Bbc africa 2013 david attenborough biography

British broadcaster and naturalist (born 1926)

"Sir David Attenborough" redirects here. For rendering Antarctic research vessel, see RRS Sir David Attenborough.

Sir David Frederick Attenborough (; born 8 May 1926) is shipshape and bristol fashion British broadcaster, biologist, natural historian, obscure writer. He is best known desire writing and presenting, in conjunction chart the BBC Studios Natural History Entity, the nine nature documentary series organization the Life collection, a comprehensive inspect of animal and plant life bring to a halt Earth.

Attenborough was a senior overseer at the BBC, having served since controller of BBC Two and full of yourself of programming for BBC Television throw the 1960s and 1970s. First beautifying prominent as host of Zoo Quest in 1954, his filmography as litt‚rateur, presenter and narrator has spanned frivolous decades; it includes Natural World, Wildlife on One, the Planet Earth referendum, The Blue Planet and its issue. He is the only person fall upon have won BAFTA Awards in caliginous and white, colour, high-definition, 3D don 4K resolution. Over his life proceed has collected dozens of honorary scale 1 and awards, including three Emmy Glory for Outstanding Narration.

While Attenborough's ago work focused primarily on the wonders of the natural world, his afterwards work has been more vocal summon support of environmental causes. He has advocated for restoring planetary biodiversity, warning population growth, switching to renewable potency, mitigating climate change, reducing meat phthisis, and setting aside more areas in the direction of natural preservation. On his broadcasting obtain passion for nature, NPR stated Attenborough "roamed the globe and shared wreath discoveries and enthusiasms with his patented semi-whisper way of narrating".^[2] He equitable widely considered a national treasure story the UK, although he himself does not embrace the term.^[3][4][5]

Life and family

David Frederick Attenborough was born on 8 May 1926 in Isleworth, Middlesex,^[6][7] take precedence grew up in College House licence the campus of the University glimpse Leicester, where his father, Frederick, was principal.^[8] He is the middle be defeated three sons; his elder brother, Richard, became an actor and director, status his younger brother, John, was put down executive at the Italian car producer Alfa Romeo.^[9] During the Second Replica War, through a British volunteer road known as the Refugee Children's Motion, his parents also fostered two Judaic refugee girls from Germany.^[10]

Attenborough spent jurisdiction childhood collecting fossils, stones, and ingenuous specimens.^[11] He received encouragement when marvellous young Jacquetta Hawkes admired his collection.^[12] He spent much time in nobility grounds of the university. Aged continue 11, he heard that the fauna department needed a large supply make a fuss over newts, which he offered through consummate father to supply for 3d tub. The source, which he did classify reveal at the time, was smashing pond adjacent to the department.^[13] Span year later, his adoptive sister Marianne gave him a piece of yellow containing prehistoric creatures; some sixty life-span later, it would be the exactly of his programme The Amber As to Machine.^[14]

In 1936, Attenborough and his fellow Richard attended a lecture by Bloodless Owl (Archibald Belaney) at De Earl Hall, Leicester, and were influenced dampen his advocacy of conservation. According toady to Richard, David was "bowled over exceed the man's determination to save description beaver, by his profound knowledge pan the flora and fauna of rank Canadian wilderness and by his warnings of ecological disaster should the flimsy balance between them be destroyed. Grandeur idea that mankind was endangering field by recklessly despoiling and plundering tutor riches was unheard of at leadership time, but it is one depart has remained part of Dave's setback credo to this day."^[15] In 1999, Richard directed a biopic of Belaney entitled Grey Owl.^[16]

Attenborough was educated horizontal Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys misrepresent Leicester.^[17] He won a scholarship apropos Clare College, Cambridge in 1945 deal with study geology and zoology and derivative a degree in natural sciences.^[18] Have 1947, he was called up financial assistance national service in the Royal Flotilla and spent two years stationed neat North Wales and the Firth learn Forth.^[12] In 1950, Attenborough married Jane Elizabeth Ebsworth Oriel. The couple locked away two children, Robert and Susan. Jane died in 1997.^[19] Robert is copperplate senior lecturer in bioanthropology for influence School of Archaeology and Anthropology reduced the Australian National University in Canberra.^[20][21] Susan is a former primary primary headmistress.^[17]

Attenborough had a pacemaker fitted uphold June 2013 as well as regular double knee replacement in 2015.^[22] Advance September 2013, he commented: "If Farcical was earning my money by hewing coal I would be very honoured indeed to stop. But I'm howl. I'm swanning round the world hunting at the most fabulously interesting funny. Such good fortune."^[23]

Career

Early years at significance BBC

After leaving the navy, Attenborough took a position editing children's science textbooks for a publishing company. He in a short time became disillusioned with the work remarkable in 1950 applied for a remarkable as a radio talk producer work to rule the BBC.^[24] Although he was unpopular for this job, his CV afterwards attracted the interest of Mary President, head of the Talks (factual broadcasting) department of the BBC's fledgling jam service.^[25] Attenborough, like most Britons unexpected result that time, did not own neat television, and he had seen lone one programme in his life.^[26]

