David Suzuki

Last updated

David Suzuki

Right Livelihood Award 2009-press conference-6.jpg
Suzuki in December 2009
Born
David Takayoshi Suzuki

(1936-03-24) March 24, 1936 (age 87)
Alma mater Amherst College (BA)
University of Chicago (PhD)
Awards
Scientific career
Institutions University of British Columbia
Thesis Interchromosomal effects on crossing over in Drosophila melanogaster  (1961)
Doctoral advisor Bill Baker
Other academic advisors
  • Bill Hexter
  • Dan Lindsley
Signature
David Suzuki Signature.svg

David Takayoshi Suzuki CC OBC FRSC (born March 24, 1936) is a Canadian academic, science broadcaster, and environmental activist. Suzuki earned a PhD in zoology from the University of Chicago in 1961, and was a professor in the genetics department at the University of British Columbia from 1963 until his retirement in 2001. Since the mid-1970s, Suzuki has been known for his television and radio series, documentaries and books about nature and the environment. He is best known as host and narrator of the popular and long-running CBC Television science program The Nature of Things , seen in over 40 countries. He is also well known for criticizing governments for their lack of action to protect the environment.

Contents

A longtime activist to reverse global climate change, Suzuki co-founded the David Suzuki Foundation in 1990, to work "to find ways for society to live in balance with the natural world that does sustain us." The Foundation's priorities are: oceans and sustainable fishing, climate change and clean energy, sustainability, and Suzuki's Nature Challenge. The Foundation also works on ways to help protect the oceans from large oil spills such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. [1] Suzuki has also served as a director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association from 1982 to 1987.

Suzuki was awarded the Right Livelihood Award in 2009. His 2011 book, The Legacy, won the Nautilus Book Award. He is a Companion of the Order of Canada. In 2004, Suzuki ranked fifth on the list of final nominees in a CBC Television series that asked viewers to select The Greatest Canadian of all time.

Early life

Suzuki has a twin sister named Marcia, as well as two other siblings, Geraldine (now known as Aiko) and Dawn. He was born in 1936 to Setsu Nakamura and Kaoru Carr Suzuki in Vancouver, British Columbia, where his parents were also born. [2] Suzuki's maternal and paternal grandparents had immigrated to Canada at the beginning of the 20th century from Hiroshima Prefecture and Aichi Prefecture respectively. [3] [4]

A third-generation Japanese Canadian ("Canadian Sansei"), Suzuki's family suffered internment in British Columbia early during the Second World War until after the war ended in 1945. In June 1942, the government sold the Suzuki family's dry cleaning business, then interned Suzuki, his mother, and two sisters in a camp at Slocan in the British Columbia Interior. [5] His father had been sent to a labour camp in Solsqua in the Southern Interior region of BC two months earlier. His sister Dawn was born in the internment camp. [6]

After the war, Suzuki's family, like other Japanese Canadian families, were forced to move east of the Rockies. They moved around Ontario, from Etobicoke, Leamington, and eventually to London. In interviews, Suzuki has consistently credited his father for having interested him in and sensitized him to nature. [7]

Suzuki attended Mill Street Elementary School and Grade 9 at Leamington District Secondary School before moving to London, Ontario, where he attended London Central Secondary School. [8]

Academic career

Suzuki received his Bachelor of Arts degree in biology in 1958 from Amherst College in Massachusetts where he first developed an interest in genetics, [9] and his Doctor of Philosophy degree in zoology from the University of Chicago in 1961. [10] From 1961 to 1962, Suzuki worked at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. From 1962 to 1963, he was an assistant professor at the University of Alberta. He was a professor in the genetics department at the University of British Columbia for almost forty years, from 1963 until his retirement in 2001, and has since been professor emeritus at a university research institute. [11]

Early in his research career he studied genetics using the popular model organism Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies). To be able to use his initials in naming any new genes he found, he studied dominant temperature-sensitive (DTS) phenotypes. He jokingly noted at a lecture at Johns Hopkins University that the only alternative subject was "(damn) tough skin."

Broadcasting career

Suzuki in 2006 David Suzuki.jpg
Suzuki in 2006

Suzuki began in television on January 10, 1971 with the weekly children's show Suzuki on Science . In 1974, he founded the radio program Quirks & Quarks , which he also hosted on CBC AM radio (the forerunner of CBC Radio One) from 1975 to 1979. Throughout the 1970s, he also hosted Science Magazine , a weekly program geared towards an adult audience.

From 1979 to 2023, Suzuki hosted The Nature of Things , a CBC television series that has aired in nearly fifty countries worldwide. [12] In this program, Suzuki's aim is to stimulate interest in the natural world, to point out threats to human well-being and wildlife habitat, and to present alternatives to humanity for achieving a more sustainable society. Suzuki has been a prominent proponent of renewable energy sources and the soft energy path.

