{"id":2889,"date":"2020-09-07T16:01:27","date_gmt":"2020-09-07T16:01:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.veganfriendly.org.uk\/?post_type=articles&p=2889"},"modified":"2021-04-01T17:31:19","modified_gmt":"2021-04-01T17:31:19","slug":"david-attenborough","status":"publish","type":"people","link":"https:\/\/www.veganfriendly.org.uk\/people\/david-attenborough\/","title":{"rendered":"Is David Attenborough Vegan?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"David
David Attenborough (John Cairns<\/a> \/ Wikipedia.org)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

David Attenborough is, to many people, nothing short of a legend and certainly thoroughly deserving of the oft-overused plaudit of national treasure. His nature documentaries and wildlife series have spanned the decades and opened the eyes of successive generations to the wonders of the natural world.<\/p>\n

At the ripe old age of 94 (at the time of writing), this icon has no intention of retiring. Indeed, he has a new film coming out in cinemas and on Netflix on 28th September, 2020, entitled\u00a0David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet<\/a>. The film was produced by the WWF, the World Wide Fund for Nature.<\/p>\n

For many years now Attenborough has discussed environmental issues and the need for humanity to take responsibility for the natural world, but have his environmental concerns led him to change his dietary and lifestyle habits? In other words, is David Attenborough vegan?<\/p>\n

David Attenborough Limits Meat Intake, But Is Not Vegan<\/h2>\n
\"Attenborough
Sir David Attenborough receiving an honorary award for his sustainability work in 2018 (BergenChamber<\/a> \/ Wikipedia.org)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It might come as a disappointment to some, especially those who have chosen to become vegan for environmental reasons<\/a>, but Attenborough is not vegan. At least not in any strict or dogmatic way. In an interview with the Radio Times<\/a> in 2019 he stated, \u201cI\u2019m not a vegetarian in the sense that I would actually throw up if I saw or touched a piece of meat, but I eat very little meat at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a separate interview with Lily Cole<\/a> in 2019, Attenborough was asked, \u201cWhat do you think about the rise of veganism and the argument that people should reduce their meat consumption?\u201d He responded thus:<\/p>\n

Well, we can\u2019t go on eating meat at the rate we have been. I haven\u2019t been a doctrinaire vegetarian or vegan, but I no longer have the same appetite for meat. Why? I\u2019m not sure. I think subconsciously maybe it\u2019s because of the state of the planet. Although, I\u2019ve never really been one for eating enormous meals and I\u2019m not particularly a gourmet either, so I can\u2019t pretend that I\u2019m feeling deprived in any way or that it\u2019s cost me all that much.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cThe Planet Can\u2019t Support Billions of Meat-Eaters\u201d<\/h3>\n

In A Life On Our Planet<\/em>, however, Attenborough is reported to suggest people move towards plant-based diets. As reported by the Mirror<\/a>, in the film he says, \u201cWe must change our diet. The planet can\u2019t support billions of meat-eaters. If we had a mostly plant-based diet we could increase the yield of the land.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course many vegans will inevitably make the point that perhaps Sir David should lead by example and commit to full veganism in order to use his mammoth profile to carry the flame for the movement. Especially given that, according to the WWF<\/a>, who produced Attenborough\u2019s 2020 film, \u201cThe livestock industry alone generates nearly 15% of all man made greenhouse gas emissions.\u201d<\/p>\n

WWF Suggests a Rebalancing of Diet<\/h2>\n

\"WWFBut in their 10 Tips For Eating For The Planet<\/em> it is notable, and many would say very frustrating, that the wildlife organisation does not call for people to adopt full vegan diets but rather suggests, \u201cwe need to rebalance our diets by prioritising plants and moderating our intake of animal products.\u201d<\/p>\n

That would be great on some levels if everyone moderated their intake of animal products (whatever that vague statement means in real, quantifiable terms). But the fact is that there will be many people who will not reduce their intake of meat and other animal products, so from an environmental perspective it is going to take a lot of extra vegans to offset the damage done by those who refuse to change their dietary behaviour.<\/p>\n

Incremental Behavioural Changes<\/h3>\n

On the other hand, there is a valid argument that suggests that nudging people towards incremental behavioural change can prove more effective on a population scale than making what some might view as unrealistic demands, for example, to immediately cut out all animal products from one\u2019s diet.<\/p>\n

As argued by various scholars over the decades, such as French anthropologist, Pierre Bourdieu, and English sociologist, Anthony Giddens, the habits, structure and subconscious norms of populations \u2013 such as the regular consumption of animal products \u2013 are not easily shifted or modified.<\/p>\n

