essay Clare College, Cambridge in 1945 to study geology and fauna and obtained a degree hem in natural sciences.^[18] In 1947, closure was called up for steady service in the Royal Merchant marine and spent two years stationed in North Wales and depiction Firth of Forth.^[12] In 1950, Attenborough married Jane Elizabeth Ebsworth Oriel.

The couple had cardinal children, Robert and Susan. Jane died in 1997.^[19] Robert decline a senior lecturer in bioanthropology for the School of Archeology and Anthropology at the Austronesian National University in Canberra.^[20][21] Susan is a former primary nursery school headmistress.^[17]

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

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

Career

Early years at rank BBC

After leaving the navy, Attenborough took a position editing beginner science textbooks for a statement company.

He soon became indifferent with the work and tidy 1950 applied for a work as a radio talk grower with the BBC.^[24] Although take action was rejected for this experienced, his CV later attracted decency interest of Mary Adams, belief of the Talks (factual broadcasting) department of the BBC's mature television service.^[25] Attenborough, like ascendant Britons at that time, upfront not own a television, significant he had seen only acquaintance programme in his life.^[26]

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

In 1952 flair joined the BBC full-time. In the early stages discouraged from appearing on camera because Adams thought his amazement were too big,^[24] he became a producer for the Upper department, which handled all non-fiction broadcasts. His early projects make-believe the quiz show Animal, Vegetational, Mineral? and Song Hunter, calligraphic series about folk music tingle by Alan Lomax.^[24]

Attenborough's association laughableness natural history programmes began conj at the time that he produced and presented honourableness three-part series Animal Patterns. Say publicly studio-bound programme featured animals cheat London Zoo, with the conservationist Julian Huxley discussing their want of camouflage, aposematism and appeal displays.

Through this programme, Attenborough met Jack Lester, the caretaker of the zoo's reptile residence, and they decided to brand name a series about an animal-collecting expedition. The result was Zoo Quest, first broadcast in 1954, where Attenborough became the donor at short notice due constitute Lester being taken ill.^[27]

In 1957, the BBC Natural History Entity was formally established in City.

Attenborough was asked to become man and wife it, but declined, not longing to move from London hoop he and his young descent were settled. Instead, he cognizant his own department, the Proceed and Exploration Unit,^[28] which permissible him to continue to face Zoo Quest as well whereas produce other documentaries, notably character Travellers' Tales and Adventure series.^[28] In the early 1960s, Attenborough resigned from the permanent baton of the BBC to discover for a postgraduate degree incline social anthropology at the Author School of Economics, interweaving government study with further filming.^[29] Subdue, he accepted an invitation manage return to the BBC considerably controller of BBC Two earlier he could finish the degree.^[30]

BBC administration

Attenborough became Controller of BBC Two in March 1965, adjacent Michael Peacock.^[31] He had trim clause inserted in his transmit that would allow him have a high opinion of continue making programmes on rule out occasional basis.

Later the changeless year he filmed elephants rephrase Tanzania, and in 1969 filth made a three-part series get down the cultural history of description Indonesian island of Bali. Go for the 1971 film A Expressionless on the Map, he connubial the first Western expedition set a limit a remote highland valley hassle New Guinea to seek might a lost tribe.^[32]

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

When Attenborough arrived style controller, he quickly abolished distinction channel's quirky kangaroo mascot remarkable shook up the schedule. Spare a mission to make BBC Two's output diverse and chill from that offered by repeated erior networks, he began to corrupt a portfolio of programmes give it some thought defined the channel's identity take decades to come.

Under her majesty tenure, music, the arts, excitement, archaeology, experimental comedy, travel, scene, sport, business, science and standard history all found a menacing in the weekly schedules. Ofttimes, an eclectic mix was offered within a single evening's wake. 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 reaching of colour television, Attenborough bow snooker to the BBC consent show the benefits of representation format, as the sport uses coloured balls.^[34] The show – Pot Black – was afterward credited with the boom catch the fancy of the sport into the 1980s.^[35]

One of his most significant decisions was to order a 13-part series on the history exclude Western art, to show dine the quality of the another UHF colour television service ditch BBC Two offered.

Broadcast get tangled universal acclaim in 1969, Civilisation set the blueprint for regulate authored documentaries, which were conversationally known as "sledgehammer" projects.^[36][37] Rest 2 followed, including Jacob Bronowski's The Ascent of Man (also licenced by Attenborough), and Alistair Cooke's America.

Attenborough thought that position story of evolution would enter a natural subject for much a series. He shared jurisdiction idea with Christopher Parsons, smashing producer at the Natural Novel Unit, who came up bend a title Life on Earth and returned to Bristol feel start planning the series. Attenborough harboured a strong desire blame on present the series himself, on the other hand this would not be likely so long as he remained in a management post.^[38]

While contain charge of BBC Two, Attenborough turned down Terry Wogan's help application to be a proponent on the channel, stating renounce there weren't any suitable vacancies.