Suzuki was the host of the critically acclaimed 1993 PBS series The Secret of Life. [13] His 1985 hit series, A Planet for the Taking, averaged more than 1.8 million viewers per episode and earned him a United Nations Environment Programme Medal. His perspective in this series is summed up in his statement: "We have both a sense of the importance of the wilderness and space in our culture and an attitude that it is limitless and therefore we needn't worry." He concludes with a call for a major "perceptual shift" in our relationship with nature and the wild.

Suzuki's The Sacred Balance , a book first published in 1997 and later made into a five-hour mini-series on Canadian public television, was broadcast in 2002. [14] [15] Suzuki is now taking part in an advertisement campaign with the tagline "You have the power", promoting energy conservation through various household alternatives, such as the use of compact fluorescent lightbulbs.

For the Discovery Channel, Suzuki also produced "Yellowstone to Yukon: The Wildlands Project" in 1997. The conservation-biology based documentary focused on Dave Foreman's Wildlands Project, which considers how to create corridors between and buffer zones around large wilderness reserves as a means to preserve biological diversity. Foreman developed this project after leaving Earth First! (which he co-founded) in 1990. The conservation biologists Michael Soulé and Reed Noss were also directly involved.

In October 2022, Suzuki announced his retirement from The Nature of Things series in spring 2023. [16] [17]

Climate change activism

Suzuki in conversation with Silver Donald Cameron about his work.
Suzuki spoke at the 2007 Global Day of Action event in Vancouver, B.C. The sign in the background refers to the Greater Vancouver Gateway Program. David Suzuki Kyoto Rally.JPG
Suzuki spoke at the 2007 Global Day of Action event in Vancouver, B.C. The sign in the background refers to the Greater Vancouver Gateway Program.

In February 2008, he urged McGill University students to speak out against politicians who fail to act on climate change, stating, "What I would challenge you to do is to put a lot of effort into trying to see whether there's a legal way of throwing our so-called leaders into jail because what they're doing is a criminal act." [18] [19]

Suzuki is unequivocal that climate change is a very real and pressing problem and that an "overwhelming majority of scientists" now agree that human activity is responsible. The David Suzuki Foundation website has a clear statement of this:

The debate is over about whether or not climate change is real. Irrefutable evidence from around the world – including extreme weather events, record temperatures, retreating glaciers, and rising sea levels  – all point to the fact climate change is happening now and at rates much faster than previously thought.

The overwhelming majority of scientists who study climate change agree that human activity is responsible for changing the climate. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is one of the largest bodies of international scientists ever assembled to study a scientific issue, involving more than 2,500 scientists from more than 130 countries. The IPCC has concluded that most of the warming observed during the past 50 years is attributable to human activities. Its findings have been publicly endorsed by the National Academies of Science of all G8 nations, as well as those of China, India and Brazil. [20]

Suzuki says that despite this growing consensus, many in the public and the media seemed doubtful about the science for many years. The reason for the confusion about climate change, in Suzuki's view, was due to a well organized campaign of disinformation about the science involved. "A very small number of critics" denies that climate change exists and that humans are the cause. These climate change deniers, Suzuki says, tend not to be climate scientists and do not publish in peer-reviewed scientific journals but rather target the media, the general public, and policy makers. Their goal: "delaying action on climate change." According to Suzuki, deniers have received significant funding from coal and oil companies, including ExxonMobil. They are linked to "industry-funded lobby groups", such as the Information Council on the Environment (ICE), [21] whose aim is to "reposition global warming as theory (not fact)." [20]

Suzuki is a "messenger" / ambassador for the environmental organization 350.org advocating for cutting CO2 emissions and creating climate solutions. [22]

Suzuki has supported ecocide becoming a crime at the International Criminal Court stating "Ecocide is not only a crime against life, it is suicidal for us because we are the apex predator that is utterly dependent on nature's services." [23] [24]

Suzuki has attracted criticism for maintaining a lifestyle with a substantial carbon footprint while proselytizing against carbon emissions. Suzuki himself laments that in travelling constantly to spread his message of climate responsibility, he has ended up "over his [carbon] limit by hundreds of tonnes." He says that he has stopped vacationing overseas, and aims to "cluster" his speaking engagements together to reduce his carbon footprint. He would prefer, he says, to appear solely by video conference. [25]

Suzuki has criticized the discipline of economics for not valuing the environment. [26]

In 2021, he said that pipelines would be "blown up" if climate action was not taken; he later apologized. [27]

Social commentary

Suzuki signing a copy of his work David Suzuki (book signing).png
Suzuki signing a copy of his work

Genetically modified food

Suzuki has been criticized [28] for his pseudoscientific [29] [30] [31] [32] beliefs on GMOs. Suzuki has written that "products of biotechnology are being rammed into our food, onto our fields and into our medicines, without any public participation in discussions and with the complicity, indeed, the active support and funding of governments. But there are profound health, ecological and economic ramifications of this activity." [33] In a 1999 CP Wire article, Suzuki is quoted as saying: "Any politician or scientist who tells you these products are safe is either very stupid or lying." [34] In an interview with CBC TV, Suzuki argues that the science showing GMOs are safe is "very, very bad science" and that the commercialization of GMOs is "driven by money." [35] His foundation's website includes an "Understanding GMO" page which claims "the safety of GMO foods is unproven and a growing body of research connects these foods with health concerns." [36]

