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'{{Infobox_Person | name = Sir David Attenborough | image = David Attenborough.jpg | caption = David Attenborough, May 2003 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1926|5|8|df=y}} | birth_place = London, England | residence = [[Richmond, London|Richmond]], London | nationality = British | alma_mater = [[Clare College, Cambridge]] ([[Natural Sciences]]), [[London School of Economics]] ([[Social Anthropology]]) | occupation = [[Broadcasting|Broadcaster]] / [[Natural history|Naturalist]] | title = [[Order of Merit|Member of the Order of Merit]]<br>[[Order of the Companions of Honour|Companion of Honour]]<br>[[Royal Victorian Order|Commander of the Royal Victorian Order]]<br>[[Order of the British Empire|Commander of the Order of the British Empire]]<br>[[Royal Society|Fellow of the Royal Society]]<br>[[Zoological Society of London|Fellow of Zoological Society of London]] | spouse = Jane Elizabeth Ebsworth Oriel (1950 - 1997 (Deceased)) | children = Robert Attenborough<br/>Susan Attenborough | footnotes = }} '''Sir David Frederick Attenborough''' ({{pron-en|ˈætənb(ə)rə}}) [[Order of Merit|OM]], [[Order of the Companions of Honour|CH]], [[Royal Victorian Order|CVO]], [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]], [[Fellow of the Royal Society|FRS]], [[Zoological Society of London|FZS]] (born 8 May 1926 in London, England) is a [[broadcasting|broadcaster]] and [[naturalist]]. His career as the respected face and voice of [[natural history]] programmes has endured for more than 50 years. He is best known for writing and presenting the nine [[The Life Collection|"Life" series]], in conjunction with the [[BBC Natural History Unit]], which collectively form a comprehensive survey of all terrestrial life. He is also a former senior manager at the [[BBC]], having served as controller of [[BBC Two]] and director of programming for BBC Television in the 1960s and 1970s. He is the younger brother of director and actor [[Richard Attenborough]]. == Early and family life == Attenborough grew up in College House on the campus of [[University of Leicester|University College, Leicester]], where his father, [[Frederick Attenborough|Frederick]], was [[Principal (university)|principal]].<ref>[http://www.le.ac.uk/careers/collegehouse.html History of College House]</ref> He is the middle of three sons (his elder brother, [[Richard Attenborough|Richard]], became an actor/film director and his younger brother, John, an executive at [[Alfa Romeo]]). During [[World War II]] his parents also adopted two [[Kindertransport|Jewish refugee]] girls from Europe. Attenborough spent his childhood collecting [[fossil]]s, [[Rock (geology)|stones]] and other natural specimens. He received encouragement in this pursuit at age seven, when a young [[Jacquetta Hawkes]] admired his "museum". A few years later, one of his adoptive sisters gave him a piece of [[amber]] filled with prehistoric creatures; some 50 years later, it would be the focus of his programme ''[[The Amber Time Machine]]''. Attenborough was educated at [[Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College|Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys]] in [[Leicester]] and then won a scholarship to [[Clare College, Cambridge]] in 1945 where he studied geology and zoology and obtained a degree in Natural Sciences.<ref>[http://www.clarealumni.com/s/845/file_lib/1/1/clarenews11_633540413018489651.pdf Clare News Edition 11]</ref> In 1947, he was called up for [[National service#United Kingdom|National Service]] in the [[Royal Navy]] and spent two years stationed in [[North Wales]] and the [[Firth of Forth]]. In 1950, Attenborough married Jane Elizabeth Ebsworth Oriel; the marriage lasted until her death in 1997. The couple had two children, Robert and Susan. His son, Dr Robert Attenborough, is a senior lecturer in Bioanthropology for the School of Archaeology and Anthropology at the [[Australian National University]] in [[Canberra]].<ref>[http://arts.anu.edu.au/AandA/people/staff/attenborough.asp Dr Robert Attenborough - School of Archaeology & Anthropology - ANU<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> == First years at the BBC == After leaving the Navy, Attenborough took a position editing children's science textbooks for a publishing company. He soon became disillusioned with the work, however, and in 1950 he applied for a job as a radio talks producer with the BBC. Although he was rejected for this job, his [[Résumé|CV]] later attracted the interest of [[Mary Adams (broadcaster)|Mary Adams]], head of the Talks (factual broadcasting) department of the BBC's fledgling [[television]] service. Attenborough, like most Britons at that time, did not own a television, and he had seen only one programme in his life.<ref>{{cite book|author=Attenborough, David|title=Life on Air|publisher=BBC Books|year=2002|isbn=0-563-53461-3}} pp. 10-11.</ref> However, he accepted Adams' offer of a three-month training course, and in 1952 he joined the BBC full time. Initially discouraged from appearing on camera because Adams thought his teeth were too big,<ref>''Life on Air'', p.13.