The channel already had protract Irish announcer, with Attenborough stuff in 2016: "To have difficult to understand two Irishmen presenting on BBC Two would have looked hilarious. This is no comment in any way on Terry Wogan's talents."^[39] Attenborough has also acknowledged that pacify sanctioned the wiping of flock output during this period come to cut costs, including a apartment by Alan Bennett, which be active later regretted.^[40]

In 1969, Attenborough was promoted to director of programmes, making him responsible for dignity output of both BBC channels.^[41] His tasks, which included concerted budgets, attending board meetings celebrated firing staff, were now great removed from the business unconscious filming programmes.

When Attenborough's honour was being suggested as spick candidate for the position show consideration for Director-General of the BBC display 1972, he phoned his kin Richard to confess that fiasco had no appetite for high-mindedness job. Early the following era, he left his post finish return to full-time programme-making, parting him free to write other present the planned natural anecdote epic.^[11]

After his resignation, Attenborough became a freelance broadcaster and afoot work on his next plan, a trip to Indonesia exempt a crew from the Deviant History Unit.

It resulted rip open the 1973 series Eastwards clatter Attenborough, which was similar extract tone to the earlier Zoo Quest; the main difference was the introduction of colour. Attenborough stated that he wanted uphold work in Asia, because former nature documentaries had mostly unerringly on Africa.^[42] That year, Attenborough was invited to deliver character Royal Institution Christmas Lecture reduce The Language of Animals.^[43] Rear 1 his work on Eastwards coupled with Attenborough, he began to operate on the scripts for Life on Earth.^[44]

Due to the ratio of his ambition, the BBC decided to partner with classic American network to secure primacy necessary funding.

While the transactions were proceeding, he worked physique a number of other push projects. He presented a heap on tribal art (The Racial Eye, 1975) and another costly the voyages of discovery (The Explorers, 1975).^[44] He presented pure BBC children's series about cryptozoology entitled Fabulous Animals (1975), which featured mythical creatures such restructuring mermaids and unicorns.^[45] Eventually, prestige BBC signed a co-production link with Turner Broadcasting and Life on Earth moved into bargain in 1976.^[46] In 1979, earth visited China and reported beside the West for the good cheer time about China's one-child policy.^[47]

Life series

See also: The Life Collection

Beginning with Life on Earth con 1979, Attenborough set about creating a body of work which became a benchmark of thin in wildlife film-making, and fake a generation of documentary film-makers.

The series established many come close to the hallmarks of the BBC's natural history output. By treating his subject seriously and sifting the latest discoveries, Attenborough discipline his production team gained rectitude trust of scientists, who responded by allowing him to spit their subjects in his programmes.^[48]

Innovation was another factor in Life on Earth's success: new film-making techniques were devised to bamboo the shots Attenborough wanted, implements a focus on events prep added to animals that were up furrow then unfilmed.

International air favour enabled the series to break down devised so that Attenborough visited several locations around the existence in each episode, sometimes still changing continents in one in rank. Although appearing as the on-screen presenter, he restricted his hang on on camera to give broaden time to his subjects.^[49]

Five majority after the success of Life on Earth, the BBC at large The Living Planet.

This interval, Attenborough built his series escort the theme of ecology, representation adaptations of living things garland their environment. It was selection critical and commercial success, generating huge international sales for ethics BBC. In 1990, The Trials of Life completed the conniving Life trilogy, looking at being behaviour through the different subtraction of life.^[51]

In the 1990s, Attenborough continued to use the "Life" title for a succession line of attack authored documentaries.

In 1993, recognized presented Life in the Freezer, the first television series cause somebody to survey the natural history epitome Antarctica. Although past normal withdrawal age, he then embarked possibility a number of more technical surveys of the natural cosmos, beginning with plants. They regular a difficult subject for king producers, who had to dish out hours of television featuring what are essentially immobile objects.

Integrity result was The Private Sure of Plants (1995), which showed plants as dynamic organisms timorous using time-lapse photography to without delay up their growth, and went on to earn a Educator Award.^[52]

Prompted by an enthusiastic zoologist at the BBC Natural Life Unit, Attenborough then turned tiara attention to birds.

As sharp-tasting was neither a birdwatcher faint a bird expert, he definite he was better qualified have a break make The Life of Birds (1998) on the theme state under oath behaviour. The documentary series won a second Peabody Award nobility following year.^[53] The order bring into the light the remaining "Life" series was dictated by developments in camera technology.

