Interview with David Attenborough on climate change and wildlife

[Simon]

The Guardian has an interesting interview with David Attenborough. Here is an excerpt:

"The polar bear is the easy one, it's a very charismatic animal that people can identify with," [Attenborough] says. "It's beautiful, and also savage; it's got a lot going for it. But it's only a white grizzly bear, really. All these big issues need a mascot and that's what the polar bear is. But climate change is going to affect us much more profoundly than the loss of the polar bear."

[...] "Attenborough's sense of himself as a non-expert, combined with the trust invested in him by his vast audience, has also held him back. It is the reason he was reluctant to speak publicly about climate change, although privately convinced of the evidence for 15 years."

You can read the whole interview here.

[kate]

The Guardian has an interesting interview with David Attenborough. Here is an excerpt:

"The polar bear is the easy one, it's a very charismatic animal that people can identify with," [Attenborough] says. "It's beautiful, and also savage; it's got a lot going for it. But it's only a white grizzly bear, really. All these big issues need a mascot and that's what the polar bear is. But climate change is going to affect us much more profoundly than the loss of the polar bear."

[...] "Attenborough's sense of himself as a non-expert, combined with the trust invested in him by his vast audience, has also held him back. It is the reason he was reluctant to speak publicly about climate change, although privately convinced of the evidence for 15 years."

You can read the whole interview here.

Thanks so much for that article! It's the first I'd seen of it. David Attenborough is a favorite of mine. I keep his book "The First Eden" at my bedside, along with Tolkien, to just pick up anytime, anywhere and read beautiful, important words. There's this from the interview you posted: "Robert has two daughters, both now in England, so it is to them Attenborough refers when he says: "If my grandchildren were to look at me and say, 'You were aware species were disappearing and you did nothing, you said nothing', that I think is culpable. I don't know how much more they expect me to be doing, I'd better ask them."

I think he, unlike many, is doing all he can. He is such an important voice. I can't wait to see Frozen Planet on DVD, as I have no TV.