A conversation with Sir David Attenborough

David Attenborough
British broadcaster David Attenborough in London on November 17, 2011.
ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images

The BBC World Service is marking 80 years in business this year. That's 80 years of broadcasting across the world in several languages, over shortwave radio and now with satellites and internet streaming.

The BBC marked the anniversary Wednesday with a special day of programming that included an hour-long, global conversation with David Attenborough. He's the go-to guy for nature documentaries.

Attenborough sat down for a conversation with Mike Williams from the BBC program One Planet to discuss his decades of filmmaking. Williams asked Attenborough whether he considers himself a warrior fighting for something. Attenborough said yes, but reluctantly.

"I mean, I didn't start making natural history films with the high-minded idea of saving this, that or the other," he said. "I made natural history films because I thought it was the most interesting subject you could have for a film. And then as you get to understand what the world situation is, you realize that there are problems. And if you care for the natural world, then it's up to you to do something about it. You owe it something."

Listen to the full Attenborough segment at the BBC.

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