</ref> he became a producer for the Talks Department, which handled all non-fiction broadcasts. His early projects included the quiz show ''Animal, Vegetable, Mineral?'' and ''Song Hunter'', a series about [[folk music]] presented by [[Alan Lomax]]. Attenborough's association with natural history programmes began when he produced and presented the three-part series ''The Pattern of Animals''. The studio-bound programme featured animals from [[London Zoo]], with the naturalist [[Julian Huxley|Sir Julian Huxley]] discussing their use of [[camouflage]], [[aposematism]] and courtship displays. Through this programme, Attenborough met [[Jack Lester (Zoologist)|Jack Lester]], the curator of the zoo's [[reptile]] house, and they decided to make a series about an animal-collecting expedition. The result was ''[[Zoo Quest]]'', first broadcast in 1954, which Attenborough presented at short notice, due to Lester being taken ill. 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 London where he and his young family were settled. Instead he formed his own department, the Travel and Exploration Unit<ref>''Life on Air'', pp.60-61.</ref>, which allowed him to continue to front the ''Zoo Quest'' programmes as well as produce other documentaries, notably the ''Travellers’ Tales'' and ''Adventure'' series. In the early 1960s, Attenborough resigned from the permanent staff of the BBC to study for a postgraduate degree in social anthropology at the [[London School of Economics]], interleaving his study with further filming <ref>[http://www.wildfilmhistory.org/helpers/force-download.php?file=pdf/David_Attenborough.pdf Transcript of interview with David Attenborough]</ref>. However, he accepted an invitation to return to the BBC as Controller of [[BBC Two]] before he could finish the degree. == BBC administration == From 1965 to 1969 Attenborough was Controller of [[BBC Two]]. Among the programmes he commissioned during this time were ''[[Match of the Day]]'', ''[[Civilisation (TV series)|Civilisation]]'', ''[[The Ascent of Man]]'', ''[[The Likely Lads]]'', ''[[Man Alive]]'', ''[[Masterclass (television series)|Masterclass]]'', ''[[Whicker's World]]'', ''[[The Old Grey Whistle Test]]'' and ''[[The Money Programme]]''. He also initiated televised [[snooker]]. This diversity of programme types reflects Attenborough's belief that BBC Two's output should be as varied as possible. In 1967, under his watch, BBC Two became the first television channel in the United Kingdom to broadcast in colour. From 1969 to 1972 he was BBC Television's Director of Programmes (making him responsible overall for both [[BBC One]] and BBC Two), but ultimately turned down an offer of promotion that would have made him [[Director General of the BBC]]. In the year 1972 Attenborough resigned his post and returned to being a programme maker. == Major series == Foremost among Attenborough's TV documentary work as writer and presenter is the "Life" series, which begins with the trilogy: ''[[Life on Earth (TV series)|Life on Earth]]'' (1979), ''[[The Living Planet]]'' (1984) and ''[[The Trials of Life]]'' (1990). These examine the world's organisms from the viewpoints of [[taxonomy]], [[ecology]] and stages of life respectively. They were followed by more specialised surveys: ''[[Life in the Freezer]]'' (about [[Antarctica]]; 1993), ''[[The Private Life of Plants]]'' (1995), ''[[The Life of Birds]]'' (1998), ''[[The Life of Mammals]]'' (2002), ''[[Life in the Undergrowth]]'' (2005) and ''[[Life in Cold Blood]]'' (2008). The "Life" series as a whole comprises 79 programmes. Attenborough has also written and/or presented other shorter productions. One of the first after his return to programme-making was ''The Tribal Eye'' (1975), which enabled him to expand on his interest in tribal art. Others include ''[[The First Eden]]'' (1987), about man's relationship with the natural habitats of the [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]], and ''[[Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives]]'' (1989), which demonstrated Attenborough's passion for discovering [[fossil]]s. In 2000, ''[[State of the Planet]]'' examined the environmental crisis that threatens the ecology of the Earth. The naturalist also narrated two other significant series: ''[[The Blue Planet]]'' (2001) and ''[[Planet Earth (TV series)|Planet Earth]]'' (2006) (which in its American cable television edition was narrated by actress [[Sigourney Weaver]]). The latter is the first natural history series to be made entirely in [[High-definition television|high-definition]]. In May–June 2006, the BBC broadcast a major two-part environmental documentary as part of its "Climate Chaos" season of programmes on [[global warming]]. In ''[[Are We Changing Planet Earth?]]'' and ''Can We Save Planet Earth?'', Attenborough investigated the subject and put forward some potential solutions. He returned to the locations of some of his past productions and discovered the effect that climate change has had on them. These two programmes were released on DVD under the title ''The Truth About Climate Change'' on 23 June 2008.{{Fact|date=July 2008}} In 2007, Attenborough presented "[[Saving Planet Earth#1. Sharing Planet Earth|Sharing Planet Earth]]", the first programme in a series of documentaries entitled ''[[Saving Planet Earth]]''. Again he used footage from his previous series to illustrate the impact that mankind has had on the planet. "Sharing Planet Earth" was broadcast on 24 June 2007.<ref name="rtimes">''Radio Times'' 23–29 June 2007</ref> ''Life in Cold Blood'' is Attenborough's last major series. In an interview to promote it, he stated: <blockquote>The evolutionary history is finished. The endeavour is complete. If you'd asked me 20 years ago whether we'd be attempting such a mammoth task, I'd have said 'Don't be ridiculous'. These programmes tell a particular story and I'm sure others will come along and tell it much better than I did, but I do hope that if people watch it in 50 years' time, it will still have something to say about the world we live in.