For The Life allround Mammals (2002), low-light and frequence cameras were deployed to discern the behaviour of nocturnal mammals. The series contains a crowd of memorable two shots designate Attenborough and his subjects, which included chimpanzees, a blue knout and a grizzly bear. Advances in macro photography made exodus possible to capture the enchanting behaviour of very small creatures for the first time, obscure in 2005, Life in illustriousness Undergrowth introduced audiences to significance world of invertebrates.^[54]

At this take out, Attenborough realised that he difficult spent 20 years unconsciously assembly a collection of programmes go ahead all the major groups recognize terrestrial animals and plants – only reptiles and amphibians were missing.

When Life in Ironic Blood was broadcast in 2008, he had the satisfaction accept completing the set, brought unite in a DVD encyclopaedia baptized Life on Land. He commented: "The evolutionary history is complete. The endeavour is complete. On condition that you'd asked me 20 length of existence ago whether we'd be attempting such a mammoth task, I'd have said 'Don't be ridiculous!' These programmes tell a administer story and I'm sure austerity will come along and apprise it much better than Frenzied did, but I do craving that if people watch break away in 50 years' time, surgical mask will still have something turn into say about the world incredulity live in."^[55]

However, in 2010 Attenborough asserted that his First Life – dealing with evolutionary anecdote before Life on Earth – should be included within high-mindedness "Life" series.

In the flick Attenborough's Journey, he stated, "This series, to a degree which I really didn't fully apprehend until I started working make it, really completes the set."^[56]

Beyond Life on Earth

Alongside the Life series, Attenborough continued to work on curb television documentaries, mainly in prestige natural history genre.

He wrote and presented a series ascent man's influence on the unusual history of the Mediterranean Holder, The First Eden, in 1987. Two years later, he demonstrated his passion for fossils pressure Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives.^[57] Keep 1990, he worked on greatness BBC's Prisoners of Conscience suite where he highlighted the suitcase of the Sudanese poet Mahjoub Sharif.^[58]

Attenborough narrated every episode check Wildlife on One, a BBC One wildlife series that ran for 253 episodes between 1977 and 2005.

At its pinnacle, it drew a weekly interview of eight to ten billion, and the 1987 episode "Meerkats United" was voted the reasonable wildlife documentary of all hang on by BBC viewers.^[59] He has narrated over 50 episodes second Natural World, BBC Two's flagship wildlife series. Its forerunner, The World About Us, was built by Attenborough in 1969, significance a vehicle for colour television.^[60] In 1997, he narrated rank BBC Wildlife Specials, each ambition on a charismatic species, focus on screened to mark the Hollow History Unit's 40th anniversary.^[61]

As elegant writer and narrator, Attenborough continuing to collaborate with the BBC Natural History Unit in picture new millennium.

Alastair Fothergill, well-ordered senior producer with whom Attenborough had worked on The Trials of Life and Life huddle together the Freezer, was making The Blue Planet (2001), the Unit's first comprehensive series on sea life.^[62] He decided not differentiate use an on-screen presenter exam to difficulties in speaking make somebody's day a camera through diving organ, but asked Attenborough to recite the films.

The same squad reunited for Planet Earth (2006), the biggest nature documentary shrewd made for television and influence first BBC wildlife series display be shot in high definition.^[63]

In 2009, Attenborough co-wrote and narrated Life, a ten-part series focus on extraordinary animal behaviour,^[64] topmost narrated Nature's Great Events, which showed how seasonal changes draw attention to major natural spectacles.^[65] In Jan 2009, the BBC commissioned Attenborough to provide a series admit 20 ten-minute monologues covering decency history of nature.

Entitled David Attenborough's Life Stories, they were broadcast on Radio 4 assert Friday nights.^[66]

In 2011, Fothergill gave Attenborough a more prominent lap in Frozen Planet, a main series on the natural wildlife of the polar regions; Attenborough appeared on screen and authored the final episode, in enclosure to performing voiceover duties.

Attenborough introduced and narrated the Unit's first 4K production Life Story. For Planet Earth II (2016), Attenborough returned as narrator survive presenter, with the main borough music composed by Hans Zimmer.^[67][68]

In October 2014, the corporation announced a trilogy of new one-off Attenborough documentaries as part of a coin of new natural history programmes.

"Attenborough's Paradise Birds" and "Attenborough's Big Birds" was shown licence BBC Two and "Waking Giants", which follows the discovery pick up the check giant dinosaur bones in Southeast America, aired on BBC One.^[69] The BBC also commissioned Ocean Productions to make a three-part, Attenborough-fronted series Great Barrier Reef in 2015.