Fukushima

In a 2013 speech on water policy at the University of Alberta, Suzuki claimed that a second emergency at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant would require the evacuation of the North American west coast. Three months later, he admitted that his comment was "off-the-cuff." [37] However, Suzuki still speculates that another earthquake could trigger a new nuclear disaster in Fukushima, [38] as the Japanese Atomic Energy Commission paper he cited in his aforementioned speech at the University of Alberta states that such a disaster could call for the evacuation of over 10 million Japanese residents. [37]

Immigration

In 2013, in the French news magazine L'Express , Suzuki called Canada's immigration policy "disgusting" (We "plunder southern countries to deprive them of their future leaders, and wish to increase our population to support economic growth") and insisted that "Canada is full" ("Our useful area is reduced"). [39]

Canadian justice system

While being interviewed by Tony Jones on Australia's ABC TV network in September 2013, Suzuki repeated the claim from Canadian media that the Harper government was building prisons even though crime rates were declining in Canada. [40] [41] [42] He suggested that the prisons might be being built so that Stephen Harper can incarcerate environmental activists. [40] [43] Jean-Christophe De Le Rue, a spokesman for Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney, denied the claims, emphasizing that the Canadian government is not building any prisons, nor do they have plans to build any. [43] However, in 2011, the Harper government did announce a 5-year, "$2-billion federal prison-building boom" to add "over 2,700 beds to men's and women's prisons across Canada" with $517-million already "spent on prison construction" in 2010–2011. [41] [44] [45]

Personal life

Suzuki was married to Setsuko Joane Sunahara [46] from 1958 to 1965; the couple had three children. [47] In 1973, Suzuki married a second time to Tara Elizabeth Cullis, [48] with whom he had two daughters: Severn Cullis-Suzuki and Sarika Cullis-Suzuki. As of 2022, he has ten grandchildren, including snowboarder and filmmaker Tamo Campos. [49] [50] [51] His cousin’s grandchildren are Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki, and Carolina Hurricanes player Ryan Suzuki. [52]

Suzuki is an atheist. [53]

Suzuki was criticized by the National Post for owning multiple homes "because he often preaches the virtues of minimalism". [54]

Awards and honours

Suzuki receives the Right Livelihood Award from Jakob von Uexkull. Right Livelihood Award 2009-award ceremony-6.jpg
Suzuki receives the Right Livelihood Award from Jakob von Uexküll.

Honorary degrees

Suzuki has been awarded honorary degrees from many universities. [62]

LocationDateSchoolDegree
Flag of Prince Edward Island.svg Prince Edward Island1974 University of Prince Edward Island Doctor of Laws (LL.D) [63]
Flag of Ontario.svg OntarioJune 1979 University of Windsor Doctor of Science (D.Sc) [64]
Flag of Nova Scotia.svg Nova Scotia1979 Acadia University Doctor of Science (D.Sc) [65]
Flag of Ontario.svg OntarioFall 1981 Trent University Doctor of Laws (LL.D) [66]
Flag of Alberta.svg Alberta1986 University of Calgary Doctor of Laws (LL.D)
Flag of Illinois.svg Illinois1986 Governors State University Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) [67]
Flag of Ontario.svg Ontario1986 Lakehead University Doctor of Science (D.Sc) [68]
Flag of Ontario.svg OntarioJune 1987 McMaster University Doctor of Science (D.Sc) [69]
Flag of Ontario.svg Ontario1987 Queen's University Doctor of Laws (LL.D) [70]
Flag of Ontario.svg Ontario1987 Carleton University Doctor of Science (D.Sc) [71]
Flag of Massachusetts.svg Massachusetts1989 Amherst College Doctor of Science (D.Sc) [72]
Flag of Queensland.svg Queensland16 April 1997 Griffith University Doctor of the University (D.Univ) [73]
Flag of Washington.svg Washington1999 Whitman College Doctor of Science (D.Sc) [74]
Flag of Maine.svg Maine2000 Unity College Doctor of Environmental Science
Flag of British Columbia.svg British Columbia2000 Simon Fraser University Doctor of Laws (LL.D) [75]
Flag of Ontario.svg OntarioSpring 2005 York University Doctor of Science (D.Sc) [76]
Flag of Quebec.svg Quebec2005 Université du Québec à Montréal Doctor of Science (D.Sc)
Flag of South Australia.svg South Australia2005 Flinders University Doctor of Science (D.Sc) [77]
Flag of Ontario.svg Ontario2007 Ryerson University Doctor of Communications [78]
Flag of Quebec.svg Quebec2007 Université de Montréal Doctor of Science (D.Sc)
Flag of Ontario.svg Ontario10 August 2007 University of Western Ontario Doctor of Science (D.Sc) [79]
Flag of Ontario.svg Ontario2008 Lambton College Diploma in Alternative Energy Engineering Technology [80]
Flag of Newfoundland and Labrador.svg Newfoundland and LabradorMay 2009 Memorial University of Newfoundland Doctor of Science (D.Sc) [81]
Flag of Nova Scotia.svg Nova Scotia2010 Université Sainte-Anne Doctorate
Flag of Quebec.svg Quebec2011 Université Laval Doctor of Communications
Flag of British Columbia.svg British Columbia25 November 2011 University of British Columbia Doctor of Science (D.Sc) [82] [83]
Flag of Ontario.svg OntarioJune 2012 University of Guelph Doctor of Laws (LL.D) [84]
Flag of Manitoba.svg Manitoba2015 University of Winnipeg Doctor of Science (D.Sc) [85] [86]
Flag of Alberta.svg Alberta7 June 2018 University of Alberta Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) [87]