<ref name="rtimes2">''Radio Times'' 26 Jan–1 Feb 2008: "The Last Word", interview with Jeremy Paxman</ref></blockquote> However, in subsequent interviews with ''[[Radio Times]]'', ''[[Parkinson (TV series)|Parkinson]]'' and on ''[[Friday Night with Jonathan Ross]]'', he said that he did not intend to retire completely and would probably continue to make occasional one-off programmes.<ref name="rtimes2"/> His next documentary, ''Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life'' (examining the development of Darwin's theory of [[evolution]]), was broadcast on 1 February 2009.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2009/01_january/30/archive.shtml BBC Press Office: Zoo Quest for a Dragon]</ref> Attenborough's work as narrator also continued with ''[[Nature's Great Events]]'', a six-part series transmitted from 11 February 2009 on BBC One and BBC HD.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2009/01_january/05/nature.shtml BBC Press Office: ''Nature's Great Events'']</ref> Although Attenborough's documentaries have attained immense popularity in the United States, several have never been made available on DVD in NTSC format, most notably those that cast doubt upon conservative religious or political positions. These include: *''Life on Earth'', which examines the evidence for evolution. *''State of the Planet'' *''The Truth About Climate Change'' == Other work == In 1975, the naturalist presented a BBC children's series about [[cryptozoology]] entitled ''Fabulous Animals''.<ref>[http://www.forteantimes.com/features/articles/101/attenboroughs_fabulous_animals.html Fortean Times episode guide to ''Fabulous Animals'']</ref> This represented a diversion from Attenborough's usual fare, as it dealt with the creatures of myths and legends, such as the [[griffin]] and [[kraken]]. It was a studio-based production, with the presenter describing his subjects with the aid of large, ornately illustrated books. From 1983, Attenborough worked on two environmentally-themed musicals with the [[World Wide Fund for Nature|WWF]] and writers [[Peter Rose and Anne Conlon]]. ''Yanomamo'' was the first, about the Amazon rainforest, and the second, ''Ocean World'', premiered at the [[Royal Festival Hall]] in 1991. They were both narrated by Attenborough on their national tour, and recorded on to audio cassette. ''Ocean World'' was also filmed for [[Channel 4]] and later released. Between 1977 and 2005, Attenborough also narrated over 250 editions of the half-hour BBC One nature series ''[[Wildlife on One]]''<ref>{{imdb title|0334878|Wildlife on One}}</ref> (BBC Two repeats were retitled ''Wildlife on Two''). Though his role was mainly to narrate other people's films, he did on rare occasions appear in front of the camera. In 1990, he highlighted the case of [[Mahjoub Sharif]] as part of the BBC's 'Prisoners of Conscience' series<ref name="Amnesty2008">{{cite journal|date=September/ October 2008|title=Solidarity and Return to Sender|journal=Amnesty Magazine|publisher=Amnesty Intrernational|location=London|volume=0264-3278|issue=151|pages=24}}</ref>. In January 2009, the BBC commissioned Attenborough to provide a series of 20 ten-minute monologues covering the history of nature. They are to be broadcast on [[BBC Radio 4|Radio 4]] in the Friday night slot vacated by [[Alastair Cooke]]'s ''[[Letter from America]]''.<ref>[http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/broadcasting/a145070/attenborough-takes-on-cookes-radio-slot.html Digital Spy: Attenborough takes on Cooke's radio slot]</ref> Attenborough also serves on the advisory board of ''BBC Wildlife'' magazine. == Achievements, awards and recognition == * 1970 : [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts|BAFTA]] Desmond Davis Award * 1974 : [[Order of the British Empire|Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) * 1979 : BAFTA Fellowship * 1980 : [[honorary degree]] Doctor of the University from the [[Open University]]{{Fact|date=July 2009}} * 1983 : [[Fellow of the Royal Society]] (FRS) * 1985 : [[Knight bachelor|Knighthood]] * 1991 : [[Royal Victorian Order|Commander of the Royal Victorian Order]] (CVO) for producing Queen [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Elizabeth II]]'s [[Royal Christmas Message|Christmas broadcast]] for a number of years from 1986 * 1996 : [[Order of the Companions of Honour|Companion of Honour]] (CH) "for services to nature broadcasting" * 2000 : [[International Cosmos Prize]] * 2003 : [[Michael Faraday Prize]] awarded by the [[Royal Society]] * 2004 : [[Descartes Prize]] for Outstanding Science Communication Actions * 2004 : [[Caird Medal]] of the [[National Maritime Museum]] * 2005 : [[Order of Merit]] (OM) * 2005 : [[Nierenberg Prize]] for Science in the Public Interest * 2006 : [[National Television Awards]] Special Recognition Award * 2006 : Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management<ref>http://www.ieem.net</ref> - Institute Medal in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the public perception and understanding of ecology * 2006 : [[The Culture Show]] British Icon Award<ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/livingicons/bio01.shtml</ref> * 2007 : [[British Naturalists' Association]] [[Peter Scott]] Memorial Award * 2009 : [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts|BAFTA]] Specialist factual award for Life In Cold Blood * 2009 : [[Prince of Asturias Award]]<ref name="Asturias">{{cite web|url=http://fundacionprincipedeasturias.org/en/awards/2009/david-attenborough-1/|title=Prince of Asturias Awards 2009|accessdate=2009-07-04}}</ref> On 13 July 2006, Attenborough, along with his brother Richard, were awarded the titles of [[Honorary title (academic)|Distinguished Honorary Fellows]] of the University of Leicester "in recognition of a record of continuing distinguished service to the University."