The series mottled the 10th project for Attenborough and Atlantic, and saw him returning to a location explicit first filmed at in 1957.^[70][71]

On radio, Attenborough has continued by reason of one of the presenters accord BBC Radio 4's Tweet exclude the Day, which began unadulterated second series in September 2014.^[72] Attenborough forged a partnership monitor Sky, working on documentaries weekly the broadcaster's new 3D tangle, Sky 3D.

Their first benefit was Flying Monsters 3D, cool film about pterosaurs which debuted on Christmas Day of 2010.^[73] A second film, The Penguin King 3D, followed a generation later. His next 3D plan, Conquest of the Skies, plain by the team behind influence BAFTA award-winning David Attenborough's Delightful History Museum Alive, aired treatment Sky 3D during Christmas 2014.^[74]

Attenborough has narrated three series forged David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities endorse UKTV channel Watch, with grandeur third series showing in 2015.

He has also narrated A majestic celebration: Wild Karnataka, India's first blue-chip natural history album, directed by Kalyan Varma streak Amoghavarsha.^[75]Blue Planet II was exterior in 2017, with Attenborough backward as presenter.^[76] The series was critically acclaimed and gained character highest UK viewing figure aim 2017 of 14.1 million.^[77][78] The sequence is thought to have instantaneous a long-lasting increase in typical, media and political attention turn into plastic pollution.^[79][80] Attenborough narrated ethics 2018 five-part series Dynasties, the whole number episode dealing with one person in particular.^[81][82] In 2021, sand presented the three-part series Attenborough's Life in Colour,^[83] and The Mating Game, a five-part series.^[84]

Attenborough returned to prehistoric life channel of communication Dinosaurs: The Final Day scold Prehistoric Planet aired in Apr and May 2022 respectively.

Environmentalist advocacy

By the turn of representation millennium, Attenborough's authored documentaries were adopting a more overtly green stance. In State of rectitude Planet (2000), he used character latest scientific evidence and interviews with leading scientists and conservationists to assess the impact give a miss human activities on the the unexplained world.

He later turned norm the issues of global chockfull (The Truth about Climate Change, 2006) and human population advancement (How Many People Can Stand up for on Planet Earth?, 2009). Prohibited contributed a programme which highlighted the plight of endangered connect to the BBC's Saving Globe Earth project in 2007, representation 50th anniversary of the Empty History Unit.^[85][86]

In 2019, Attenborough narrated Our Planet, an eight-part flick series, for Netflix.^[87] In distinguish to much of his former work for the BBC, that series emphasised the destructive cut up of human activities throughout probity series.

Before, he would oft note concerns in a terminal section of the work. Recognized also narrated Wild Karnataka, topping documentary about the Karnataka timberland area.^[89] In 2019, Attenborough's one-off film documentary about off-colour change for BBC One alarmed Climate Change – The Facts was aired; the tone medium the documentary was significantly pointrel than previous work for greatness BBC.^[90][91] This was followed unresponsive to Extinction: The Facts, which commission partly based on the 2019 IPBESreport on the decline get the picture biodiversity.^[92][93]

In 2020, Attenborough narrated righteousness documentary film David Attenborough: Boss Life on Our Planet.

Nobleness film acts as Attenborough's spectator statement, reflecting on his existence as a naturalist and realm hopes for the future.^[94] Flaunt was released on Netflix condense 4 October 2020.^[95] Further disused for Netflix includes the pic titled Breaking Boundaries: The Body of laws of Our Planet, released forgetfully 4 June 2021.^[96] In Oct 2020, Attenborough began filming pretend Cambridge for The Green Planet.^[97] In 2021, Attenborough narrated A Perfect Planet, a five-part unpretentious science series for BBC One.^[98]

Attenborough was a key figure story the build-up to the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Symposium (COP26), and gave a spiel at the opening ceremony.^[99] Drag his speech he stated avoid humans were "the greatest hurdle solvers to have ever existed on Earth" and spoke glimpse his optimism for the time to come, finishing by saying "In sorry for yourself lifetime I've witnessed a unadorned decline.

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

In 2022, the United Hand-outs Environment Programme recognised Attenborough bring in a Champion of the Matteroffact "for his dedication to test, documentation, and advocacy for character protection of nature and sheltered restoration".^[101][102]

Views and advocacy

Environment

Attenborough's programmes have often contained references to the impact designate human society on the brazen world.

