Naturalist wisdom

The global warming sceptics club is diminishing in number. It used to include an unlikely member in Sir David Attenborough, the BBC's veteran natural history broadcaster.

But last night Sir David opened a BBC season about climate change with a personal account of why his views have changed on the issue.

Apparently he was wary of doing so before but he thinks now is the time to raise the alarm about global warming.

Not a moment too soon, according to some. Environment campaigner George Monbiot accused Sir David of presenting slick natural history programmes that perpetuate the dangerous myth that the world's ecosystem is all rosy.

That bought a swift response from the man himself. But Sir David can't seem to win: he is now being accused by the other side of perpetuating the myth of global warming.

However, few now believe that it is a myth. The government's chief scientific adviser, Sir David King, claims that global warming is more dangerous than terrorism. If any in Britain still need convincing, Attenborough is the man to do it: he was voted as one of the country's most trusted men.

The influence of the programme could also be felt further afield. Given that the BBC's natural history output is widely syndicated in America, it might even be seen by George Bush.