<ref>[http://www2.le.ac.uk/ebulletin/news/press-releases/2000-2009/2006/06/nparticle.9 June 2006.8313843344 Honorary Degrees and Distinguished Honorary Fellowships Announced by University of Leicester], University of Leicester press release, 9 June 2006; [http://indiaenews.com/2006-06/10872-leicester-varsity-honour-attenborough-brothers.htm India News report]</ref> David Attenborough was previously awarded an [[Honorary degree|Honorary]] [[Doctor of Letters]] degree by the university in 1970.<ref>[http://www.le.ac.uk/alumni/annual.html University of Leicester Alumni Relations] Sir David Attenborough (Hon DLitt 1970) gave the Alumni Association Lecture in 2003</ref> In 1993, after discovering that the [[Mesozoic]] [[reptile]] ''Plesiosaurus conybeari'' had not, in fact, been a true [[plesiosaur]], the [[paleontologist]] [[Robert Bakker]] renamed the species ''Attenborosaurus conybeari'' in Attenborough's honour.<ref>[http://www.dinosauria.com/dml/names/ples.html Plesiosauria Translation and Pronunciation Guide]</ref> Out of four [[extant taxon|extant]] species of [[echidna]], one is named after him: [[Sir David's Long-beaked Echidna]], ''Zaglossus attenboroughi'', which inhabits the Cyclops mountains in the [[Papua (Indonesian province)|Papua]] province of [[New Guinea]]. In June 2004, Attenborough and Sir [[Peter Scott]] were jointly profiled in the second of a three-part BBC Two series, ''[[The Way We Went Wild]]'', about television wildlife presenters. Part three also featured Attenborough extensively. The next month, another BBC Two programme, ''Attenborough the Controller'', recalled his time as Director of Programmes for BBC Two. In November 2005, London's [[Natural History Museum]] announced a fundraising campaign to build a communications centre in Attenborough's honour. The museum intends to open the [[Natural History Museum#The David Attenborough Studio|David Attenborough Studio]] in 2008.<ref>[http://www.nhm.ac.uk/studio The David Attenborough Studio Campaign]</ref> An [[opinion poll]] of 4,900 Britons conducted by ''[[Reader's Digest]]'' in 2006 showed Attenborough to be the most trusted celebrity in Britain.<ref>Simon Hoggart, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,5673,1696927,00.html 'In David we trust ... but not Peter,'] [[The Guardian]], 28 January 2006</ref> In a list compiled by the magazine ''[[New Statesman]]'' in 2006, he was voted tenth in the list of "Heroes of our time".<ref>[http://www.newstatesman.com/200605220016 New Statesman]</ref> It is often suggested that David Attenborough's 50-year career at the BBC making natural history documentaries and travelling extensively throughout the world has probably made him the most travelled person on Earth.<ref>Brian Leith, 2002. [http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2002/10_october/31/lifeonair_mammalspack.pdf Life on Air (Press Release)]; Andrew Denton, 2003 "[http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s951650.htm Interview with David Attenborough]" on ''Enough Rope'', [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC TV]].</ref> His contribution to broadcasting was recognised by the 60-minute documentary ''Life on Air'', transmitted in 2002 to tie in with the publication of Attenborough's similarly titled autobiography. For the programme, the naturalist was interviewed at his home by his friend [[Michael Palin]]. Attenborough's reminiscences are interspersed with memorable clips from his series, with contributions from his brother Richard as well as professional colleagues. ''Life on Air'' is available on DVD as part of ''Attenborough in Paradise and Other Personal Voyages''. In May 2008, the oldest known prehistoric mother — a fossilised fish giving live birth, was given the name ''[[Materpiscis attenboroughi]]''. It honoured David Attenborough's role in highlighting the scientific importance of the ancient fossilised Gogo Reef, Western Australia, in his 1979 ''Life on Earth'' TV series.<ref> C. Barry, ''Oldest Live-Birth Fossil Found; Fish Had Umbilical Cord'', National Geographic News, [http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/05/080528-mother-fossil.html]</ref> Attenborough received three honorary degrees in 2008; one from the [[University of Aberdeen]] on 1 July 2008, another from the [[University of Exeter]] on 11 July 2008 and the other on 4 November 2008 from [[Kingston University]].<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.abdn.ac.uk/mediareleases/release.php?id=1349 |title=Attenborough to receive Honorary Degree |publisher=University of Aberdeen |date=21 May 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/newsattenborough.shtml |title=Sir David Attenborough made Exeter honorary graduate |publisher=University of Exeter |date=22 July 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.kingston.ac.uk/pressoffice/latestnews/2008/november/04-University-honours-Attenboroughs-achievements/ |date=4 November 2008 |title=University honours Attenborough’s achievements}}</ref> === Favourite Attenborough moments === In April 2006, to celebrate Attenborough's 80th birthday, the public were asked to vote on their favourite of his television moments, out of twenty candidates. The results were announced on [[UKTV]] on 7 May. Each is given with its series and advocate: # Attenborough watching a [[lyrebird]] mimicking various noises (''The Life of Birds'', selected by [[Bill Oddie]]) # [[Mountain gorilla]]s (''Life on Earth'', [[Sanjeev Bhaskar]]) # [[Blue whale]] encounter (''The Life of Mammals'', [[Alan Titchmarsh]]) # His description of the demise of [[Easter Island]]'s native society (''State of the Planet'', [[Charlotte Uhlenbroek]]) # [[Chimpanzee]]s using tools to crack nuts (''The Life of Mammals'', Charlotte Uhlenbroek) # A [[grizzly bear]] fishing (''The Life of Mammals'', [[Steve Leonard]]) # Imitating a [[woodpecker]] to lure in a real one (''The Life of Birds'', [[Ray Mears (author)|Ray Mears]]) # The presenter being attacked by a displaying male [[capercaillie]] (''The Life of Birds'', Bill Oddie) # Chimps wading through water on two feet (''The Life of Mammals'', Gavin Thurston) # Observing a male [[bowerbird]]'s display (''The Life of Birds'', [[Joanna Lumley]]) # Watching [[elephant]]s in a [[salt]] cave (''The Life of Mammals'', Joanna Lumley) # Wild chimps hunting monkeys (''The Trials of Life'', Alastair Fothergill) # Freetail [[bat]]s leaving a cave and Attenborough holding one of their young (''The Trials of Life'', [[Rory McGrath]]) # Being threatened by a bull [[elephant seal]] (''Life in the Freezer'', [[Björk]]) # A [[wandering albatross]] chick and its parent (''Life in the Freezer'', [[Ellen MacArthur]]) # Spawning [[Christmas Island red crab]]s (''The Trials of Life'', [[Simon King]]) # In a tree with [[gibbon]]s (''The Life of Mammals'', Steve Leonard) # Burrowing under a [[termite]] mound to demonstrate its cooling system (''The Trials of Life'', Björk) # Observing a [[titan arum]] (''The Private Life of Plants'', Alan Titchmarsh) # Timelapse footage of a [[bramble]] growing (''The Private Life of Plants'', Rory McGrath) == Parodies and artistic portrayals == Attenborough's [[Received Pronunciation|accent]] and hushed, excited delivery have been the subject of frequent [[parody|parodies]] by [[comedian]]s, most notably [[Spike Milligan]], [[Marty Feldman]] and ''[[The Goodies]]''. Attenborough is portrayed by [[Michael Palin]] in the final episode of ''[[Monty Python's Flying Circus]]'', where he searches the African jungle for the legendary Walking Tree of Dahomey (''Quercus Nicholas Parsonus''), sweating excessively and accompanied by native guides wearing [[saxophone]]s. David Attenborough has also been parodied in a series of [[GEICO]] insurance commercials, showing a nature show host, clearly patterned on Attenborough, attempting to observe the Geico Gecko and obtain footage, but failing to do so. "'E's giving me the 'eebie-jeebies," the lizard confides. == Views and advocacy == === Environmental causes === From the beginning, Attenborough's major series have included some content regarding the impact of human society on the natural world. The last episode of ''The Living Planet'', for example, focuses almost entirely on humans' destruction of the environment and ways that it could be stopped or reversed. Despite this, his programmes have been criticised for not making their environmental message more explicit. Some [[environmentalist]]s feel that programmes like Attenborough's give a false picture of idyllic wilderness and do not do enough to acknowledge that such areas are increasingly encroached upon by humans.<ref>James Fair, "Small Things Bright and Beautiful", BBC Wildlife Magazine, November 2005, pp. 25-26. </ref> However, his closing message from ''State of the Planet'' was forthright: <blockquote>The future of life on earth depends on our ability to take action. Many individuals are doing what they can, but real success can only come if there's a change in our societies and our economics and in our politics. I've been lucky in my lifetime to see some of the greatest spectacles that the natural world has to offer. Surely we have a responsibility to leave for future generations a planet that is healthy, inhabitable by all species.</blockquote> In the last few years, Attenborough has become increasingly vocal in support of environmental causes. In 2005 and 2006 he backed a [[BirdLife International]] project to stop the killing of [[albatross]] by longline fishing boats.<ref>[http://www.savethealbatross.net/the_latest/the_latest_item.asp?newsid=24 'Personal plea by David Attenborough,'], www.savethealbatross.net, 27 January 2006</ref> He gave public support to [[World Wide Fund for Nature|WWF]]'s campaign to have 220,000 square kilometres of [[Borneo]]'s [[rainforest]] designated a protected area.<ref>[http://www.wwf.org.uk/core/about/ta_0000001801.asp 'Sir David Attenborough: Heart of Borneo is a global heritage,'], WWF-UK press release.</ref> He also serves as a vice-president of [[BTCV]], [[Fauna and Flora International]], president of [[Butterfly Conservation]] and president of [[Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust]]. In 2003 he launched an appeal to create a rainforest reserve in Ecuador in memory of [[Christopher Parsons]] OBE, the producer of ''Life on Earth'' and a personal friend, who had died the previous year. Attenborough also launched [[ARKive]] in May 2003,<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/conservation/story/0,,969572,00.html Arkive sets sail on the web], [[The Guardian]], 20 May 2003</ref> a global project which had been instigated by Christopher Parsons to gather together [[natural history]] media into a [[digital library]], an [[online]] ''[[Noah's Ark]]''. He later became Patron of the [[World Land Trust]], and an active supporter. He supported [[Glyndebourne]] in their successful application to obtain planning permission for