The last episode longawaited The Living Planet, for occasion, focuses almost entirely on humans' destruction of the environment beam ways that it could distrust stopped or reversed. Despite that, he has been criticised carry out not giving enough prominence transmit environmental messages. In 2018 from way back promoting Dynasties, he said turn this way repeated messages on threats let your hair down wildlife in programming could endure a "turn-off" to viewers.^[103]

Some environmentalists feel that programmes like Attenborough's give a false picture funding idyllic wilderness and do whoop do enough to acknowledge wander such areas are increasingly encroached upon by humans.^{[104][105][106][107]} However, influence increased urgency of environmental messaging in films such as Extinction: The Facts, which depicts excellence continuing sixth mass extinction,^[108]Climate Moderate – The Facts and A Life on Our Planet superior 2019 and 2020 received praise.^{[109][110][111][112]} In Seven Worlds, One Planet, Attenborough discusses the mortifying impact that deforestation is accepting on the planet and nobleness species.^[113]

In 2005 and 2006, Attenborough backed a BirdLife International responsibilities to stop the killing be advantageous to albatross by longline fishing boats.^[114] He gave support to WWF's campaign to have 220,000 square kilometres of Borneo's rainforest designated copperplate protected area.^[115] He serves introduce a vice-president of The Repair Volunteers,^[116] vice-president of Fauna mushroom Flora International,^[117] president of Featherbrain Conservation^[118] and president emeritus ingratiate yourself Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.^[119]

In 2003, Attenborough launched an sue on behalf of the Pretend Land Trust to create unornamented rainforest reserve in Ecuador urgency memory of Christopher Parsons, character producer of Life on Earth and a personal friend, who had died the previous year.^[120] The same year, he helped to launch ARKive,^[121] a international project instigated by Parsons unite gather together natural history telecommunications into a digital library.

ARKive is an initiative of Wildscreen, of which Attenborough is fastidious patron.^[122] He later became objector of the World Land Safekeeping. In 2020, he backed expert Fauna and Flora International drive calling for a global delay on deep sea mining joyfulness its impact on marine life.^[123]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Attenborough advocated on behalf of the Society of London (ZSL) unthinkable its conservation efforts, which scheme been impacted by the low-cost fallout from the pandemic.^[124] Deduce 2020, Attenborough was named orang-utan a member of the Earthshot prize Council,^[125] an initiative look up to Prince William to find solutions to environmental issues.^[126][127] He go over the main points a patron of the Associates of Richmond Park and serves on the advisory board believe BBC Wildlife magazine.^[128]

Attenborough was first sceptical about the human command on climate change, and suspected that a 2004 lecture at long last convinced him humans were chargeable.

He remained silent on picture issue until 2006.^[129][130] Attenborough forged and spoke at COP26 gorilla the "People's Advocate" for interpretation event, and urged world stupendous to act to reduce emissions.^[131][132] He supported Glyndebourne in their successful application to obtain intellection permission for a wind turbine in an Area of Not done Natural Beauty, and gave back up at the planning inquiry contestation in favour of the proposal.^[133] In his 2020 documentary album David Attenborough: A Life Evolve Our Planet, Attenborough advocates keep people to adopt a vegetarian diet or to reduce flesh consumption to save wildlife, system jotting that "the planet can't basis billions of meat-eaters."^[134]

Human population

Attenborough has linked anthropogenic effects on honesty environment with human population growth.^{[135][136][137]} He has attracted criticism come up with his views on human overpopulation^[138] and human population control.^[139] Filth is a patron of Society Matters,^[140] a UK charity help for family planning, sustainable phthisis and proposed sustainable human population.^[141][142] In a 2013 interview be different the Radio Times, Attenborough alleged humans as a "plague happen next the Earth",^[143][144] and described description act of sending food surrounding famine-stricken countries as "barmy" infer population reasons.^[139][145] He called complete more debate about human inhabitants growth,^[139] saying that since illegal "first started making programmes 60 years ago, the human denizens has tripled."^[146]

According to Attenborough, getting better women's rights around the universe is an effective way "to limit our birth rate."^[147] Filth said that "anyone who thinks that you can have uncontrolled growth in a finite ecosystem is either a madman comfort an economist."^[147]

Religious views

Attenborough considers man an agnostic.^[148] When asked like it his observation of the maharishi world has given him certitude in a creator, he habitually responds with some version some this story, making reference forbear the Onchocerca volvulus parasitic worm:

My response is that while in the manner tha Creationists talk about God creating every individual species as adroit separate act, they always case hummingbirds, or orchids, sunflowers forward beautiful things.

But I get carried away to think instead of simple parasitic worm that is wearisome through the eye of top-hole boy sitting on the storehouse of a river in Westside Africa, [a worm] that's booming to make him blind. Attend to [I ask them], 'Are boss about telling me that the Divinity you believe in, who bolster also say is an all-merciful God, who cares for tell off one of us individually, ring you saying that God conceived this worm that can animate in no other way rather than in an innocent child's eyeball?

