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The voice of generations.
Dear Reader,
His is the voice of natural history programs for more than 70 years, the voice of authority and wonder, the voice of insistence that ours is a wondrous world and we would do well to protect it. Dot’s speaking, of course, of David Attenborough, who turned 100 on May 8.
You’ve no doubt watched or seen clips from his award-winning programs: Life on Earth, The Private Life of Plants, and The Blue Planet.
He even has more than 40 animal and plant species named after him, as well as a constellation.
And, over the years and decades, as this reflection points out, his “once gentle nature docs evolved into a clear, urgent warning about a planet in crisis.”
Writer Danny Chau, in an essay on the website The Ringer, calls Attenborough the “voice of generations,” one that “resonates like a conscience. … He has borne witness to the incalculable damage done to rainforests and reef systems, sites of the densest biodiversity in the world. He has also witnessed triumphs in some of the most improbable natural restoration efforts in human history — nowhere near enough to undo the harm caused, but enough to maintain a measure of hope in tomorrow. After evading the specifics of climate catastrophe for so long, Attenborough has finally lent his voice to the urgency of environmentalist efforts in his nonagenarian years…” And, Chau writes, “what a voice it still is, weathered but enduring. Not unlike the Earth itself.
Attenborough’s signature whisper is a gesture toward decentering humanity and all the dominance it has staked over the natural world. It sets the stage, then cedes it.”
You won’t want to miss the whole essay celebrating today’s Climate Champ. And then sit down to watch (or rewatch) Attenborough’s masterful documentaries celebrating the mystery and wonder of our world.
Reverently,
Dot
In the U.S., Common Cause provides contact info to help you get in touch with your political reps. In Canada, the On Canada Project provides contact info and even templates for letters.
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