Planet Earth - Sir David Attenborough

Climate Change: ‘The Major Challenge Facing the World’ By Sir David Attenborough, The Independent, May 24, 2006. “I was skeptical about climate change … cautious about crying wolf. … Now I do not have any doubt at all. I think climate change is the major challenge facing the world. I have waited until the proof was conclusive that it was humanity changing the climate. The thing that really convinced me was the graphs connecting the increase of carbon dioxide in the environment and the rise in temperature, with the growth of human population and industrialisation. [It is] perfectly clear we have left the period of natural climatic oscillation behind and have begun on a steep curve, in terms of temperature rise, beyond anything in terms of increases that we have seen over many thousands of years. … It’s changing more extremely and swiftly than at any time in the past several million years. And one of the things I don’t want to do is to look at my grandchildren and hear them say: ‘Grandfather, you knew it was happening — and you did nothing.’” (Attenborough, with 30 years in broadcasting for the BBC, was awarded the Order of Merit by Queen Elizabeth last year in recognition of exceptional distinction.)