Publications

Suzuki is the author of 52 books (nineteen for children), including David Suzuki: The Autobiography , Tree: A Life Story , The Sacred Balance , Genethics, Wisdom of the Elders, Inventing the Future, and the best-selling Looking At Senses a series of children's science books. This is a partial list of publications [88] by Suzuki:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biotechnology</span> Use of living systems and organisms to develop or make useful products

Biotechnology is a multidisciplinary field that involves the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms, cells, parts thereof and molecular analogues for products and services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genetically modified maize</span> Genetically modified crop

Genetically modified maize (corn) is a genetically modified crop. Specific maize strains have been genetically engineered to express agriculturally-desirable traits, including resistance to pests and to herbicides. Maize strains with both traits are now in use in multiple countries. GM maize has also caused controversy with respect to possible health effects, impact on other insects and impact on other plants via gene flow. One strain, called Starlink, was approved only for animal feed in the US but was found in food, leading to a series of recalls starting in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genetically modified organism</span> Organisms whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering methods

A genetically modified organism (GMO) is any organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. The exact definition of a genetically modified organism and what constitutes genetic engineering varies, with the most common being an organism altered in a way that "does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination". A wide variety of organisms have been genetically modified (GM), including animals, plants, and microorganisms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genetic engineering</span> Manipulation of an organisms genome

Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification or genetic manipulation, is the modification and manipulation of an organism's genes using technology. It is a set of technologies used to change the genetic makeup of cells, including the transfer of genes within and across species boundaries to produce improved or novel organisms. New DNA is obtained by either isolating and copying the genetic material of interest using recombinant DNA methods or by artificially synthesising the DNA. A construct is usually created and used to insert this DNA into the host organism. The first recombinant DNA molecule was made by Paul Berg in 1972 by combining DNA from the monkey virus SV40 with the lambda virus. As well as inserting genes, the process can be used to remove, or "knock out", genes. The new DNA can be inserted randomly, or targeted to a specific part of the genome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genetically modified food</span> Foods produced from organisms that have had changes introduced into their DNA

Genetically modified foods, also known as genetically engineered foods, or bioengineered foods are foods produced from organisms that have had changes introduced into their DNA using various methods of genetic engineering. Genetic engineering techniques allow for the introduction of new traits as well as greater control over traits when compared to previous methods, such as selective breeding and mutation breeding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Suzuki Foundation</span> Canadian nonprofit environmental organisation

The David Suzuki Foundation is a science-based non-profit environmental organization headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with offices in Montreal and Toronto. It was established as a federally registered Canadian charity on January 1, 1991. By 2007, it had 40,000 donors. Its mission is to protect nature while balancing human needs. It is supported entirely by Foundation grants and donations and by 2012, 90% of its donors were Canadian. By 2007, the Foundation employed about seventy-five staff members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genetically modified crops</span> Plants used in agriculture

Genetically modified crops are plants used in agriculture, the DNA of which has been modified using genetic engineering methods. Plant genomes can be engineered by physical methods or by use of Agrobacterium for the delivery of sequences hosted in T-DNA binary vectors. In most cases, the aim is to introduce a new trait to the plant which does not occur naturally in the species. Examples in food crops include resistance to certain pests, diseases, environmental conditions, reduction of spoilage, resistance to chemical treatments, or improving the nutrient profile of the crop. Examples in non-food crops include production of pharmaceutical agents, biofuels, and other industrially useful goods, as well as for bioremediation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denialism</span> Persons choice to deny psychologically uncomfortable truth

In the psychology of human behavior, denialism is a person's choice to deny reality as a way to avoid believing in a psychologically uncomfortable truth. Denialism is an essentially irrational action that withholds the validation of a historical experience or event when a person refuses to accept an empirically verifiable reality.

