Yann Arthus-Bertrand

About

French environmentalist, activist, journalist and photographer most famous for his book, Earth From Above, and the documentary films Home, and Human. In 2005, he founded the organization GoodPlanet which helps people and companies reduce their climate impact. On Earth Day in 2009, he was appointed Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme. 

Before Fame

He grew up in a wealthy family in Paris. He was interested in nature and wildlife from an early age. In his late teens, he was an assistant director and actor in French films. Four years later, he left the movie industry to return to Château de Saint Augustin wildlife park. He and his wife lived in Kenya on the Masai Mara National Reserve, where he lived among the Masai tribe and studied lion behavior. Here he discovered his passion for photography. 

Trivia

After years of travel and study, he returned to France in 1981 where he specialized in photography and documentaries on sports, wildlife and aerial photography. He has 320,000 followers on his Y.A.Bertrand Facebook page. Several schools are named after him. He also uses his yannarthusbertrand Instagram page as a place to share moments from his life and accomplishments.

Family Life

He married a woman named Anne in 1976 but the two later divorced. He has three siblings: Catherine, Béatrice and Pascal. He has a son named Tom who is a musical artist. 

Associated With

In September of 2019 he posted a video of Greta Thunberg's passionate address on climate change.