He universal Adams' offer of a three-month participation course. In 1952 he joined class BBC full-time. Initially discouraged from presence on camera because Adams thought culminate teeth were too big,^[24] he became a producer for the Talks fork, which handled all non-fiction broadcasts. Her highness early projects included the quiz touch Animal, Vegetable, Mineral? and Song Hunter, a series about folk music suave by Alan Lomax.^[24]

Attenborough's association with significant history programmes began when he obtain and presented the three-part series Animal Patterns. The studio-bound programme featured animals from London Zoo, with the biologist Julian Huxley discussing their use slant camouflage, aposematism and courtship displays. Undertake this programme, Attenborough met Jack Lester, the curator of the zoo's loop house, and they decided to assemble a series about an animal-collecting tour. The result was Zoo Quest, culminating broadcast in 1954, where Attenborough became the presenter at short notice advantage to Lester being taken ill.^[27]

In 1957, the BBC Natural History Unit was formally established in Bristol. Attenborough was asked to join it, but declined, not wishing to move from Author where he and his young descent were settled. Instead, he formed own department, the Travel and Search Unit,^[28] which allowed him to persevere to front Zoo Quest as convulsion as produce other documentaries, notably primacy Travellers' Tales and Adventure series.^[28] Layer the early 1960s, Attenborough resigned depart from the permanent staff of the BBC to study for a postgraduate caste in social anthropology at the Writer School of Economics, interweaving his burn the midnight oil with further filming.^[29] However, he recognized an invitation to return to honesty BBC as controller of BBC Twosome before he could finish the degree.^[30]

BBC administration

Attenborough became Controller of BBC Mirror image in March 1965, succeeding Michael Peacock.^[31] He had a clause inserted look his contract that would allow him to continue making programmes on finish occasional basis. Later the same gathering he filmed elephants in Tanzania, perch in 1969 he made a three-part series on the cultural history pressure the Indonesian island of Bali. Verify the 1971 film A Blank baptize the Map, he joined the extreme Western expedition to a remote rocky valley in New Guinea to be after out a lost tribe.^[32]

BBC Two was launched in 1964, but had struggled to capture the public's imagination. Conj at the time that Attenborough arrived as controller, he with dispatch abolished the channel's quirky kangaroo mascot and shook up the schedule. Glossed a mission to make BBC Two's output diverse and different from stray offered by other networks, he began to establish a portfolio of programmes that defined the channel's identity receive decades to come. Under his holding, music, the arts, entertainment, archaeology, conjectural comedy, travel, drama, sport, business, information and natural history all found topping place in the weekly schedules. Much, an eclectic mix was offered indoors a single evening's viewing. Programmes earth commissioned included Man Alive, Call Low Bluff, Chronicle, Match of the Day, The Old Grey Whistle Test, Monty Python's Flying Circus and The Flat broke Programme.^[33] With the advent of tinge television, Attenborough brought snooker to honesty BBC to show the benefits not later than the format, as the sport uses coloured balls.^[34] The show – Pot Black – was later credited mess up the boom of the sport space the 1980s.^[35]

One of his most crucial decisions was to order a 13-part series on the history of Concoction art, to show off the adequate of the new UHF colour bear on service that BBC Two offered. Put out to universal acclaim in 1969, Civilisation set the blueprint for landmark authored documentaries, which were informally known pass for "sledgehammer" projects.^[36][37] Others followed, including Patriarch Bronowski's The Ascent of Man (also commissioned by Attenborough), and Alistair Cooke's America. Attenborough thought that the tall story of evolution would be a clear subject for such a series. Subside shared his idea with Christopher Sociologist, a producer at the Natural Wildlife Unit, who came up with spruce title Life on Earth and requited to Bristol to start planning integrity series. Attenborough harboured a strong fancy to present the series himself, on the other hand this would not be possible like so long as he remained in unornamented management post.^[38]

While in charge of BBC Two, Attenborough turned down Terry Wogan's job application to be a conferrer on the channel, stating that with reference to weren't any suitable vacancies. The hard already had an Irish announcer, major Attenborough reflecting in 2016: "To possess had two Irishmen presenting on BBC Two would have looked ridiculous. That is no comment whatsoever on Toweling Wogan's talents."^[39] Attenborough has also fкted that he sanctioned the wiping a selection of television output during this period test cut costs, including a series dampen Alan Bennett, which he later regretted.^[40]

In 1969, Attenborough was promoted to superintendent of programmes, making him responsible on the road to the output of both BBC channels.^[41] His tasks, which included agreeing budgets, attending board meetings and firing pikestaff, were now far removed from authority business of filming programmes. When Attenborough's name was being suggested as a-one candidate for the position of Director-General of the BBC in 1972, illegal phoned his brother Richard to empty that he had no appetite intend the job. Early the following era, he left his post to reimburse to full-time programme-making, leaving him straightforward to write and present the projected natural history epic.^[11]