Since the advent of genetic engineering in the 1970s, concerns have been raised about the dangers of the technology. Laws, regulations, and treaties were created in the years following to contain genetically modified organisms and prevent their escape. Nevertheless, there are several examples of failure to keep GM crops separate from conventional ones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genetically modified food controversies</span> Controversies over GMO food

Genetically modified food controversies are disputes over the use of foods and other goods derived from genetically modified crops instead of conventional crops, and other uses of genetic engineering in food production. The disputes involve consumers, farmers, biotechnology companies, governmental regulators, non-governmental organizations, and scientists. The key areas of controversy related to genetically modified food are whether such food should be labeled, the role of government regulators, the objectivity of scientific research and publication, the effect of genetically modified crops on health and the environment, the effect on pesticide resistance, the impact of such crops for farmers, and the role of the crops in feeding the world population. In addition, products derived from GMO organisms play a role in the production of ethanol fuels and pharmaceuticals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plant genetics</span> Study of genes and heredity in plants

Plant genetics is the study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity specifically in plants. It is generally considered a field of biology and botany, but intersects frequently with many other life sciences and is strongly linked with the study of information systems. Plant genetics is similar in many ways to animal genetics but differs in a few key areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Non-GMO Project</span> Non-profit organization

The Non-GMO Project is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focusing on genetically modified organisms. The organization began as an initiative of independent natural foods retailers in the U.S. and Canada, with the stated aim to label products produced in compliance with their Non-GMO Project Standard, which aims to prevent genetically modified foodstuffs from being present in retail food products. The organization is headquartered in Bellingham, Washington. The Non-GMO label began use in 2012 with Numi Organic Tea products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genetically modified soybean</span> Soybean that has had DNA introduced into it using genetic engineering techniques

A genetically modified soybean is a soybean that has had DNA introduced into it using genetic engineering techniques. In 1996, the first genetically modified soybean was introduced to the U.S. by Monsanto. In 2014, 90.7 million hectares of GM soybeans were planted worldwide, making up 82% of the total soybeans cultivation area.

Genetically modified canola is a genetically modified crop. The first strain, Roundup Ready canola, was developed by Monsanto for tolerance to glyphosate, the active ingredient in the commonly used herbicide Roundup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regulation of genetic engineering</span>

The regulation of genetic engineering varies widely by country. Countries such as the United States, Canada, Lebanon and Egypt use substantial equivalence as the starting point when assessing safety, while many countries such as those in the European Union, Brazil and China authorize GMO cultivation on a case-by-case basis. Many countries allow the import of GM food with authorization, but either do not allow its cultivation or have provisions for cultivation, but no GM products are yet produced. Most countries that do not allow for GMO cultivation do permit research. Most (85%) of the world's GMO crops are grown in the Americas. One of the key issues concerning regulators is whether GM products should be labeled. Labeling of GMO products in the marketplace is required in 64 countries. Labeling can be mandatory up to a threshold GM content level or voluntary. A study investigating voluntary labeling in South Africa found that 31% of products labeled as GMO-free had a GM content above 1.0%. In Canada and the USA labeling of GM food is voluntary, while in Europe all food or feed which contains greater than 0.9% of approved GMOs must be labelled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">March Against Monsanto</span> International protest movement

The March Against Monsanto was an international grassroots movement and protest against Monsanto, a producer of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and Roundup, a glyphosate-based herbicide. The movement was founded by Tami Canal in response to the failure of California Proposition 37, a ballot initiative which would have required labeling food products made from GMOs. Advocates support mandatory labeling laws for food made from GMOs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GMO conspiracy theories</span> Conspiracy theories related to GMOs

GMO conspiracy theories are conspiracy theories related to the production and sale of genetically modified crops and genetically modified food. These conspiracy theories include claims that agribusinesses, especially Monsanto, have suppressed data showing that GMOs cause harm, deliberately cause food shortages to promote the use of GM food, or have co-opted government agencies such as the United States Food and Drug Administration or scientific societies such as the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Genetic engineering in North America is any genetic engineering activities in North America

This article discusses topics relating to genetic engineering within Oceania. Currently New Zealand and Australia require labeling so consumers can exercise choice between foods that have genetically modified, conventional, or organic origins.

