Sir David Attenborough has revealed his diet has become increasingly meat-free as part of his personal efforts to save the planet.
The 94-year-old naturist, who lives in Richmond, explained that while he is not a strict vegetarian because he still eats fish, he cannot remember the last time he had a piece of red meat.
He told Good Housekeeping that his thinking had changed about the meat industry after he began thinking almost daily about the ‘dreadful things’ humanity has done to the planet.
He revealed he had never anticipated changing his diet to such a large extent, saying: ‘I do eat cheese, I have to say, and I eat fish. But by and large I’ve become much more vegetarian over the past few years than I thought I would ever be.’
Sir David Attenborough, 94, who lives in Richmond, has revealed how he’s adapted his lifestyle as part of his efforts to save the plane ( Pictured: Sir David Attenborough in Kenya)
After being asked how he had changed his lifestyle in response to climate change in recent years, he explained: ‘Well, I have certainly changed my diet.
‘Not in a great sort of dramatic way. But I don’t think I’ve eaten red meat for months.’
The broadcaster, who recently released new documentary David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet, has also penned a book entitled A Life On Our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future.
In the book, he admits he feels it important to remind himself of the ‘dreadful things’ that humanity has done during his lifetime, because it can be easy to forget as the sun still rises each day and his newspaper arrives through his letterbox each day.
Sir David recently enjoyed a private viewing of his new documentary in the grounds of Kensington Palace with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, after their children requested to meet him
He warns that there’s an urgency to make changes now in order to help restore the earth, while also sharing how he’s seen the natural world decline throughout his career.
Sir David explained that people should use the things that are already at their disposal to make an impact, such as attracting wildlife by adapting gardens or re-wilding a window box.
He said it’s difficult to get a complete ecosystem to develop, but it’s important to make efforts to encourage nature to thrive without using insecticides and other chemicals that would normally be used on outdoor spaces of all sizes.
The broadcaster, who hasn’t travelled internationally for at least six months, revealed one of his biggest hopes for the planet is ‘stop the discharge of greenhouse gases’.
He insisted that ‘all the technology and science is there’ for a shift from burning fossil fuels to using renewables, but action plans need to be put into action.
Sir David (pictured) previously voiced concerns about humanity’s need to overhaul their relationship with nature during talks with the Duke of Cambridge in Switzerland last year
Sir David recently enjoyed a private viewing of his new documentary in the grounds of Kensington Palace with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, after their children requested to meet him.
The 94-year-old naturalist was photographed with Prince George, seven, Princess Charlotte, five, and Prince Louis, two, along with their mother Kate, 38, after enjoying a private viewing of his newest documentary A Life On Our Planet with Prince William, 38.
Sir David told The Times that he found the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s children ‘charming’ after meeting them last week.
The broadcaster even gifted Prince George a fossilised giant shark’s tooth after discovering the young royal was a ‘massive fan’.
Kate and William have previously met Sir David on a number of occasions, including at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last year.
William interviewed Sir David at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last year, and during the discussion the broadcaster warned that humanity needed to act so that they did not ‘annihilate part of the natural world’.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also previously met the conservationist in September 2019 at Birkenhead, for the naming ceremony of the polar research ship the RRS Sir David Attenborough.
The encounter appears in the upcoming ITV documentary, Prince William: A Planet For Us All.