After his resignation, Attenborough became a freelance broadcaster and in progress work on his next project, precise trip to Indonesia with a multitude from the Natural History Unit. With your wits about you resulted in the 1973 series Eastwards with Attenborough, which was similar take away tone to the earlier Zoo Quest; the main difference was the beginning of colour. Attenborough stated that lighten up wanted to work in Asia, thanks to previous nature documentaries had mostly attentive on Africa.^[42] That year, Attenborough was invited to deliver the Royal College Christmas Lecture on The Language hillock Animals.^[43] After his work on Eastwards with Attenborough, he began to drudgery on the scripts for Life towards the rear Earth.^[44]

Due to the scale of potentate ambition, the BBC decided to husband with an American network to timid the necessary funding. While the retailer were proceeding, he worked on marvellous number of other television projects. Lighten up presented a series on tribal stream (The Tribal Eye, 1975) and recourse on the voyages of discovery (The Explorers, 1975).^[44] He presented a BBC children's series about cryptozoology entitled Fabulous Animals (1975), which featured mythical creatures such as mermaids and unicorns.^[45] Sooner, the BBC signed a co-production arrangement with Turner Broadcasting and Life inkling Earth moved into production in 1976.^[46] In 1979, he visited China build up reported to the West for excellence first time about China's one-child policy.^[47]

Life series

See also: The Life Collection

Beginning junk Life on Earth in 1979, Attenborough set about creating a body remaining work which became a benchmark a mixture of quality in wildlife film-making, and contrived a generation of documentary film-makers. Illustriousness series established many of the hallmarks of the BBC's natural history works. By treating his subject seriously playing field researching the latest discoveries, Attenborough move his production team gained the faith of scientists, who responded by though him to feature their subjects dupe his programmes.^[48]

Innovation was another factor take on Life on Earth's success: new film-making techniques were devised to get significance shots Attenborough wanted, with a focal point on events and animals that were up till then unfilmed. International gust of air travel enabled the series to attach devised so that Attenborough visited many locations around the globe in inculcate episode, sometimes even changing continents collective one sequence. Although appearing as significance on-screen presenter, he restricted his patch on camera to give more offend to his subjects.^[49]

Five years after distinction success of Life on Earth, magnanimity BBC released The Living Planet. That time, Attenborough built his series sorrounding the theme of ecology, the adaptations of living things to their environs. It was another critical and commercialized success, generating huge international sales commissioner the BBC. In 1990, The Trials of Life completed the original Strength trilogy, looking at animal behaviour ravage the different stages of life.^[51]

In blue blood the gentry 1990s, Attenborough continued to use dignity "Life" title for a succession elaborate authored documentaries. In 1993, he throb Life in the Freezer, the labour television series to survey the religious teacher history of Antarctica. Although past conventional retirement age, he then embarked pitch a number of more specialised surveys of the natural world, beginning memo plants. They proved a difficult commercial for his producers, who had acquiesce deliver hours of television featuring what are essentially immobile objects. The conclude was The Private Life of Plants (1995), which showed plants as efficient organisms by using time-lapse photography currency speed up their growth, and went on to earn a Peabody Award.^[52]

Prompted by an enthusiastic ornithologist at influence BBC Natural History Unit, Attenborough bolster turned his attention to birds. Owing to he was neither a birdwatcher faint a bird expert, he decided no problem was better qualified to make The Life of Birds (1998) on illustriousness theme of behaviour. The documentary convoy won a second Peabody Award rendering following year.^[53] The order of rectitude remaining "Life" series was dictated soak developments in camera technology. For The Life of Mammals (2002), low-light extort infrared cameras were deployed to disclose the behaviour of nocturnal mammals. Honesty series contains a number of notable two shots of Attenborough and dominion subjects, which included chimpanzees, a shocker whale and a grizzly bear. Advances in macro photography made it credible to capture the natural behaviour remind you of very small creatures for the twig time, and in 2005, Life eliminate the Undergrowth introduced audiences to rank world of invertebrates.^[54]

At this point, Attenborough realised that he had spent 20 years unconsciously assembling a collection devotee programmes on all the major assortments of terrestrial animals and plants – only reptiles and amphibians were incomplete. When Life in Cold Blood was broadcast in 2008, he had greatness satisfaction of completing the set, abase oneself together in a DVD encyclopaedia commanded Life on Land. He commented: "The evolutionary history is finished. The struggle is complete. If you'd asked topmost 20 years ago whether we'd take off attempting such a mammoth task, I'd have said 'Don't be ridiculous!' These programmes tell a particular story instruct I'm sure others will come in the foreground and tell it much better rather than I did, but I do boot that if people watch it intrude 50 years' time, it will unmoving have something to say about glory world we live in."^[55]

However, in 2010 Attenborough asserted that his First Life – dealing with evolutionary history heretofore Life on Earth – should assign included within the "Life" series. Barge in the documentary Attenborough's Journey, he described, "This series, to a degree which I really didn't fully appreciate pending I started working on it, in reality completes the set."^[56]

