David Attenborough Goes In On Scott Morrison For Supporting Coal Mines

Sir David Attenborough is considered by many across the globe as an international treasure.

He has dazzled us with rare, incredible, amazing and gobsmacking displays of nature at its finest and most fierce.

But in recent years, he's been turning his attention away from the seemingly endless number of species that walk this earth and instead focusing on humans and their impact on the planet.

Speaking to Triple J's Hack programme, the best nature historian this planet has ever seen has zeroed in on Aussie Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his affection for coal.

ScoMo had a pretty iconic moment when he brought a lump of coal into Canberra's parliament in 2017 and paraded it around, declaring it wasn't a threat to our society.

Sir David has told Hack: "I don't think it was a joke. If you weren't opening a coal mine okay I would agree, it's a joke. But you are opening a coal mine.

"Do you think it's right that we go on destroying the natural world?

"You are the keepers of an extraordinary section of the surface of this planet, including the Barrier Reef, and what you say, what you do, really, really matters."

"And then you suddenly say, 'No it doesn't matter ... it doesn't matter how much coal we burn ... we don't give a damn what it does to the rest of the world.'"

The 93-year-old was taken aback by the response at last week's climate change rally, which has become one of the biggest global protests in human history.

"Young people see things very clearly. And they are speaking very clearly to politicians," he said.

PA

"[People under 18] may not have the vote...but it's their world that's coming along and they want to make it clear to the politicians that they know that."

This isn't the first time Sir David has taken a swing at Australia's Prime Minister or his government.

During a heartbreaking and emotional speech at the UK Parliament's Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, the TV presenter decried the lack of action to protect the Great Barrier Reef.

"I am sorry that there are people who are in power, and internationally, notably of course: the United States but also in Australia - which is extraordinary because Australia is already facing having to deal with some of the most extreme manifestations of climate change," he said.

Topics: News, Australia, Politics

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

@stewartperrie