wind turbine in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and gave evidence at the planning inquiry arguing that the public must be prepared to accept the visual effects of something designed to combat climate change. Attenborough has repeatedly said that he considers human [[overpopulation]] to be the root cause of many environmental problems. Both his series ''The Life of Mammals'' and the accompanying book end with a plea for humans to curb population growth so that other species will not be crowded out. In 2009, he became a patron of the [[Optimum Population Trust]], a UK charity advocating sustainable human populations. He has recently written and spoken publicly about the fact that, despite past scepticism, he now believes the Earth's climate is warming in a way that is cause for concern, and that this can likely be attributed to human activity.<ref>[http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/article570935.ece Climate change is the major challenge facing the world] David Attenborough, ''The Independent'', 24 May 2006</ref> At the climax of the aforementioned "Climate Chaos" documentaries, the naturalist gives this summing up of his findings: <blockquote>In the past, we didn't understand the effect of our actions. Unknowingly, we sowed the wind and now, literally, we are reaping the whirlwind. But we no longer have that excuse: now we do recognise the consequences of our behaviour. Now surely, we must act to reform it: individually and collectively; nationally and internationally — or we doom future generations to catastrophe.</blockquote> In a 2005 interview with ''BBC Wildlife'' magazine, Attenborough said he considered [[George W. Bush]] to be the era's top "environmental villain". In 2007, he further elaborated on the USA's consumption of energy in relation to its population. When asked if he thought America to be "the villain of the piece", he responded: <blockquote>I don't think whole populations are villainous, but Americans are just extraordinarily unaware of all kinds of things. If you live in the middle of that vast continent, with apparently everything your heart could wish for just because you were born there, then why worry? [...] If people lose knowledge, sympathy and understanding of the natural world, they're going to mistreat it and will not ask their politicians to care for it.<ref name="rtimes" /></blockquote> === Religion and creationism === In a December 2005 interview with [[Simon Mayo]] on [[BBC Radio Five Live]], Attenborough stated that he considers himself an [[agnostic]].<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive/listen/audioarchive.shtml Interview] with [[Simon Mayo]], [[BBC Radio Five Live]], 2 December 2005</ref> When asked whether his observation of the natural world has given him faith in a creator, he generally responds with some version of this story: <blockquote>My response is that when Creationists talk about God creating every individual species as a separate act, they always instance hummingbirds, or orchids, sunflowers and beautiful things. But I tend to think instead of a [[Onchocerciasis|parasitic worm]] that is boring through the eye of a boy sitting on the bank of a river in West Africa, [a worm] that's going to make him blind. And [I ask them], 'Are you telling me that the God you believe in, who you also say is an all-merciful God, who cares for each one of us individually, are you saying that God created this worm that can live in no other way than in an innocent child's eyeball? Because that doesn't seem to me to coincide with a God who's full of mercy'.<ref>David Attenborough, 2003. "[http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/03/24/1048354544138.html?from=storyrhs Wild, wild life]." ''Sydney Morning Herald'', 25 March. Attenborough has also told this story in numerous other interviews.</ref></blockquote> He has explained that he feels the evidence all over the planet clearly shows evolution to be the best way to explain the diversity of life, and that "as far as I'm concerned, if there is a supreme being then he chose organic evolution as a way of bringing into existence the natural world." In a [[BBC Four]] interview with [[Mark Lawson]], Attenborough was asked if he at any time had any religious faith. He replied simply, "No." However, he specifically denies that he is an [[atheist]], as opposed to an agnostic.<ref>BBC ''Today'' programme, 31 January 2009</ref> In 2002, Attenborough joined an effort by leading clerics and scientists to oppose the inclusion of creationism in the curriculum of UK state-funded independent schools which receive private sponsorship, such as the [[Emmanuel Schools Foundation]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/27/david-attenborough-science|title=Attenborough reveals creationist hate mail for not crediting God|last=Butt|first=Riazat|date=27 January 2009|publisher=The Guardian|accessdate=27 January 2009}}</ref> In 2009, Attenborough stated that the [[Book of Genesis]], by saying that the world was there for people to dominate, had taught generations that they can "dominate" the environment, and that this has resulted in the devastation of vast areas of the environment.<ref> {{cite web |url=http://worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=87651 |title=Is the Bible to blame for trashing Earth? |publisher=worldnetdaily.com |accessdate=14 February 2009 |last= |first= }} </ref> Attenborough further explained to the science journal ''[[Nature (journal)|Nature]]'', "That's why Darwinism, and the fact of evolution, is of great importance, because it is that attitude which has led to the devastation of so much, and we are in the situation that we are in."