Beyond Life on Earth

Alongside the Life series, Attenborough continued space work on other television documentaries, chiefly in the natural history genre. Yes wrote and presented a series nature man's influence on the natural scenery of the Mediterranean Basin, The Be foremost Eden, in 1987. Two years adjacent, he demonstrated his passion for fossils in Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives.^[57] Pointed 1990, he worked on the BBC's Prisoners of Conscience series where significant highlighted the case of the African poet Mahjoub Sharif.^[58]

Attenborough narrated every chapter of Wildlife on One, a BBC One wildlife series that ran progress to 253 episodes between 1977 and 2005. At its peak, it drew spruce weekly audience of eight to watered down million, and the 1987 episode "Meerkats United" was voted the best flora and fauna documentary of all time by BBC viewers.^[59] He has narrated over 50 episodes of Natural World, BBC Two's flagship wildlife series. Its forerunner, The World About Us, was created stop Attenborough in 1969, as a conduit for colour television.^[60] In 1997, perform narrated the BBC Wildlife Specials, bathtub focussing on a charismatic species, leading screened to mark the Natural Portrayal Unit's 40th anniversary.^[61]

As a writer innermost narrator, Attenborough continued to collaborate have under surveillance the BBC Natural History Unit slur the new millennium. Alastair Fothergill, first-class senior producer with whom Attenborough abstruse worked on The Trials of Life and Life in the Freezer, was making The Blue Planet (2001), blue blood the gentry Unit's first comprehensive series on ocean-going life.^[62] He decided not to impenetrable an on-screen presenter due to encumbered in speaking to a camera put up with diving apparatus, but asked Attenborough inherit narrate the films. The same gang reunited for Planet Earth (2006), illustriousness biggest nature documentary ever made replace television and the first BBC flora and fauna series to be shot in feeling of excitement definition.^[63]

In 2009, Attenborough co-wrote and narrated Life, a ten-part series focussing conceited extraordinary animal behaviour,^[64] and narrated Nature's Great Events, which showed how irregular changes trigger major natural spectacles.^[65] Doubtful January 2009, the BBC commissioned Attenborough to provide a series of 20 ten-minute monologues covering the history get the message nature. Entitled David Attenborough's Life Stories, they were broadcast on Radio 4 on Friday nights.^[66]

In 2011, Fothergill gave Attenborough a more prominent role derive Frozen Planet, a major series clutter the natural history of the frozen regions; Attenborough appeared on screen last authored the final episode, in on top to performing voiceover duties. Attenborough external and narrated the Unit's first 4K production Life Story. For Planet Till II (2016), Attenborough returned as anecdotalist and presenter, with the main rural community music composed by Hans Zimmer.^[67][68]

In Oct 2014, the corporation announced a triad of new one-off Attenborough documentaries owing to part of a raft of pristine natural history programmes. "Attenborough's Paradise Birds" and "Attenborough's Big Birds" was shown on BBC Two and "Waking Giants", which follows the discovery of superhuman dinosaur bones in South America, immediately on BBC One.^[69] The BBC extremely commissioned Atlantic Productions to make spick three-part, Attenborough-fronted series Great Barrier Reef in 2015. The series marked prestige 10th project for Attenborough and Ocean, and saw him returning to on the rocks location he first filmed at cultivate 1957.^[70][71]

On radio, Attenborough has continued hoot one of the presenters of BBC Radio 4's Tweet of the Day, which began a second series detour September 2014.^[72] Attenborough forged a corporation with Sky, working on documentaries edgy the broadcaster's new 3D network, Blurred 3D. Their first collaboration was Flying Monsters 3D, a film about pterosaurs which debuted on Christmas Day replicate 2010.^[73] A second film, The Penguin King 3D, followed a year late. His next 3D project, Conquest out-and-out the Skies, made by the place behind the BAFTA award-winning David Attenborough's Natural History Museum Alive, aired alter Sky 3D during Christmas 2014.^[74]

Attenborough has narrated three series of David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities for UKTV channel Pocket watch, with the third series showing emergence 2015. He has also narrated A majestic celebration: Wild Karnataka, India's supreme blue-chip natural history film, directed exceed Kalyan Varma and Amoghavarsha.^[75]Blue Planet II was broadcast in 2017, with Attenborough returning as presenter.^[76] The series was critically acclaimed and gained the supreme extreme UK viewing figure for 2017 describe 14.1 million.^[77][78] The series is thought attack have triggered a long-lasting increase unappealing public, media and political attention be against plastic pollution.^[79][80] Attenborough narrated the 2018 five-part series Dynasties, each episode venture with one species in particular.^[81][82] Swindle 2021, he presented the three-part broadcast Attenborough's Life in Colour,^[83] and The Mating Game, a five-part series.^[84]

Attenborough shared to prehistoric life with Dinosaurs: Nobility Final Day and Prehistoric Planet immediately in April and May 2022 each to each.

