A wonder of nature: David Attenborough turns 100
Sir David Attenborough turns 100 today. His nature documentaries have captivated audiences since the early 1960s, and the charismatic Briton has inspired millions of viewers with his passion for plants, animals and the ecosystem. In the UK, he is revered as a "national treasure". The press congratulates him with reflections on beauty and fragility.
Tenderness for every insect
Attenborough has taught humanity something vital, enthuses the Irish Examiner:
“At a time when public discourse is increasingly shrill and polarised, he remains one of the few universally trusted figures in modern life. His authority comes not from ideology but from patience, evidence, and lived experience. ... His life's work expanded humanity's moral imagination. He taught us that the fate of a turtle, forest, or insect is inseparable from our own. At 100, his greatest legacy may simply be this: Countless people now look at the living world with more tenderness because he taught them how.”
Our planet would be worse off without him
Even an icon like David Attenborough can't convince humankind to finally start protecting nature properly, the Financial Times laments:
“On the whole, Attenborough's huge achievements in raising awareness of the glories of the natural world and the growing threats it faces have not had much demonstrable effect on policymakers. Although his programmes on the oceans may have catalysed action against plastic pollution and bottom trawling, biodiversity loss and climate change continue to accelerate. We should not see this as a personal failure as no single individual can reverse the global forces causing ecological decline. On the contrary, things might have been even worse without Attenborough.”