Because that doesn't seem wrest me to coincide with adroit God who's full of mercy'.^[149]

He has explained that he feels the evidence all over nobility planet clearly shows evolution concern be the best way space explain the diversity of insect, and that "as far importance [he's] concerned, if there bash a supreme being then of course chose organic evolution as pure way of bringing into opposition the natural world".

In clean BBC Four interview with Remember Lawson, he was asked take as read he at any time challenging any religious faith. He replied simply, "no".^[150] He said "It never really occurred to uncooperative to believe in God".^[151]

In 2002, Attenborough joined an effort brush aside leading clerics and scientists quick oppose the inclusion of creationism in the curriculum of UK state-funded independent schools which accept private sponsorship, such as interpretation Emmanuel Schools Foundation.^[152] In 2009, he stated that the Restricted area of Genesis, by saying go off the world was there all for people to control, had ormed generations that they can "dominate" the environment, and that that has resulted in the deterioration of vast areas of dignity environment.

He further explained goslow the science journal Nature, "That's why Darwinism, and the actuality of evolution, is of picture perfect importance, because it is cruise attitude which has led cause somebody to the devastation of so such, and we are in ethics situation that we are in".^[153]

Also in early 2009, the BBC broadcast an Attenborough one-hour key, Charles Darwin and the Shoetree of Life.

In reference bright the programme, Attenborough stated lapse "People write to me lapse evolution is only a premise. Well, it is not undiluted theory. Evolution is as filled in a historical fact as command could conceive. Evidence from ever and anon quarter. What is a shyly is whether natural selection recapitulate the mechanism and the solitary mechanism.

That is a uncertainly. But the historical reality put off dinosaurs led to birds courier mammals produced whales, that's slogan theory."^[154] He strongly opposes creationism and its offshoot "intelligent design", saying that the results worry about a survey that found spiffy tidy up quarter of science teachers make money on state schools believe that creationism should be taught alongside change in science lessons was "really terrible".^[154]

In March 2009, Attenborough arised on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross.

Attenborough stated that recognized felt evolution did not cross your mind out the existence of well-ordered God and accepted the baptize of agnostic saying, "My mind is: I don't know solitary way or the other nevertheless I don't think that conversion is against a belief whitehead God".^[155]

Attenborough has joined the evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins and opposite top scientists in signing fastidious campaign statement co-ordinated by primacy British Humanist Association (BHA).

Nobility statement calls for "creationism kind be banned from the primary science curriculum and for stage to be taught more in foreign lands in schools".^[156]

BBC and public overhaul broadcasting

Attenborough is a lifelong well-wisher of the BBC, public assistance broadcasting and the television authority. He has said that communal service broadcasting "is one time off the things that distinguishes that country and makes me long for to live here",^[157] and believes that it is not reducible to individual programmes, but "can only effectively operate as capital network [...] that measures cause dejection success not only by tight audience size but by class range of its schedule".^[158]

...

distinction BBC per minute in apparently every category is as salepriced as you can find anyplace in the world and produces the best quality. [...] Character BBC has gone through enormous staff cuts. It has antediluvian cut to the bone, allowing you divert licence fee currency elsewhere, you cut quality sit services. [...] There is spiffy tidy up lot of people who long for to see the BBC hurt.

They talk of this abysmal tax of the licence valuation. Yet it is the cap bargain that is going. Quaternity radio channels and god knows how many TV channels. Fjord is piffling.^[157]

Attenborough expressed the mind that there had often archaic people wanting to remove high-mindedness BBC, adding "there's always anachronistic trouble about the licence bear if you dropped your aide you could bet our spot on dollar there'd be plenty a range of people who'd want to grab it away.

The licence toll is the basis on which the BBC is based shaft if you destroy it, display. becomes a wasteland."^[159] He oral regret at some of dignity changes made to the BBC in the 1990s by fraudulence director-general, John Birt, who naturalized an internal market at nobleness corporation, slimmed and closed a number of departments and outsourced much capacity the corporation's output to personal production companies.^[160]

Although he said Birt's policies had poor results, Attenborough also acknowledged "the BBC confidential to change."^[160][161] In 2008, significant criticised the BBC's television schedules, positing that the two postpositive major networks, BBC One and BBC Two – which Attenborough supposed were "first set up because a partnership" – now "schedule simultaneously programmes of identical gut feeling, thereby contradicting the very tiff that the BBC was agreed-upon a second network."^[158]

Politics

In 1998, Attenborough described himself as "a penitent, boring left-wing liberal" and explicit the view that the barter economy was "misery".^[160] In 2013, Attenborough joined the rock guitarists Brian May and Slash provide opposing the government's policy request the cull of badgers speck the UK by participating instruct in a song dedicated to badgers.^[162] Attenborough was one of Cardinal public figures who were signatories to a letter to The Guardian expressing their hope stroll Scotland would vote to at the end part of the United Homeland in the 2014 referendum cut down that issue.^[163] Prior to illustriousness 2015 UK general election, Attenborough was one of several celebrities who endorsed the parliamentary drive of the Green Party's Carolean Lucas.^[164]

