David Suzuki - Living Hero #5

David Suzuki is a Canadian scientist and broadcaster who is a long time environmental activist dedicated to reversing global climate change through his organization, The David Suzuki Foundation.

“We’re in a giant car heading towards a brick wall and everyone’s arguing over where they’re going to sit”

David Suzuki’s academic accomplishments in zoology and genetics are well documented but it is his work in popularizing science and environmental issues that I feel define him as extraordinary. His environmental activism has caused many of us to rethink our values and self absorbed approach to living our lives. His daughter Severn Suzuki’s address at the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit stands out as a reminder of how long the climate change battle has raged on and how far we still have to go if our species is going to survive.

“The human brain now holds the key to our future. We have to recall the image of the planet from outer space: a single entity in which air, water, and continents are interconnected. This is our home.”

David’s book, The Sacred Balance, is a must read for everyone. How minutely we are all intertwined is so well explained you will never question your impact on the world around you again. Buddhists call this ‘interbeing’ and in my opinion the solution of the earth’s problems lies in our ability to embrace this concept. As David Suzuki points out, there is so much we do not know about our world, especially when it comes to our soil. What we do know for sure is that our atmosphere which provides us with a livable climate and air to breathe, is dependent upon the microorganisms in our soil. Perhaps we should reconsider our lifestyles rather than trying to preserve the unsustainable. Once you understand the concept of interbeing, you definitely will question the logic of developing technological solutions, like carbon capture technology that could upset the delicate balance of our soil, to solve what is ultimately a social issue.

“Our personal consumer choices have ecological, social, and spiritual consequences. It is time to reexamine some of our deeply held notions that underlie our lifestyles.”

It is difficult for me to accept that David Suzuki is seventy three years old. Anyone growing up in Canada has learned a lot about science and nature through his CBC television and radio programs that made those subjects so interesting and accessible to everyone. David Suzuki has been a constant voice of reason in a world straining from over consumption and I worry that there is no one ready to fill the void that will be left when he leaves this world. It is definitely up to you and I to step up and make our voices heard.

“In the environmental movement ..... every time you lose a battle it’s for good, but our victories always seem to be temporary and we keep fighting them over and over again.”