References

  1. "Protecting Canada from an Oil Spill". David Suzuki Foundation. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  2. Suzuki, David. "Excerpt from The Legacy: An Elder's Vision for Our Sustainable Future by David Suzuki". Archived from the original on 2013-02-03. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
  3. Kosaka, Kris (April 25, 2009). "Environmentalist David Suzuki has words of warning for ancestral homeland". The Japan Times . Retrieved 2022-12-12.
  4. Suzuki, David (1987). Metamorphosis: Stages in a Life . Stoddart. pp.  20. ISBN   9780773721395.
  5. Gordon, K. (2007) The Slocan Valley – Our History Archived 2007-08-05 at the Wayback Machine , Slocan Valley Economic Development Commission. Retrieved on July 28, 2007.
  6. Panorama (May 3, 2007). "May is Asian Heritage Month". Metroland Media. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
  7. "David Suzuki | The Canadian Encyclopedia". www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
  8. Wong, Jan (1997-02-20). "Lunch with Jan Wong: Free clams, an eyeball and Suzuki's world view", The Globe and Mail , p. E1.
  9. "David Suzuki". Foundation Guide. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  10. Suzuki, David Takayoshi (1961). Interchromosomal effects on crossing over in Drosophila melanogaster (PhD). The University of Chicago. OCLC   49442104 via ProQuest.
  11. "David Suzuki's profile". Greenfestivals.org. Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  12. "CBC website on Nature of Things". CBC.ca. 2007-05-18. Archived from the original on August 6, 2010. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  13. Review of The Secret of Life 25 September 1993 New York Times. Retrieved 21 July 2008.
  14. "Broadcast schedule of The Sacred Balance". SacredBalance.com. Archived from the original on 2010-09-07. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  15. "Production Team of The Sacred Balance". SacredBalance.com. 2002-10-13. Archived from the original on 2010-09-07. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  16. "David Suzuki is retiring from The Nature of Things to focus on activism and calling out 'BS'". ca.news.yahoo.com. 24 October 2022. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
  17. "CBC's 'The Nature of Things' Names Sarika Cullis-Suzuki and Anthony Morgan as New Hosts (EXCLUSIVE)". www.yahoo.com. 30 November 2022. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
  18. Babbage, Sarah (2008-02-04). "Jail Politicians Who Ignore Science: Suzuki". Canada: The McGill Daily. Archived from the original on 2008-02-08. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
  19. Offman, Craig (2008-02-07). "Jail politicians who ignore climate science: Suzuki". National Post. Canada. Retrieved 2008-02-07.
  20. 1 2 "Climate change deniers". Climate Change Science and Policy. David Suzuki Foundation. Archived from the original on 2011-08-03. Retrieved 2011-08-13.
  21. The Heat is Online. "The Coal Industry's "ICE" Campaign (1999)". Retrieved on: 2011-08-13.
  22. "International day of demonstrations on climate change". CNN.com . October 26, 2009. Archived from the original on October 27, 2009. Retrieved October 26, 2009.
  23. "Supporters of Ecocide Law". Stop Ecocide International. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
  24. Editor, David Suzuki with contributions from Senior; Hanington, Writer Ian. "Herman Daly saw economy, ecology and ethics as inseparable". David Suzuki Foundation. Retrieved 2023-06-21.{{cite web}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
  25. Cernetig, Miro. "Suzuki gets the irony as popularity increases". Vancouver Sun. CanWest Global. Archived from the original on 2011-11-25. Retrieved 2008-01-09.
  26. Jerema, Carson. "David Suzuki honorary degree sends bad message about education: economist". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  27. McSheffrey, Elizabeth (25 November 2021). "David Suzuki apologizes for 'poorly chosen' words about pipelines being 'blown up'". Global News. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  28. "David Suzuki: Canada's 'science guy' turned eccentric anti-GMO, chemical scaremonger?". Genetic Literacy Project. 5 January 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  29. Nicolia, Alessandro; Manzo, Alberto; Veronesi, Fabio; Rosellini, Daniele (2013). "An overview of the last 10 years of genetically engineered crop safety research" (PDF). Critical Reviews in Biotechnology. 34 (1): 77–88. doi:10.3109/07388551.2013.823595. PMID   24041244. S2CID   9836802. We have reviewed the scientific literature on GE crop safety for the last 10 years that catches the scientific consensus matured since GE plants became widely cultivated worldwide, and we can conclude that the scientific research conducted so far has not detected any significant hazard directly connected with the use of GM crops.

    The literature about Biodiversity and the GE food/feed consumption has sometimes resulted in animated debate regarding the suitability of the experimental designs, the choice of the statistical methods or the public accessibility of data. Such debate, even if positive and part of the natural process of review by the scientific community, has frequently been distorted by the media and often used politically and inappropriately in anti-GE crops campaigns.
  30. "State of Food and Agriculture 2003–2004. Agricultural Biotechnology: Meeting the Needs of the Poor. Health and environmental impacts of transgenic crops". Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved August 30, 2019. Currently available transgenic crops and foods derived from them have been judged safe to eat and the methods used to test their safety have been deemed appropriate. These conclusions represent the consensus of the scientific evidence surveyed by the ICSU (2003) and they are consistent with the views of the World Health Organization (WHO, 2002). These foods have been assessed for increased risks to human health by several national regulatory authorities (inter alia, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, the United Kingdom and the United States) using their national food safety procedures (ICSU). To date no verifiable untoward toxic or nutritionally deleterious effects resulting from the consumption of foods derived from genetically modified crops have been discovered anywhere in the world (GM Science Review Panel). Many millions of people have consumed foods derived from GM plants - mainly maize, soybean and oilseed rape - without any observed adverse effects (ICSU).
  31. Ronald, Pamela (May 1, 2011). "Plant Genetics, Sustainable Agriculture and Global Food Security". Genetics. 188 (1): 11–20. doi:10.1534/genetics.111.128553. PMC   3120150 . PMID   21546547. There is broad scientific consensus that genetically engineered crops currently on the market are safe to eat. After 14 years of cultivation and a cumulative total of 2 billion acres planted, no adverse health or environmental effects have resulted from commercialization of genetically engineered crops (Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources, Committee on Environmental Impacts Associated with Commercialization of Transgenic Plants, National Research Council and Division on Earth and Life Studies 2002). Both the U.S. National Research Council and the Joint Research Centre (the European Union's scientific and technical research laboratory and an integral part of the European Commission) have concluded that there is a comprehensive body of knowledge that adequately addresses the food safety issue of genetically engineered crops (Committee on Identifying and Assessing Unintended Effects of Genetically Engineered Foods on Human Health and National Research Council 2004; European Commission Joint Research Centre 2008). These and other recent reports conclude that the processes of genetic engineering and conventional breeding are no different in terms of unintended consequences to human health and the environment (European Commission Directorate-General for Research and Innovation 2010).
  32. But see also:

    Domingo, José L.; Bordonaba, Jordi Giné (2011). "A literature review on the safety assessment of genetically modified plants" (PDF). Environment International. 37 (4): 734–742. doi:10.1016/j.envint.2011.01.003. PMID   21296423. In spite of this, the number of studies specifically focused on safety assessment of GM plants is still limited. However, it is important to remark that for the first time, a certain equilibrium in the number of research groups suggesting, on the basis of their studies, that a number of varieties of GM products (mainly maize and soybeans) are as safe and nutritious as the respective conventional non-GM plant, and those raising still serious concerns, was observed. Moreover, it is worth mentioning that most of the studies demonstrating that GM foods are as nutritional and safe as those obtained by conventional breeding, have been performed by biotechnology companies or associates, which are also responsible of commercializing these GM plants. Anyhow, this represents a notable advance in comparison with the lack of studies published in recent years in scientific journals by those companies.

    Krimsky, Sheldon (2015). "An Illusory Consensus behind GMO Health Assessment". Science, Technology, & Human Values. 40 (6): 883–914. doi:10.1177/0162243915598381. S2CID   40855100. I began this article with the testimonials from respected scientists that there is literally no scientific controversy over the health effects of GMOs. My investigation into the scientific literature tells another story.

    And contrast:

    Panchin, Alexander Y.; Tuzhikov, Alexander I. (January 14, 2016). "Published GMO studies find no evidence of harm when corrected for multiple comparisons". Critical Reviews in Biotechnology. 37 (2): 213–217. doi:10.3109/07388551.2015.1130684. ISSN   0738-8551. PMID   26767435. S2CID   11786594. Here, we show that a number of articles some of which have strongly and negatively influenced the public opinion on GM crops and even provoked political actions, such as GMO embargo, share common flaws in the statistical evaluation of the data. Having accounted for these flaws, we conclude that the data presented in these articles does not provide any substantial evidence of GMO harm.

    The presented articles suggesting possible harm of GMOs received high public attention. However, despite their claims, they actually weaken the evidence for the harm and lack of substantial equivalency of studied GMOs. We emphasize that with over 1783 published articles on GMOs over the last 10 years it is expected that some of them should have reported undesired differences between GMOs and conventional crops even if no such differences exist in reality.

    and

    Yang, Y.T.; Chen, B. (2016). "Governing GMOs in the USA: science, law and public health". Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 96 (4): 1851–1855. Bibcode:2016JSFA...96.1851Y. doi:10.1002/jsfa.7523. PMID   26536836. It is therefore not surprising that efforts to require labeling and to ban GMOs have been a growing political issue in the USA (citing Domingo and Bordonaba, 2011). Overall, a broad scientific consensus holds that currently marketed GM food poses no greater risk than conventional food... Major national and international science and medical associations have stated that no adverse human health effects related to GMO food have been reported or substantiated in peer-reviewed literature to date.