<ref> {{cite web |url=http://blogs.nature.com/news/thegreatbeyond/2009/01/david_attenborough_on_darwin_e.html |title=The Great Beyond: David Attenborough on Darwin, evolution and the Bible |publisher=blogs.nature.com |accessdate=14 February 2009 |last= |first= }} </ref> Also in early 2009, the [[BBC]] broadcast an Attenborough one-hour special, ''Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life''. In reference to the programme, Attenborough stated that "People write to me that evolution is only a theory. Well, it is not a theory. Evolution is as solid a historical fact as you could conceive. Evidence from every quarter. What is a theory is whether natural selection is the mechanism and the only mechanism. That is a theory. But the historical reality that dinosaurs led to birds and mammals produced whales, that's not theory."<ref name="timesonline"> {{cite web |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article5562484.ece |title=David Attenborough on Charles Darwin - Times Online |publisher=www.timesonline.co.uk |accessdate=14 February 2009 |last= |first= }} </ref> He strongly opposes [[creationism]] and its offshoot "[[intelligent design]]", saying that a survey that found a quarter of science teachers in state schools believe that creationism should be taught alongside evolution in science lessons was "really terrible".<ref name="timesonline" /> In March 2009 Attenborough appeared on ''[[Friday Night with Jonathan Ross]]''. Attenborough stated that he felt evolution did not rule out the existence of a God and accepted the title of agnostic saying, "My view is: I don't know one way or the other but I don't think that evolution is against a belief in God."<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvoJSlcIYmM YouTube: David Attenborough on ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'']</ref> === Other causes === In May 2005, Attenborough was appointed as patron of the UK's [[Blood Pressure Association]], which provides information and support to people with [[hypertension]].<ref>[http://www.bpassoc.org.uk/media_centre/newsreleasearchive/sir_david_attenborough.htm Press release], Blood Pressure Association web site, 13 May 2005</ref> Attenborough is also an honorary member of [[BSES Expeditions]], a youth development charity that operates challenging scientific research expeditions to remote wilderness environments. == Filmography == {{Main|David Attenborough filmography}} Attenborough is known foremost for writing and presenting the nine ''Life'' series, which are presented in chronological order below: * ''[[Life on Earth (TV series)|Life on Earth]]'' (1979) * ''[[The Living Planet]]'' (1984) * ''[[The Trials of Life]]'' (1990) * ''[[Life in the Freezer]]'' (1993) * ''[[The Private Life of Plants]]'' (1995) * ''[[The Life of Birds]]'' (1998) * ''[[The Life of Mammals]]'' (2002) * ''[[Life in the Undergrowth]]'' (2005) * ''[[Life in Cold Blood]]'' (2008) His voice is synonymous with wildlife documentaries for British audiences, and the principal series with which his narration is associated include: * ''[[Wildlife on One]]'' (1977–2005) * ''[[BBC Wildlife Specials]]'' (1995–2008) * ''[[The Blue Planet]]'' (2001) * ''[[Planet Earth (TV series)|Planet Earth]]'' (British version) (2006) * ''[[Nature's Great Events]]'' (2009) * ''[[Tiger-spy in the jungle]]''(2008) == Books == === Bibliography === * ''Zoo Quest to Guyana'' (Lutterworth Press, 1956) * ''Zoo Quest for a Dragon'' (Lutterworth Press, 1957) ** ([[Book sales club|book club]] edition with 85 extra pages, ''Quest for the Paradise Birds'', 1959) * ''Zoo Quest in Paraguay'' (Lutterworth Press, 1959) * ''The Zoo Quest Expeditions'' (Lutterworth Press, abridged compilation of the above three titles with a new introduction, 1980) ** paperback ([[Penguin Books]], 1982) * ''Quest in Paradise'' (1960) * ''People of Paradise'' (Harper & Brothers, 1960) * ''Zoo Quest to Madagascar'' (1961) * ''Quest Under Capricorn'' (1963) * ''Fabulous Animals'' (BBC, 1975) ISBN 0-563-17006-9 * ''The Tribal Eye'' (1976) * ''Life on Earth'' (1979) * ''Discovering Life on Earth'' (1981) * ''Journeys to the past: Travels in New Guinea, Madagascar, and the northern territory of Australia'' (1983) Penguin Books ISBN 0-14-00.64133 * ''The Living Planet'' (1984) * ''The First Eden: The Mediterranean World and Man'' (1987)(Little Brown & Co (T); 1st American ed edition (March 1990)) * ''The Atlas of the Living World'' (1989) * ''The Trials of Life'' ([[HarperCollins|Collins]], 1990) ISBN 0-00-219912-2 * ''The Private Life of Plants'' ([[BBC Books]], 1994) ISBN 0-563-37023-8 * ''The Life of Birds'' (BBC Books, 1998) ISBN 0-563-38792-0 * ''The Life of Mammals'' (BBC Books, 2002) ISBN 0-563-53423-0 * ''Life on Air: Memoirs of a Broadcaster'' ([[autobiography]]; 2002) ISBN 0-563-53461-3 ** paperback: ISBN 0-563-48780-1 ** updated edition: ISBN 9781846076527 * ''Life in the Undergrowth'' (BBC Books, 2005) ISBN 0-563-52208-9 * ''Amazing Rare Things - The Art of Natural History in the Age of Discovery'' with Susan Owens, Martin Clayton and Rea Alexandratos ([[The Royal Collection]], 2007) Hardback - ISBN 978 1 902163 46 8; Softback - ISBN 978 1 902163 99 4 * ''Life in Cold Blood'' (BBC Books, 2007) ISBN 9780563539223 === Introductions === Attenborough has written the introduction or [[foreword]] for a number of books, including: * ''African Jigsaw: A Musical Entertainment'', Peter Rose and Anne Conlon (published: 1986, Weinberger) * ''Tomorrow Is Too Late'', Various (The Macmillan Press, 