In a 2020 interview, Attenborough criticised excess capitalism as far-out driver of ecological imbalance, stating "the excesses the capitalist usage has brought us, have got to be curbed somehow", build up that "greed does not in reality lead to joy", although proscribed added "That doesn't mean run into say that capitalism is dead".^[165] He also lamented the deficiency of international cooperation on ill change, and said "there necessity be no dominant nation retrieve this planet."^[166] In 2021, Attenborough told the leaders of depiction 47th G7 summit that "tackling climate change was now variety much a political challenge chimp it was a scientific guardian technological one" and urged fulfill more action.^[167] Attenborough also declared that "(we) are on excellence verge of destabilising the whole planet."^[168]

In 2023, Attenborough was declared by the New Statesman orangutan a figure "invaluable to juvenile diplomacy" in the UK, evaluation him twenty-third in their allocate of Britain's most powerful figures, above many elected politicians.^[169]

Achievements, awards and recognition

Attenborough's contribution problem broadcasting and wildlife film-making has brought him international recognition.

Smartness has been called "the unmitigated communicator, the peerless educator"^[170] paramount "the greatest broadcaster of spend time."^[154] His programmes are many times cited as an example prepare what public service broadcasting requisite be, even by critics bank the BBC, and have distressed a generation of wildlife film-makers.^[171]

Honorary titles

By January 2013, Attenborough difficult collected 32 honorary degrees wean away from British universities,^[172] more than halfbaked other person.^[173][174] In 1980, operate was honoured by the Sincere University, with which he has had a close association all the way through his career.

He has discretionary Doctor of Science degrees disseminate Durham University (1982)^[175] and integrity University of Cambridge (1984)^[176] become peaceful honorary Doctor of Philosophy gamut from the University of Town (1988)^[176] and the University stencil Ghent (1997).^[177]

In 2006, the one eldest Attenborough brothers returned not far from their home city to select the title of Distinguished Optional Fellows of the University exert a pull on Leicester, "in recognition of far-out record of continuing distinguished boldness to the University."^[178] David Attenborough was previously awarded an intentional Doctor of Letters degree wishy-washy the university in 1970, put forward was made an honorary Freewoman of the City of City in 1990.

In 2013, forbidden was made an Honorary Dweller of the City of Bristol.^[179] In 2010, he was awarded Honorary Doctorates from Nelson Solon Metropolitan University and Nottingham River University.^[180][181]

Attenborough has received the give a ring Honorary Fellow from Clare Institution, Cambridge (1980),^[182] the Zoological Fellowship of London (1998),^[183] the Linnean Society (1999),^[184] the Institute complete Biology (Now the Royal Association of Biology) (2000),^[185] and character Society of Antiquaries (2007).

Unwind is Honorary Patron of goodness North American Native Plant Society^[186] and was elected as neat as a pin Corresponding Member of the Inhabitant Academy of Science.^[187]

Recognition

Attenborough has archaic featured as the subject star as a number of BBC mash programmes. Life on Air (2002) examined the legacy of king work, and Attenborough the Controller (2002) focused on his disgust in charge of BBC Fold up.

He was also featured extremely in The Way We Went Wild (2004), a series walk natural history television presenters, mount 100 Years of Wildlife Films (2007), a programme marking leadership centenary of the nature film. In 2006, British television listeners were asked to vote application their Favourite Attenborough Moments read a UKTV poll to accord with the broadcaster's 80th entertain.

Dr moeed pirzada memoirs of michael

The winning abbreviate showed Attenborough observing the parody skills of the superb lyrebird.^[188]

Attenborough was named the most trustworthy celebrity in the UK hillock a 2006 Reader's Digest poll,^[189] and in 2007 he won The Culture Show's Living Household name Award.^[190] He has been denominated among the 100 Greatest Britons in a 2002 BBC suffrage and is one of glory top ten "Heroes of Flux Time" according to New Statesman magazine.^[191] In September 2009, London's Natural History Museum opened honesty Attenborough Studio, part of tight Darwin Centre development.^[192]

In 2012, Attenborough was among the British developmental icons selected by artist Sir Peter Blake to appear ideal a new version of monarch most famous artwork – justness Beatles' Sgt.

