Sir David Attenborough has inspired generations of people to treat our planet with kindness. Through his fascinating documentaries and his gift of storytelling, Sir David never fails to captivate his audience and hammer home the importance of taking care of Mother Earth and her species.
While his earlier TV work focused more on the natural wonders of the world, his later projects have shone a light on various environmental issues.
He has advocated for eating less meat, using renewable energy, restoring planetary biodiversity, and setting aside more areas for natural preservation. And he hasn't shied away from the negative impact man's activities have had on the natural world.
Considered the world's leading natural historian and a national treasure, Sir David has also had at least 20 species named in his honour, including a dragonfly, an Ecuadorian flowering tree and two types of spider.
Among his patronages are the World Land Trust, which purchases and conserves land such as tropical forest and other threatened habitats. He is also the vice president of Fauna & Flora International, which counts Prince William as its royal patron, and is an ambassador for WWF-UK.
More recently in 2021, Sir David joined Prince William's Earthshot Prize Council as a member, showing his commitment to championing positive change for the environment, in particular over the next ten years.
He also acted as the host at this month's COP26 summit, where he addressed the public and world leaders and urged them to commit to the 1.5C temperature limit. "It comes down to this. The people alive now and the generation to come will look at this conference and consider one thing – did the number stop rising and start to drop as a result of commitments made here?" Sir David said. "There's every reason to believe that the answer can be yes. If working apart we are forces powerful enough to destabilise our planet, surely working together we are powerful enough to save it."
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