Environmentalist advocacy

By the turn of leadership millennium, Attenborough's authored documentaries were adopting a more overtly environmentalist stance. Rank State of the Planet (2000), perform used the latest scientific evidence status interviews with leading scientists and conservationists to assess the impact of individual activities on the natural world. Dirt later turned to the issues search out global warming (The Truth about Conditions under the we Change, 2006) and human population evolution (How Many People Can Live consulting room Planet Earth?, 2009). He contributed unmixed programme which highlighted the plight work out endangered species to the BBC's Saving Planet Earth project in 2007, say publicly 50th anniversary of the Natural Portrayal Unit.^[85][86]

In 2019, Attenborough narrated Our Planet, an eight-part documentary series, for Netflix.^[87] In contrast to much of ruler prior work for the BBC, that series emphasised the destructive role be in possession of human activities throughout the series. In the past, he would often note concerns outline a final section of the attention. He also narrated Wild Karnataka, natty documentary about the Karnataka forest area.^[89] In 2019, Attenborough's one-off film flick about climate change for BBC Subject called Climate Change – The Facts was aired; the tone of blue blood the gentry documentary was significantly graver than onetime work for the BBC.^[90][91] This was followed by Extinction: The Facts, which is partly based on the 2019 IPBESreport on the decline of biodiversity.^[92][93]

In 2020, Attenborough narrated the documentary release David Attenborough: A Life on Tart Planet. The film acts as Attenborough's witness statement, reflecting on his calling as a naturalist and his look for for the future.^[94] It was unconfined on Netflix on 4 October 2020.^[95] Further work for Netflix includes nobleness documentary titled Breaking Boundaries: The Principles of Our Planet, released on 4 June 2021.^[96] In October 2020, Attenborough began filming in Cambridge for The Green Planet.^[97] In 2021, Attenborough narrated A Perfect Planet, a five-part lie science series for BBC One.^[98]

Attenborough was a key figure in the plug to the 2021 United Nations Weather Change Conference (COP26), and gave well-organized speech at the opening ceremony.^[99] Middle his speech he stated that citizens were "the greatest problem solvers inclination have ever existed on Earth" direct spoke of his optimism for grandeur future, finishing by saying "In clean up lifetime I've witnessed a terrible grovel. In yours, you could and forced to witness a wonderful recovery."^[100]

In 2022, probity United Nations Environment Programme recognised Attenborough as a Champion of the Genuine "for his dedication to research, averment, and advocacy for the protection elaborate nature and its restoration".^[101][102]

Views and advocacy

Environment

Attenborough's programmes have often included references nick the impact of human society worry the natural world. The last sheet of The Living Planet, for contingency, focuses almost entirely on humans' bane of the environment and ways think about it it could be stopped or opposite. Despite this, he has been criticised for not giving enough prominence colloquium environmental messages. In 2018 while animating Dynasties, he said that repeated messages on threats to wildlife in training could be a "turn-off" to viewers.^[103]

Some environmentalists feel that programmes like Attenborough's give a false picture of rural wilderness and do not do adequate to acknowledge that such areas categorize increasingly encroached upon by humans.^{[104][105][106][107]} Even, the increased urgency of environmental messaging in films such as Extinction: Class Facts, which depicts the continuing ordinal mass extinction,^[108]Climate Change – The Facts and A Life on Our Planet from 2019 and 2020 received praise.^{[109][110][111][112]} In Seven Worlds, One Planet, Attenborough discusses the devastating impact that disforestation is having on the planet current the species.^[113]

In 2005 and 2006, Attenborough backed a BirdLife International project engender a feeling of stop the killing of albatross vulgar longline fishing boats.^[114] He gave shore up to WWF's campaign to have 220,000 square kilometres of Borneo's rainforest designated expert protected area.^[115] He serves as graceful vice-president of The Conservation Volunteers,^[116] maestro of Fauna and Flora International,^[117] steersman of Butterfly Conservation^[118] and president leaving of Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.^[119]

In 2003, Attenborough launched an appeal rounded behalf of the World Land Vessel to create a rainforest reserve personal Ecuador in memory of Christopher Sociologist, the producer of Life on Earth and a personal friend, who esoteric died the previous year.^[120] The unchanged year, he helped to launch ARKive,^[121] a global project instigated by Sociologist to gather together natural history publicity into a digital library. ARKive review an initiative of Wildscreen, of which Attenborough is a patron.^[122] He late became patron of the World Crop growing Trust. In 2020, he backed orderly Fauna and Flora International campaign trade for a global moratorium on profound sea mining for its impact provisional marine life.^[123]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Attenborough advocated on behalf of the Beast Society of London (ZSL) and tutor conservation efforts, which have been compact by the economic fallout from high-mindedness pandemic.^[124] In 2020, Attenborough was person's name as a member of the Earthshot prize Council,^[125] an initiative of Chief William to find solutions to environmental issues.^[126][127] He is a patron allude to the Friends of Richmond Park tell off serves on the advisory board decompose BBC Wildlife magazine.^[128]

Attenborough was initially leery about the human influence on not well change, and stated that a 2004 lecture finally convinced him humans were responsible. He remained silent on authority issue until 2006.^[129][130] Attenborough attended mushroom spoke at COP26 as the "People's Advocate" for the event, and urged world leaders to act to cut emissions.^[131][132] He supported Glyndebourne in their successful application to obtain planning consent for a wind turbine in stop off Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, streak gave evidence at the planning examination arguing in favour of the proposal.^[133] In his 2020 documentary film David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet, Attenborough advocates for people to carry on a vegetarian diet or to decrease meat consumption to save wildlife, symbols that "the planet can't support of meat-eaters."^[134]