Can David Attenborough Influence the Masses to Make a Change?<\/h3>\n

It is entirely possible that someone of the stature of Sir David Attenborough might be able to break through (in a way that a bunch of shouting vegans picketing a steakhouse might not) and strike a chord with many people when he urges them to modify their intake of meat rather than making demands that everyone immediately embraces veganism.<\/p>\n

The hope is that Attenborough\u2019s films and personal stance will at least open people\u2019s eyes and allow people to make the very real link between environmental destruction (both global heating and habitat destruction) and the consumption of meat and other animal products. Time will tell on that front, though our planet might not have too much time if things don\u2019t change quickly.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s leave that debate aside for now though and take a brief sojourn through David Attenborough\u2019s impressive television CV.<\/p>\n

David Attenborough\u2019s Television Career<\/h2>\n
\"Our
David Attenborough’s newest documentary, Our Planet<\/em> (Sept 2020)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Since beginning work as a producer for the BBC way back in 1951, it really is astounding how many television projects Attenborough has written, presented, narrated or produced. He has also been involved with films that utilise cutting edge technology, whether using drones and trap cameras, ultra-slow motion or 3D, he has never been a stick in the mud when it comes to methods of capturing the best wildlife footage. Indeed, Attenborough is the only person to have won BAFTA awards for programmes created in black and white, colour, HD and 3D, something which is indicative of his longevity in the industry.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a look at a selection of Attenborough\u2019s wildlife programmes that have brought wonderment and education to households around the world. We won\u2019t list them all, but here are some of the televisions highlights of this bona fide national treasure. Note that many of David Attenborough\u2019s BBC series (as well as various one-off specials, interviews and other programmes) are available for UK viewers to watch on BBC<\/a> iPl<\/a>ayer<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Series<\/th>\nYear(s)<\/th>\nNotes<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Zoo Quest<\/td>\n1954-1963<\/td>\nAttenborough\u2019s first series as a presenter (as well as writer, sound recordist and producer!) was ground-breaking and gave television viewers access to images of wildlife that many people didn\u2019t know existed or which they had only ever read about. It proved a big hit and essentially created a new genre of television.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wildlife on One<\/td>\n1977-2005<\/td>\nRunning for 33 years, this series was narrated by Attenborough and focussed on all kinds of wildlife all over the planet from cheetahs to sharks, rhinos to ladybirds.<\/p>\n

It also produced amazing footage about the diverse flora and habitats present in many far-flung destinations and generally instilled in many people of all ages an appreciation of the natural world.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Life On Earth<\/td>\n1979<\/td>\nCritically acclaimed and loved by the watching public, Life On Earth<\/em> told the story, as the title suggests, of the history of life on our planet. It exhibited innovative and ground-breaking filming techniques, as well as a good deal of patience on the part of the filming crews (with one cameraman reportedly waiting for hundreds of hours to capture a particular shot of a frog!).<\/p>\n

One of the most memorable scenes of the series was when Attenborough got up close and personal with a group of mountain gorillas<\/a> in Rwanda.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

The Private Lives Of Plants<\/td>\n1995<\/td>\nFocussing on flora rather than fauna, this series gave an at times enthralling insight into the vast array of plants that span the globe, including carnivorous plants<\/a> that are capable of trapping and consuming rodents\u2026 proving that even plants avoid the vegan diet sometimes!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Blue Planet<\/td>\n2001<\/td>\nThis time Attenborough focussed on the world\u2019s oceans and the animals that live in and around them. Cue more extraordinary wildlife footage and ground-breaking filming techniques, including the use of a cutting-edge submersible that allowed filming to take place in the depths of the oceans.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Planet Earth<\/td>\n2006<\/td>\nWith footage that took around four years to collect and that was filmed in 64 countries, this epic series proved extremely popular with people of all ages.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Frozen Planet<\/td>\n2011<\/td>\nExamining life and nature in the polar regions, the series began to show the impact of global warming on the ice caps and the implications for the animals and people who rely on those environments.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Africa<\/td>\n2013<\/td>\nThough many African countries had featured in previous Attenborough programmes, this series focussed on the continent\u2019s diverse wildlife and habitats in more depth than ever before.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Seven Worlds, One Planet<\/td>\n2019<\/td>\nThis series looked at each of the world\u2019s continents in turn and was filled with the usual wonderful and educational footage that has become par for the course for Attenborough\u2019s natural history programming over the decades.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

David Attenborough: Not a Vegan But a True Champion of Animals<\/h2>\n