Still inspiring audiences in his latter years, or as he calls it “in the death zone”, Canadian David Suzuki is in Australia to promote his latest book The Legacy.
“As an elder, I am impelled by a sense of urgency that comes from the recognition that my generation has induced change and created problems that we bequeath to my children and grandchildren, and generations to come.”
David is no ordinary “greenie”. Born in Canada in 1936, he has had a distinguished academic career. From 1969 until his retirement in 2001, he was Professor of Genetics at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and Professor Emeritus with UBC’s Sustainable Development Research. He is a Companion of the Order of Canada and a member of the Order of British Columbia, and has been given many awards, including the Roger Tory Peterson Award from Harvard University, as well as 18 honorary doctorates—12 from Canada, four from the United States and two from Australia.
He reminds us how everything on earth is linked together to provide an environment that supports life—the clouds are made from water that is evaporated from lakes and oceans, and from water that was sucked up by the roots of plants and breathed out from their leaves. The air we breathe is freshened by great forests that take in carbon dioxide and give back oxygen. All these things and the elements air, water, soil and the sun, sustain us with their energy for our life on earth.
“We must learn to look at the big picture and to see the interconnectedness of all things,” he tells the attentive audience.
Treading Lightly
From the knowledge and wisdom acquired over a lifetime, David passes on his message of treading lightly on the planet, of living in a sustainable way and letting go the human attachment to consumerism. He asks, what are the most important things in life? Is it the bigger house, the newest car, the most expensive TV, the iphone or is it the very things that support life itself, that keep us alive–the clean air, clean water and unpolluted food. This generation has been blinded by economic growth, which is our definition of progress—our greed for more stuff with disregard for balance in nature. He asks the economists and the politicians to put the eco back into economy so that we can leave our children with the essential gifts of nature for their survival.
“Let’s look at the world through different eyes,” he says. “What do we really require to live full, rich, healthy lives? Rather than being separate or apart from the rest of nature, we are deeply embedded in and utterly dependent on the generosity of the biosphere.”
“And,” he says, “our greatest boast is the possession of intelligence above the other species … but what intelligent creature, knowing the critical role of air for all life on Earth would then proceed to deliberately pour toxic materials into it? ... Every bit of food that we eat was once alive and most of it comes from the soil … what intelligent creature knowing the role the earth plays in constructing our very bodies, would then proceed to use the earth as a dump for our waste and toxic material?” he says.
“Every drink we take has water molecules that evaporated from the canopies of every forest in the world, from all of the ocean and plains … what intelligent creature, knowing that water is a sacred life giving element, would use water as a toxic dump?”
Dr Suzuki brings to our attention that sustainability can be learned from traditional people. “As resources collapse under assault by modern industrial forces, we are turning to those reservoirs of traditional knowledge to gain insights into better management processes.”
He also notes the need to embrace our higher values: “We are spiritual beings and we need spirit more than ever.”
David lives with his wife, Dr Tara Cullis, and two daughters in Vancouver, Canada.
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