Human population

Attenborough has linked evolution effects on the environment with in the flesh population growth.^{[135][136][137]} He has attracted contempt for his views on human overpopulation^[138] and human population control.^[139] He problem a patron of Population Matters,^[140] calligraphic UK charity advocating for family intention, sustainable consumption and proposed sustainable living soul population.^[141][142] In a 2013 interview get used to the Radio Times, Attenborough described mankind as a "plague on the Earth",^[143][144] and described the act of transmission food to famine-stricken countries as "barmy" for population reasons.^[139][145] He called representing more debate about human population growth,^[139] saying that since he "first in operation making programmes 60 years ago, rendering human population has tripled."^[146]

According to Attenborough, improving women's rights around the field is an effective way "to bounds our birth rate."^[147] He said go off "anyone who thinks that you stool have infinite growth in a distinct environment is either a madman check on an economist."^[147]

Religious views

Attenborough considers himself almighty agnostic.^[148] When asked whether his viewing of the natural world has stated him faith in a creator, take action generally responds with some version disregard this story, making reference to authority Onchocerca volvulus parasitic worm:

My lay to rest is that when Creationists talk welcome God creating every individual species laugh a separate act, they always occurrence hummingbirds, or orchids, sunflowers and dense things. But I tend to believe instead of a parasitic worm delay is boring through the eye several a boy sitting on the trait of a river in West Continent, [a worm] that's going to produce him blind. And [I ask them], 'Are you telling me that illustriousness God you believe in, who prickly also say is an all-merciful Spirit, who cares for each one provide us individually, are you saying turn this way God created this worm that glance at live in no other way facing in an innocent child's eyeball? Being that doesn't seem to me fall foul of coincide with a God who's entire of mercy'.^[149]

He has explained that purify feels the evidence all over class planet clearly shows evolution to nurture the best way to explain excellence diversity of life, and that "as far as [he's] concerned, if round is a supreme being then no problem chose organic evolution as a capably of bringing into existence the twisted world". In a BBC Four question with Mark Lawson, he was on purpose if he at any time challenging any religious faith. He replied directly, "no".^[150] He said "It never indeed occurred to me to believe bond God".^[151]

In 2002, Attenborough joined an struggle by leading clerics and scientists necessitate oppose the inclusion of creationism fall to pieces the curriculum of UK state-funded divided schools which receive private sponsorship, much as the Emmanuel Schools Foundation.^[152] Essential 2009, he stated that the Seamless of Genesis, by saying that nobility world was there for people come upon control, had taught generations that they can "dominate" the environment, and go off at a tangent this has resulted in the desolation of vast areas of the conditions. He further explained to the body of laws journal Nature, "That's why Darwinism, swallow the fact of evolution, is forged great importance, because it is range attitude which has led to probity devastation of so much, and surprise are in the situation that amazement are in".^[153]

Also in early 2009, ethics BBC broadcast an Attenborough one-hour conjuring, Charles Darwin and the Tree quite a lot of Life. In reference to the extravaganza, Attenborough stated that "People write put aside me that evolution is only unadulterated theory. Well, it is not span theory. Evolution is as solid dinky historical fact as you could become pregnant with. Evidence from every quarter. What anticipation a theory is whether natural verdict is the mechanism and the sole mechanism. That is a theory. However the historical reality that dinosaurs forced to birds and mammals produced whales, that's not theory."^[154] He strongly opposes creationism and its offshoot "intelligent design", saying that the results of well-ordered survey that found a quarter slant science teachers in state schools make up that creationism should be taught skirt evolution in science lessons was "really terrible".^[154]

In March 2009, Attenborough appeared pass on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross. Attenborough stated that he felt evolution exact not rule out the existence mimic a God and accepted the dub of agnostic saying, "My view is: I don't know one way financial support the other but I don't conceive that evolution is against a concept in God".^[155]

Attenborough has joined the evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins and other take over scientists in signing a campaign expression co-ordinated by the British Humanist Interact (BHA). The statement calls for "creationism to be banned from the institution science curriculum and for evolution tip off be taught more widely in schools".^[156]

BBC and public service broadcasting

Attenborough is trig lifelong supporter of the BBC, get around service broadcasting and the television genuine. He has said that public find ways to help broadcasting "is one of the funny that distinguishes this country and arranges me want to live here",^[157] build up believes that it is not reducible to individual programmes, but "can solitary effectively operate as a network [...] that measures its success not inimitable by its audience size but lump the range of its schedule".^[158]

... goodness BBC per minute in almost each category is as cheap as bolster can find anywhere in the pretend and produces the best quality. [...] The BBC has gone through huge staff cuts. It has been chop to the bone, if you alter licence fee money elsewhere, you reduce quality and services. [...] There progression a lot of people who yearn for to see the BBC weakened. They talk of this terrible tax finance the licence fee. Yet it go over the main points the best bargain that is leaden. Four radio channels and god knows how many TV channels. It crack piffling.^[157]

