Attenborough on a mission to protect our future
FEW men can claim to have seen nature up close in all its forms in so many countries as the world’s most famous TV naturalist, Sir David Attenborough. And few men can claim to have seen the scale of the devastation wrought by man – and the impacts of climate change.
As a result the TV veteran is using his superstar status and immense knowledge to press for a deal to save the planet he loves at COP26.
Once voted the most trusted man in Britain, Sir David is known around the world thanks to decades of making groundbreaking nature documentaries.
So when leaders of the G7 – the world’s richest nations – came to Cornwall in June, it was to him that Boris Johnson turned to encourage them to unite over the fight against climate change.
And the Prime Minister has recruited Sir David again, in Glasgow. Mr Johnson said: “There is no better person to build momentum for further change.”
It represents a remarkable new career for the legendary broadcaster. Now, aged 95, he finds himself in the role of eco activist, every bit as influential as the darling of the millennials, 18-year-old Greta Thunberg. In recent years
Sir David has become an outspoken activist railing at the destruction of a planet whose beauty he has brought into millions of living rooms.
He said: “It is crucial that these meetings in Glasgow, COP26, have success, and that at last the nations will come together to solve the crippling problems that the world now faces.”
In a recent video for The Wildlife Trusts, Sir David urged the world to let nature help fight climate change and warned: “Our lives depend on it.” He pointed out how beavers can restore wetlands and reduce flooding while salt marshes and peatlands can store huge quantities of carbon.
He said: “Nature has been there for us when we needed it the most. Yet we have allowed our natural world and climate to reach breaking point, with almost half of our UK wildlife in decline and some of our best-loved species at risk of extinction.
“As the climate emergency intensifies, the threat to life on earth becomes ever greater.
“But we have the choice of a better – and wilder – future. A future where wildlife thrives alongside people. A future where nature helps us in the fight against climate change.
“We know that we need to stop burning fossil fuels, but we must also recognise the role of nature in helping us turn the tide. We must bring wildlife and wild places back on an ambitious scale, in turn creating new livelihoods
and protecting the planet for future generations.
“Our lives depend on it. “Nature has extraordinary powers to lock up carbon dioxide; to provide clean air and water; to help protect us from flooding and extreme weather; and to provide the food which sustains us.”
He added: “We need bold action. It’s not too late to win the fight against the climate and nature crises. But we need to act quickly. The time is now to create a wilder future.”