Attenborough At 99 Delivers 'greatest Message He's Ever Told'

Sir David Attenborough is launching what he says is 1 of nan astir important films of his profession arsenic he enters his hundredth year.

He believes his new, cinema-length movie Ocean could play a decisive domiciled successful redeeming biodiversity and protecting nan satellite from ambiance change.

Sir David, who will beryllium 99 connected Thursday, says: "After almost 100 years connected nan planet, I now understand nan astir important spot connected Earth is not connected land, but astatine sea."

The water is nan planet's support strategy and humanity's top state against ambiance catastrophe, nan movie argues. It shows really nan world's oceans are astatine a crossroads.

A bluish carpet will beryllium rolled retired astatine nan film's premiere coming astatine nan Royal Festival Hall.

A big of celebrities are expected to be including Chris Martin and Coldplay, Benedict Cumberbatch, astronaut Tim Peake, Geri Halliwell-Horner and Simon LeBon.

Toby Nowlan, who produced Ocean, says this caller accumulation is not a emblematic Attenborough film. "This is not astir seeing marque caller earthy history behaviours. It is nan top connection he's ever told," he says.

The movie documents really nan authorities of nan world's oceans and our knowing of really they usability person changed successful nan people of Sir David's lifetime.

Sir David remembers his first scuba dive connected nan Great Barrier Reef measurement backmost successful 1957: "I was truthful taken aback by nan spectacle earlier maine I forgot – momentarily – to breathe."

Since then, location has been a catastrophic diminution successful life successful nan world's oceans. "We are almost retired of time," he warns.

Ocean contains immoderate of nan astir schematic footage of nan harm that bottommost trawling – a communal sportfishing believe astir nan world - tin do to nan seabed. It is simply a vivid illustration of really business sportfishing tin drain nan life from nan world's oceans, Sir David claims.

The caller footage shows really nan concatenation that nan trawlers resistance down them scours nan seafloor, forcing nan creatures it disturbs into nan nett behind. They are often seeking a azygous species: much than three-quarters of what they drawback whitethorn beryllium discarded.

"It's difficult to ideate a much wasteful measurement to drawback fish," comments Sir David.

The process besides releases immense amounts of c dioxide which contributes to nan warming of our planet, yet bottommost trawling is not conscionable ineligible but is actively encouraged by galore governments.

Sir David says nan authorities of nan water has almost made him suffer dream for nan early of life connected nan planet. What has kept him from despair is what he calls nan "most singular find of all" – that nan water tin "recover faster than we had ever imagined".

Sir David says nan communicative of nan world's whales has been a root of immense optimism for him.

It is estimated that 2.9 cardinal whales were killed by nan whaling manufacture successful nan 20th Century alone. Scientists person said it is nan largest cull of immoderate animal successful history erstwhile measured successful position of full biomass. It pushed almost each whale type to nan separator of extinction.

Just 1 per cent of Blue Whales were left, recalls Sir David: "I retrieve reasoning that was it. There was nary coming back, we had mislaid nan awesome whales."

But successful 1986 lawmakers bowed to nationalist unit and banned commercialized whaling worldwide. The whale organization has quickly recovered since then.

One of nan film's directors, Keith Scholey, has worked pinch Sir David for 44 years. "When I first met David, I was successful shorts," he jokes. That was successful 1981, 2 years aft Sir David had resigned arsenic nan BBC's head of programmes – 1 of nan astir elder jobs astatine nan Corporation. "He'd done 1 career, and he was disconnected connected his next."

Despite now nearing his 99th day Sir David is still remarkably energetic, says Scholey. "Every clip you activity pinch David, you study thing new," he says. "It's really bully fun. But also, David keeps you connected your mettle, because he is truthful connected his mettle and so, you know, it's ever a very imaginative process."

Sir David's cardinal connection successful nan Ocean movie is that each is not lost. Countries person promised to protect a 3rd of nan world's oceans. He hopes his caller movie will spur leaders to return patient action connected this committedness astatine a UN convention adjacent month.

He believes that could beryllium transformational.

"The water tin bounce backmost to life," Sir David says. "If near unsocial it whitethorn not conscionable retrieve but thrive beyond thing anyone live has ever seen."

A healthier water ecosystem would besides beryllium capable to trap much c dioxide, helping protect nan world from ambiance change, according to scientists.

"In beforehand of america is simply a chance to protect our climate, our food, our home," Sir David says.

As he celebrates his 99th day this week he is still fighting to protect nan earthy world he has worked his life to show to america successful each its glory.

Ocean will beryllium successful cinemas crossed nan state from Thursday.