    Despite various concerns, today, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the World Health Organization, and many independent international science organizations agree that GMOs are just as safe as other foods. Compared with conventional breeding techniques, genetic engineering is far more precise and, in most cases, less likely to create an unexpected outcome.
  33. "Biotech Essay" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-07-22.
  34. "Suzuki Warns of "Frankenstein Foods"". www.iatp.org.
  35. "CBC Interview".
  36. "Understanding GMO". Archived from the original on 2012-12-23.
  37. 1 2 Hopper, Tristin (25 January 2015). "David Suzuki 'regrets' claim that another Fukushima disaster would require mass evacuations in North America". National Post. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  38. Suzuki, David (January 28, 2014). "David Suzuki: Citizen scientists can fill info gaps about Fukushima effects". straight.com. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  39. "David Suzuki and Jason Kenney amplify each other". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. 2013-07-15. Retrieved 2013-10-04.
  40. 1 2 "An Audience With David Suzuki". ABC Q&A. 2013-09-23. Retrieved 2018-04-06.
  41. 1 2 "Critics say Harper government throwing prison expansion money away". Toronto Star. 2011-01-10. Retrieved 2013-12-02.
  42. "Canada's crime rate: Two decades of decline". Statistics Canada. 2017-03-03. Retrieved 2018-04-06.
  43. 1 2 "Suzuki: Harper is building prisons for eco-activists". Toronto Sun. Retrieved 2013-10-04.
  44. "Harper government to announce more prison expansions". iPolitics.ca. Retrieved 2013-12-02.
  45. "Prison costs soar 86% in past five years: report". National Post. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
  46. Jonathon Gatehouse. "The nature of David Suzuki". Macleans.ca.
  47. "David Suzuki still has hope".
  48. Maclean's Nov 25, 2013
  49. "David Suzuki's Letters To My Grandchildren: Review". thestar.com. June 6, 2015.
  50. "How They Met: David Suzuki on what he'll do for love with Tara Cullis". streetsoftoronto.com. June 13, 2022.
  51. "David Suzuki publishing picture book inspired by adventures with his grandkids". CBC Books. July 18, 2023.
  52. "Team Cherry Profiles – Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game". sherwin-williamstopprospects.ca. Archived from the original on 2017-05-05. Retrieved 2017-04-11.
  53. Nancy Schiefer (2006-04-28). "Review: Suzuki laments conscience role". The London Free Press. Archived from the original on 2006-09-03. Retrieved 2007-10-29. As an atheist, Suzuki declares, he has no illusions about life and death, adding that the individual is insignificant in cosmic terms. Review of book "David Suzuki: The Autobiography", by David Suzuki (Greystone Books, 2006)
  54. Hopper, Tristin (Nov 27, 2021). "From 'Canada is full' to 'economists are brain damaged': David Suzuki's greatest hits". National Post. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  55. "Received Order of Canada". Davidsuzuki.org. 2011-02-03. Archived from the original on 2011-11-03. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
  56. "Received Order of British Columbia". VPL.ca. Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
  57. "Received UNESCO prize". CBC.ca. 2007-05-18. Archived from the original on March 30, 2009. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  58. "Microsoft Word – Great_minds_in_science_7.doc" (PDF). Retrieved 2011-10-31.
  59. "The Unlikely Activist". The Unlikely Activist. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  60. "Right Livelihood Award: 2009 – David Suzuki". RightLivelihood.org. Archived from the original on 2010-06-20. Retrieved 2010-07-28.
  61. "Freedom of the City". City of Vancouver. Retrieved 2015-11-03.
  62. Host: Dr. David Suzuki, CBC, 2010
  63. "Past honorary degree recipients". University of Prince Edward Island. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
  64. "Honorary degrees conferred (chronological)" (PDF). University of Windsor. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
  65. "Honorary degrees". Acadia University. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
  66. "Recipients of Honorary & Degrees" (PDF). Trent University. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-05. Retrieved 2010-07-28.
  67. "Honorary degree citation: David Takayoshi Suzuki". Governors State University. 1986. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
  68. "Past honorary degree recipients". Lakehead University. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
  69. "Honorary degree recipients (chronological)" (PDF). McMaster University. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
  70. "Honorary degrees" (PDF). Queen's University. 2011-09-14. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
  71. "Honorary degrees awarded since 1954". Carleton University. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
  72. "Honorary degree recipients by date received". Amherst College. Archived from the original on 2019-02-06. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
  73. "Doctor of the University acceptance speeches". Griffith University. 7 July 2017. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
  74. "Honorary degrees". Whitman College. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
  75. "Past honorary degree recipients". Simon Fraser University. 2015. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
  76. "Honorary degree recipients". York University. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
  77. "Honorary degree recipients". Flinders University. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
  78. "Honorary doctorates". Ryerson University. Archived from the original on 2018-08-27. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
  79. "Honorary degrees awarded, 1881–present" (PDF). University of Western Ontario. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
  80. "In The News | Lambton College – The Bridge to Your Future". Lambton.on.ca. Archived from the original on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
  81. "Honorary graduates of Memorial University of Newfoundland" (PDF). Memorial University of Newfoundland. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-04-29. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
  82. "Honorary degrees — chronological". University of British Columbia. 2018-02-19. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
  83. "David Suzuki". University of British Columbia. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
  84. "Honorary degree recipients". University of Guelph. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
  85. "Honorary Doctorate | Honorary Doctorate | The University of Winnipeg". www.uwinnipeg.ca.
  86. "David Suzuki | Honorary Doctorate | The University of Winnipeg". www.uwinnipeg.ca.
  87. Issawi, Hamdi (April 19, 2018). "University of Alberta stands by decision to give David Suzuki honorary degree — in spite of online backlash". The Star Edmonton. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  88. Books and Sound Recordings by David T. Suzuki Archived 2010-11-03 at the Wayback Machine David Suzuki Foundation. Complete Book List. Retrieved on: September 20, 2010.
  89. "More Good News". D&M Publishers. Archived from the original on 2010-07-15. Retrieved 2010-07-28.
  90. "Force of Nature, The David Suzuki Movie : The Nature of Things with David Suzuki : CBC-TV". CBC.ca. 2011-03-29. Archived from the original on August 8, 2011. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
  91. "| Arapahoe Library District". ArapahoeLibraries.org. 2011-08-25. Archived from the original on 2012-03-20. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
  92. Force of Nature at IMDb OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Bibliography

Further reading