Courtesy of the BBC:
In an extraordinary meeting of minds, President Barack Obama has interviewed Sir David Attenborough at the White House.
During the meeting, the two men discussed the future of the planet, their passion for nature and what can be done to protect it. Excerpts can be viewed below.
The interview was recorded in May on Sir David's 89th birthday.
As you can see my headline was not backwards, the President is actually conducting this interview because as he says he has been a huge admirer of his work for a long time.
And he is certainly not alone.
I am also a huge fan of Sir. David Attenborough and his amazing body of work.
If you watch the video, which is a touch over forty eight minutes long, you can almost hear the conservative heads in the background exploding as Attenborough and the President address the impact that man made climate change has had on our planet over and over again.
I died and went to heaven when I saw this over the weekend. I am a big fan of smart and short of having Steven Hawking there, this was a conversation for the ages.
ReplyDeleteThat was cool when he talked about his Mom listening to the waves in Hawaii when she was pregnant and how he attributes that to why he thinks he’s so calm.
DeleteThere is NO ONE who does nature documentaries like Sir David. 'Africa' was amazing, and 'Kingdom of Plants' breathtaking and 'Galapagos' and the 'Life' series. I've spent hours on end immersed in his stuff. So much to see, to learn, all with that velvet voice taking you on a journey. Can't wait to watch it.
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting the video, Gryphen.
This is yet another reason I love our President and First Lady so much! What an awesome experience for those young girls! And that hug....!
ReplyDeleteGirl Scouts Camp Out on the Obamas' Front Lawn
http://www.people.com/article/girl-scouts-white-house-camp-out-people-photo-diary
GIRL: Can we have a hug?
THE PRESIDENT: We can have a group hug. (All the girls at once come running up for a group hug.)
https://twitter.com/CNNPolitics/status/616245457925328896/photo/1
During this visit to the Girl Scout’s camp, a campfire leader called President Obama “our sister, too.” Obama corrected her that he was a “brother.” The campfire leader then suggested that the President was “very in touch with your feminine side. That’s what makes you so wonderful.”
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/07/01/girl-scout-praises-president-obama-touch-feminine-side.html
Fuck the Obamas.
DeleteI wonder if the New York Times will even mention the camp out. Their reporters and editors spend too much time whining about the President's "aloofness." What nonsense they write.
DeleteI think it was a delightful idea to share the National Park that is the White House and I hope it becomes an annual tradition. But I cannot imagine any of President Obama's predecessors taking part. Remember how George Bush was the candidate all those beer swillers wanted to share a beer with? He was just so folksy according to the media but it turns out he really didn't like to be around people unless they were terribly rich.
Beaglemom
This wonderful president was in my city today, Nashville. And our 'illustrious' governor, Bill Haslam, whom I've met and interviewed, couldn't be bothered to meet the president as he arrived. Neither could any of the governor's co-horts in division and regression. Pitiful. Downright disrespectful. I'm ashamed to have to live in this red state...
ReplyDeleteBlue girl Liz ... 😩
Sevierville here, and my household joins you in your feelings of embarrassment. We're surrounded with Dunning-Kruger Effect, Ms. Liz.
DeleteA DOUBLE rainbow!
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/MajorCBS/status/616372859368308737
I cannot thank you enough for the link. What a truly wonderful documentary!!! Watching it as I write this. Truly touching.
ReplyDeleteThe most danger Sir Attenborough has encountered? A drunk Homo Sapiens....
LOL! Yeah, I just heard him say that.
DeleteThis is pure Gold. Sir David is a living legend and such is the expanse of his career that even millennials like me have grown up listening to his amazing voice in narration. President Obama on the other hand genuinely cares about conservation and acknowledges the grave problems faced by our planet. He couldn't do nearly enough for climate-change and environmentalism in terms of policy and legislation as he should have or as the need demands but that's partly because of the political stalemate, dysfunction and pure unwillingness by Republicans in Congress who wouldn't back him up on anything, the general skullduggery of the powerful Oil,Gas and Coal lobbies in Washington and also because the world especially China and India aren't willing to move as swiftly on climate change as they need to.
ReplyDeleteI still remembering watching Life on Earth more that thirty-five years ago(!) and how wonderful it was.
ReplyDeleteWe are blessed to have an intelligent and moral man in the White House. The President and the First Lady are a couple we can be very proud of, we need someone to carry on his legacy elected in 2016.
Breaks my heart. So much destruction by humankind.
ReplyDeleteAnd for what?
DeleteBecause a BLACK man was in the WHITE House.
What a beautiful production. And what a jewel we have in Mr. Attenborough and Mr. Obama. It was fun to see Obama a little star struck.
ReplyDeleteOne can easily imagine him as a kid digging on nature, especially in Hawaii when nature is really just outside your back door.
What life Mr. A. has had, immersed in nature for so many years and to be able to go from black and white to color to 3D to 4K...what a huge leap of technology.
But alas, also the enormous changes he's witnessed up close with climate change and human destruction.
I'm so glad that Obama did this with the BBC. Subjects could be covered that would cause a major head explosions on the Right in this country. The climate change deniers, the 'in the pockets of oil and coal companies' politicians...yep, they'd be yelping up a storm if this was a US production. People in the UK are so much more science based than faith based, and that's such a good thing.
I wish Pres. Obama's level of curiosity, comprehension, concern, and respect for our planet and its inhabitants were what we expected of all our elected officials. But he stands out as a rarity and I applaud those who saw these qualities and voted for him...twice.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Gryphen. This is a keeper! President Obama will go in the history books as one of the best Presidents, ever. Intelligence, grace, charm and a smile that lights up a room.
ReplyDeleteI love watching BBC and news from other countries, the respect this man has is amazing, and he's at home with other men and women of stature. What a shame he's had to deal with so much BS and red tape with the GOP.
Meanwhile, at the pee pond, earlier the denizens of the day room felt a conspiracy in the making. VP Biden is going to run, and win! And he's picking............ for VP............
Ding Ding Ding
President Obama.
Oh Noes!!!! For once that's a plan I can imagine!!
Let the pees say he's Alinsky they're screwed.
ReplyDeleteDon the tin foil!
I would elect him a third term, as would this country!
Love this man, and his family. That's how it's done.
Cuba opening ushers in era of 'más Obama'
ReplyDeleteThe president compares himself to Ronald Reagan as he strives for a 'transformational’ presidency.
...“Much in the same way that the Reagan Revolution required Bush Senior” to cement the legacy of a truly transformative president, Obama said, “we’ve got to make sure that we’re laying the foundation” for the next Democrat elected, according to someone who heard the call.
“It’s important for us to set the record properly and tell a story about what happened over the last 6½years, less for our benefit and more to create the political climate going into the next election so the agenda that we’ve set continues,” Obama said.
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/cuba-opening-ushers-in-era-of-mas-obama-119652.html
I just got done watching the video and I was pleasantly pleased. I thought it would be all talking in the White House, but it turned out to be mostly scenes from David Attenborough's field trips around the world. What a life that man had!! :-)
ReplyDeleteI loved the documentary. I hope lots of people get to see it. Hopefully it will be shown on the BBCAmerica channel.
ReplyDeleteBeaglemom
A British National Treasure interviewed by President Obama, wow! How wonderful. Shame this Brit cannot access the video. I am so very sad now :-(
ReplyDeleteJosephine in the UK
THIS:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.salon.com/2015/07/02/the_oceans_are_in_serious_trouble_and_theres_only_one_way_to_save_them/