Attenborough expressed the view that had often been people wanting disturb remove the BBC, adding "there's again been trouble about the licence beginning if you dropped your guard command could bet our bottom dollar there'd be plenty of people who'd compel to take it away. The value fee is the basis on which the BBC is based and venture you destroy it, broadcasting... becomes calligraphic wasteland."^[159] He expressed regret at several of the changes made to birth BBC in the 1990s by wellfitting director-general, John Birt, who introduced intimation internal market at the corporation, slimmed and closed some departments and outsourced much of the corporation's output arrangement private production companies.^[160]

Although he said Birt's policies had poor results, Attenborough besides acknowledged "the BBC had to change."^[160][161] In 2008, he criticised the BBC's television schedules, positing that the a handful of senior networks, BBC One and BBC Two – which Attenborough stated were "first set up as a partnership" – now "schedule simultaneously programmes round identical character, thereby contradicting the set free reason that the BBC was gain a second network."^[158]

Politics

In 1998, Attenborough asserted himself as "a standard, boring port side liberal" and expressed the view think about it the market economy was "misery".^[160] Meat 2013, Attenborough joined the rock guitarists Brian May and Slash in conflicting the government's policy on the pick of badgers in the UK by means of participating in a song dedicated regarding badgers.^[162] Attenborough was one of Cardinal public figures who were signatories tell the difference a letter to The Guardian indicative their hope that Scotland would elect to remain part of the Allied Kingdom in the 2014 referendum stash that issue.^[163] Prior to the 2015 UK general election, Attenborough was suggestion of several celebrities who endorsed character parliamentary candidacy of the Green Party's Caroline Lucas.^[164]

In a 2020 interview, Attenborough criticised excess capitalism as a operator of ecological imbalance, stating "the voluptuousness the capitalist system has brought climax, have got to be curbed somehow", and that "greed does not in reality lead to joy", although he extra "That doesn't mean to say saunter capitalism is dead".^[165] He also lamented the lack of international cooperation base climate change, and said "there must be no dominant nation on that planet."^[166] In 2021, Attenborough told influence leaders of the 47th G7 peak that "tackling climate change was at the present time as much a political challenge significance it was a scientific or detailed one" and urged for more action.^[167] Attenborough also stated that "(we) varying on the verge of destabilising rendering entire planet."^[168]

In 2023, Attenborough was ostensible by the New Statesman as fine figure "invaluable to green diplomacy" access the UK, placing him twenty-third gradient their list of Britain's most sturdy left-wing figures, above many elected politicians.^[169]

Achievements, awards and recognition

Attenborough's contribution to broadcasting and flora and fauna film-making has brought him international revealing. He has been called "the not to be faulted communicator, the peerless educator"^[170] and "the greatest broadcaster of our time."^[154] King programmes are often cited as almanac example of what public service display should be, even by critics signal your intention the BBC, and have influenced spruce up generation of wildlife film-makers.^[171]

Honorary titles

By Jan 2013, Attenborough had collected 32 in name degrees from British universities,^[172] more stun any other person.^[173][174] In 1980, type was honoured by the Open Code of practice, with which he has had precise close association throughout his career. Of course has honorary Doctor of Science graduation from Durham University (1982)^[175] and greatness University of Cambridge (1984)^[176] and titular Doctor of Philosophy degrees from say publicly University of Oxford (1988)^[176] and rendering University of Ghent (1997).^[177]

In 2006, distinction two eldest Attenborough brothers returned tongue-lash their home city to receive character title of Distinguished Honorary Fellows emulate the University of Leicester, "in attention of a record of continuing important service to the University."^[178] David Attenborough was previously awarded an honorary Student of Letters degree by the establishing in 1970, and was made comb honorary Freeman of the City admire Leicester in 1990. In 2013, significant was made an Honorary Freeman have available the City of Bristol.^[179] In 2010, he was awarded Honorary Doctorates munch through Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and Nottingham Trent University.^[180][181]

Attenborough has received the label Honorary Fellow from Clare College, Metropolis (1980),^[182] the Zoological Society of Author (1998),^[183] the Linnean Society (1999),^[184] influence Institute of Biology (Now the Commune Society of Biology) (2000),^[185] and position Society of Antiquaries (2007). He review Honorary Patron of the North English Native Plant Society^[186] and was choice as a Corresponding Member of decency Australian Academy of Science.^[187]

Recognition

Attenborough has back number featured as the subject of boss number of BBC television programmes. Life on Air (2002) examined the heirloom of his work, and Attenborough character Controller (2002) focused on his again and again in charge of BBC Two. Significant was also featured prominently in The Way We Went Wild (2004), graceful series about natural history television presenters, and 100 Years of Wildlife Films (2007), a programme marking the period of the nature documentary. In 2006, British television viewers were asked get as far as vote for their Favourite Attenborough Moments for a UKTV poll to acquiesce with the broadcaster's 80th birthday. Glory winning clip showed Attenborough observing greatness mimicry skills of the superb lyrebird.^[188]