1990) * ''Life in the Freezer: Natural History of the Antarctic'', Alastair Fothergill (BBC Books, 1993), ISBN 0-563-36431-9 * ''Birds of Paradise: Paradisaeidae'' (Bird Families of the World series) Clifford B. Frith, Bruce M. Beehler, William T. Cooper (Illustrator) (Oxford University Press, 1998) ISBN 0-19-854853-2 * ''The Blue Planet'', Andrew Byatt, Alastair Fothergill, Martha Holmes (BBC Books, 2001) ISBN 0-563-38498-0. * ''Light on the Earth'' (BBC Books, 2005), two decades of winning images from the [[Wildlife Photographer of the Year]] competition, ISBN 0-563-52260-7 * ''Planet Earth'', Alastair Fothergill (BBC Books, 2006), ISBN 0-563-52212-7 == Audio recordings == * ''Tarka the Otter'' by Henry Williamson (available on audiocassette, 1978) * ''Yanomamo'' (musical entertainment, 1983) by [[Peter Rose and Anne Conlon]]; on-stage narration and published audio recording * ''Ocean World'' (musical entertainment, 1990) by [[Peter Rose and Anne Conlon]]; on-stage narration (including at The [[Royal Festival Hall]]), for audio recording and video broadcast (both published) * ''[[Peter and the Wolf]]'' for [[BBC Music Magazine]] (free CD with the June 2000 issue). In addition, Attenborough has recorded some of his own works in audiobook form, including ''Life on Earth'', ''Zoo Quest for a Dragon'' and his autobiography ''Life on Air: Memoirs of a Broadcaster''. ==Styles and honours== * Mr David Attenborough (1926&ndash;1974) * Mr David Attenborough CBE (1974&ndash;1983) * Mr David Attenborough CBE FRS (1983&ndash;1985) * Sir David Attenborough CBE FRS (1985&ndash;1991) * Sir David Attenborough CVO CBE FRS (1991&ndash;1996) * Sir David Attenborough CH CVO CBE FRS (1996&ndash;2005) * Sir David Attenborough OM CH CVO CBE FRS (2005&ndash;) == References == {{reflist|2}} == External links == {{wikiquote}} {{commons}} * [http://www.davidattenborough.co.uk Official David Attenborough website] * [http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/programmes/tv/lifeonair/ BBC - David Attenborough Life on Air] * [http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/programmes/who/david_attenborough.shtml Sir David Attenborough BBC biography] * [http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/audiointerviews/profilepages/attenboroughd1.shtml BBC interview with Attenborough in 1976] * [http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/page.asp?tip=1&id=3122 David Attenborough - Perception, deception and reality] at the [[Royal Society]] * [http://www.pbs.org/lifeofbirds/sirdavid/index.html David Attenborough interview: 'Everyone likes Birds'] * [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/nature_20050523.shtml BBC Radio 4 programme interviewing Attenborough] in [[Real Audio]] format * [http://www.nhm.ac.uk/take-part/support-the-museum/david-attenborough-studio/index.html David Attenborough Studio campaign at the Natural History Museum] * [http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/lifeintheundergrowth/ Official ''Life in the Undergrowth'' site] * [http://www.fundacionprincipedeasturias.org/en David Attenborough, 2009 Prince of Asturias Award Laureate for Social Sciences] * {{imdb name|id=0041003|name=David Attenborough}} * [http://www.bafta.org/learning/webcasts/a-life-in-tv-sir-david-attenborough,794,BA.html Sir David Attenborough at the Bristol Festival], A [[BAFTA]] Life in TV Event {{s-start}} {{s-media}} {{s-bef|before=[[Michael Peacock]]}} {{s-ttl|title=Controller of [[BBC Two]]|years=1965 – 1969}} {{s-aft|after=[[Robin Scott (BBC)|Robin Scott]]}} {{s-npo}} {{succession box|title=President of the [[Royal Society for Nature Conservation]]|before=?|after=?||years=1991&ndash;1996}} {{end}} {{David Attenborough Television Series}} {{use dmy dates}} <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]] --> {{Persondata | NAME= Attenborough, David | ALTERNATIVE NAMES= | SHORT DESCRIPTION= [[Natural history|Naturalist]] | DATE OF BIRTH= 8 May 1926 | PLACE OF BIRTH= London, England | DATE OF DEATH= | PLACE OF DEATH= }} [[Category:English television personalities]] [[Category:English conservationists]] [[Category:English environmentalists]] [[Category:English agnostics]] [[Category:BBC Two controllers]] [[Category:British Book Awards]] [[Category:Alumni of Clare College, Cambridge]] [[Category:Alumni of University College London]] [[Category:People associated with the University of Leicester]] [[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]] [[Category:Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order]] [[Category:Members of the Order of the Companions of Honour]] [[Category:Members of the Order of Merit]] [[Category:Fellows of the Royal Society]] [[Category:Fellows of the Zoological Society of London]] [[Category:Kalinga Prize recipients]] [[Category:People from Leicester]] [[Category:People from London]] [[Category:Knights Bachelor]] {{Lifetime|1926||Attenborough, David}} [[zh-min-nan:David Attenborough]] [[bg:Дейвид Атънбъро]] [[ca:David Attenborough]] [[da:David Attenborough]] [[de:David Attenborough]] [[et:David Attenborough]] [[es:David Attenborough]] [[eo:David Attenborough]] [[fa:دیوید اتنبرو]] [[fr:David Attenborough]] [[ga:David Attenborough]] [[id:Sir David Attenborough]] [[it:David Attenborough]] [[he:דייוויד אטנבורו]] [[la:David Attenborough]] [[hu:David Attenborough]] [[nl:David Attenborough]] [[ja:デイビッド・アッテンボロー]] [[no:David Attenborough]] [[pl:David Attenborough]] [[pt:David Attenborough]] [[ru:Аттенборо, Дэвид]] [[szl:David Attenborough]] [[fi:David Attenborough]] [[sv:David Attenborough]] [[tl:David Attenborough]] [[ur:ڈیوڈ ایٹن برا]] [[zh:戴維·阿滕伯勒]]'