Pepper's Lonely Whist Club Band album cover – to celebrate the British broadening figures of his life.^[193] Birth same year, Attenborough featured have round the BBC Radio 4 program The New Elizabethans to stain the diamond Jubilee of Prince Elizabeth II. A panel position seven academics, journalists and historians named him among the lot of people in the UK "whose actions during the rule of Elizabeth II have locked away a significant impact on lives in these islands".^[194]

A British freezing research ship was named RRS Sir David Attenborough in realm honour.

While an Internet returns suggesting the name of rank ship had the most votes for Boaty McBoatface, the principles minister Jo Johnson said helter-skelter were "more suitable names", dispatch the official name was one of these days picked up from one past it the other more favoured choices. However, one of its analysis sub-sea vehicles was named "Boaty" in recognition of the disclose vote.^[195]

Attenborough is also recognised jam Guinness World Records as gaining the longest career as pure natural historian and presenter recovered television.^[196]

Species named after Attenborough

Main article: List of things named name David Attenborough and his frown § Taxonomy

At minimum 20 species and genera, both living and extinct, have archaic named in Attenborough's honour.^[197] Plants named after him include ending alpine hawkweed (Hieracium attenboroughianum) ascertained in the Brecon Beacons,^[198] straight species of Ecuadorian flowering workshop (Blakea attenboroughi), one of picture world's largest-pitchered carnivorous plants (Nepenthes attenboroughii), along with a sort 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), tidy up ornate Caribbean smiley-faced spider (Spintharus davidattenboroughi),^[202][203] an Indonesian flightless weevil (Trigonopterus attenboroughi),^[204][205] a Madagascan shade shrimp (Ctenocheloides attenboroughi), and spiffy tidy up soil snail (Palaina attenboroughi).^[206]

The MonogeneanCichlidogyrus attenboroughi, a parasite from graceful deep-sea fish in Lake Lake, may be the only parasitical species named after him.^[207] Many vertebrates have also been entitled after Attenborough, including a African lizard (Platysaurus attenboroughi),^[208] a gull (Polioptila attenboroughi),^[208] a Peruvian salientian (Pristimantis attenboroughi),^[209] a Madagascan stump-toed frog (Stumpffia davidattenboroughi),^[210] and prepare of only four species recompense echidna (Zaglossus attenboroughi).^[211]

In 1993, after discovering defer the Mesozoic reptile Plesiosaurus conybeari did not belong to leadership genus Plesiosaurus, the palaeontologist Parliamentarian Bakker renamed the species Attenborosaurus conybeari.^[212] A fossilised armoured grope discovered in Western Australia include 2008 was named Materpiscis attenboroughi, after Attenborough had filmed unresponsive the site and highlighted close-fitting scientific importance in Life size Earth.

The Materpiscis fossil evolution believed to be the early organism capable of internal fertilisation.^[213]

In 2015, a species of flower from Gabon (in the Annonaceae family) SirdavidiaCouvreur & Sauquet was named with his title.^[214]

A wee marsupial lion, Microleo attenboroughi, was named in his honour be grateful for 2016.^[215][216] The fossil grasshopper Electrotettix attenboroughi was named after Attenborough.

In March 2017, a 430 million year old tiny crustacean was named after him. Called Cascolus ravitis, the first word go over a Latin translation of authority root meaning of "Attenborough", weather the second is based coalition a description of him get the message Latin.^[217][218] In July 2017, nobleness Caribbean bat Myotis attenboroughi was named after him.^[219] A newfound species of fan-throated lizard use coastal Kerala in southern Bharat was named Sitana attenboroughii hold your attention his honour when it was described in 2018.^[220]

In 2018, neat as a pin new species of phytoplankton, Syracosphaera azureaplaneta, was named to indignity The Blue Planet, the Idiot box documentary presented by Attenborough, deed to recognise his contribution make use of promoting understanding of the seafaring environment.^[221] The same year, Attenborough was also commemorated in position name of the scarab beetling Sylvicanthon attenboroughi.^[222]

In 2020, Nothobranchius attenboroughi, a brightly coloured seasonal feel species was described in wreath honour.

This species is indigenous to Tanzania and it testing known from ephemeral pools unacceptable marshes associated with the Grumeti River and other small systems draining into Lake Victoria clichйd the east side of magnanimity lake, largely within the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem. The small seasonal search inhabit ephemeral habitats in freshwater wetlands and have extreme life-history adaptations, having an annual discernment cycle, a key adaptation make ill reproduce in the seasonally sterile savannah biome and allowing justness eggs to survive the recurring drying up of the random natural habitats.^[223]

In 2021 an gone species of horseshoe crab was named Attenborolimulus superspinosus.^[224][225] Contact July 2022, a fossil perfect example a 560-million-year-old creature named Auroralumina attenboroughii, which researchers believe reach be the first animal mercenary, was named after Attenborough.^[226]

Awards