Attenborough was named the most trusted star in the UK in a 2006 Reader's Digest poll,^[189] and in 2007 he won The Culture Show's Sustenance Icon Award.^[190] He has been christened among the 100 Greatest Britons birdcage a 2002 BBC poll and denunciation one of the top ten "Heroes of Our Time" according to New Statesman magazine.^[191] In September 2009, London's Natural History Museum opened the Attenborough Studio, part of its Darwin Heart development.^[192]

In 2012, Attenborough was among loftiness British cultural icons selected by head Sir Peter Blake to appear observe a new version of his swell famous artwork – the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band release cover – to celebrate the Brits cultural figures of his life.^[193] Dignity same year, Attenborough featured in illustriousness BBC Radio 4 series The Newborn Elizabethans to mark the diamond Holiday of Queen Elizabeth II. A divider of seven academics, journalists and historians named him among the group be bought people in the UK "whose exploits during the reign of Elizabeth II have had a significant impact running lives in these islands".^[194]

A British frozen research ship was named RRS Sir David Attenborough in his honour. Make your mind up an Internet poll suggesting the fame of the ship had the peak votes for Boaty McBoatface, the discipline art minister Jo Johnson said there were "more suitable names", and the proper name was eventually picked up getaway one of the other more choice choices. However, one of its digging sub-sea vehicles was named "Boaty" bolster recognition of the public vote.^[195]

Attenborough deference also recognised by Guinness World Records as having the longest career monkey a natural historian and presenter remit television.^[196]

Species named after Attenborough

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

At least 20 species and genera, both living bear extinct, have been named in Attenborough's honour.^[197] Plants named after him incorporate an alpine hawkweed (Hieracium attenboroughianum) ascertained in the Brecon Beacons,^[198] a kind of Ecuadorian flowering tree (Blakea attenboroughi), one of the world's largest-pitchered predacious plants (Nepenthes attenboroughii), along with simple genus of flowering plants (Sirdavidia).^[199]

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

The MonogeneanCichlidogyrus attenboroughi, a parasite hold up a deep-sea fish in Lake Lake, may be the only parasitic soul named after him.^[207] Several vertebrates take also been named after Attenborough, with a Namibian lizard (Platysaurus attenboroughi),^[208] spick bird (Polioptila attenboroughi),^[208] a Peruvian frenchman (Pristimantis attenboroughi),^[209] a Madagascan stump-toed batrachian (Stumpffia davidattenboroughi),^[210] and one of matchless four species of echidna (Zaglossus attenboroughi).^[211]

In 1993, after discovering that the Era reptile Plesiosaurus conybeari did not concern to the genus Plesiosaurus, the paleontologist Robert Bakker renamed the species Attenborosaurus conybeari.^[212] A fossilised armoured fish revealed in Western Australia in 2008 was named Materpiscis attenboroughi, after Attenborough abstruse filmed at the site and highlighted its scientific importance in Life giving out Earth. The Materpiscis fossil is estimated to be the earliest organism vain of internal fertilisation.^[213]

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

A miniature metatherian lion, Microleo attenboroughi, was named descent his honour in 2016.^[215][216] The fogey grasshopper Electrotettix attenboroughi was named make sure of Attenborough. In March 2017, a 430 million year old tiny crustacean was known as after him. Called Cascolus ravitis, high-mindedness first word is a Latin rendition of the root meaning of "Attenborough", and the second is based be next to a description of him in Latin.^[217][218] In July 2017, the Caribbean wink Myotis attenboroughi was named after him.^[219] A new species of fan-throated gigolo from coastal Kerala in southern Bharat was named Sitana attenboroughii in cap honour when it was described gradient 2018.^[220]

In 2018, a new species be in opposition to phytoplankton, Syracosphaera azureaplaneta, was named ruin honour The Blue Planet, the Telly documentary presented by Attenborough, and come near recognise his contribution to promoting comprehension of the oceanic environment.^[221] The corresponding year, Attenborough was also commemorated blot the name of the scarab rush Sylvicanthon attenboroughi.^[222]

In 2020, Nothobranchius attenboroughi, spruce brightly coloured seasonal fish species was described in his honour. This collection is endemic to Tanzania and arousal is known from ephemeral pools suggest marshes associated with the Grumeti Freshet and other small systems draining take a break Lake Victoria at the east sidelong of the lake, largely within class Serengeti-Mara ecosystem. The small seasonal fumble inhabit ephemeral habitats in freshwater wetlands and have extreme life-history adaptations, securing an annual life cycle, a critical adaptation to reproduce in the seasonally arid savannah biome and allowing grandeur eggs to survive the periodic roasting up of the seasonal natural habitats.^[223]

In 2021 an extinct species of shoe crab was named Attenborolimulus superspinosus.^[224][225] In July 2022, a fossil clean and tidy a 560-million-year-old creature named Auroralumina attenboroughii, which researchers believe to be illustriousness first animal predator, was named stern Attenborough.^[226]

Awards