David Suzuki

<< Back

Edit Mode: David Suzuki

Email *

If we need to contact you, we will contact you on this email.

Full Name *

Your name please so that we can credit your work.

Main Text *

<h2>Early Life and Family Background</h2>
<p>David Takayoshi Suzuki was born on March 24, 1936, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He is a third-generation Canadian and the son of Setsu Nakamura and Kaoru Carr Suzuki. His grandparents immigrated to Canada from Hiroshima and Aichi Prefecture in Japan at the beginning of the 20th century. Suzuki has a twin sister named Marcia and two other siblings, Geraldine (now known as Aiko) and Dawn.</p>

<p>During World War II, Suzuki’s family, like many Japanese Canadians, was subjected to internment. The government sold the family’s dry-cleaning business, and the family was forcibly relocated to an internment camp in Slocan, British Columbia. Suzuki’s father was sent to a separate labor camp in Solsqua. After the war, the family was released and initially moved to Islington, and later to London, Ontario.</p>

<h2>Education and Academic Career</h2>
<p>Suzuki attended Mill Street Elementary School in Islington and London Central Secondary School in London. He went on to study at Amherst College in Massachusetts, earning a bachelor's degree in biology in 1958. He then completed a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_of_Philosophy">Ph.D.</a> in zoology at the University of Chicago in 1961.</p>

<p>From 1961 to 1962, Suzuki worked at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He spent the following year as an assistant professor at the University of Alberta. In 1963, he joined the University of British Columbia as a professor in the genetics department, where he remained for nearly four decades until his retirement in 2001. After retiring, he was named professor emeritus at a university research institute.</p>

<h2>Science Broadcasting and Public Engagement</h2>
<p>David Suzuki began his career in science communication in 1970 with "Suzuki on Science," a children's television series. In 1974, he created the radio show "Quirks and Quarks," which aired on CBC Radio from 1975 to 1979. He also hosted "Science Magazine," a television show aimed at adult audiences.</p>

<p>In 1979, Suzuki began hosting CBC’s long-running series "The Nature of Things." Through the program, he sought to engage viewers in understanding the natural world, the importance of wildlife habitats, and the role of renewable energy in reducing the environmental footprint of human activity.</p>

<h2>Books, Documentaries, and Environmental Campaigns</h2>
<p>In 1993, Suzuki hosted the acclaimed television series "The Secret of Life," which highlighted the importance of preserving biodiversity and promoting environmental stewardship. He authored the influential book "The Sacred Balance" in 1997, which was later adapted into a five-hour television miniseries in 2002 for Canadian public television.</p>

<p>That same year, he produced "Yellowstone to Yukon: The Wildlands Project," a documentary for the Discovery Channel focusing on habitat conservation and the need for wildlife corridors to maintain biological diversity.</p>

<h2>David Suzuki Foundation and Environmental Advocacy</h2>
<p>In recent decades, Suzuki has become an outspoken advocate for addressing global climate change. Through the David Suzuki Foundation, he promotes three primary areas of focus: Environmental Rights, which seeks to establish the legal right for all Canadians to live in a healthy environment; Climate Solutions, which aims to accelerate the shift to a low-carbon economy; and Biodiversity, which emphasizes the protection and restoration of nature.</p>

[page-break]

<h2>Views on Climate Change and Sustainability</h2>
<p>Suzuki is a firm advocate of the scientific consensus that climate change is real and is primarily caused by human activities. He has emphasized the increasing public and scientific agreement on this issue and has criticized disinformation campaigns spearheaded by fossil fuel interests that have delayed meaningful climate action.</p>

<p>In a 2015 interview with The Anthrotorian, Suzuki discussed what he sees as the core environmental challenge: the human mindset. He asserted that the problem lies not in a lack of solutions but in entrenched beliefs and values. Emphasizing the primacy of natural systems like clean air and water, he underscored the importance of recognizing humanity's dependence on the environment. “We need to recognize that we are biological creatures—we are animals—that need clean air, clean water, clean food, and clean energy, or we're dead. Those things have to be protected above everything else,” he stated.</p>

<h2>Personal Life</h2>
<p>David Suzuki married Setsuko Joanne Sunahara in 1958, and they had three children: Tamiko (born 1960), Troy (1962), and Laura (1964). The marriage ended in 1965. In 1973, he married Tara Elizabeth Cullis. Together, they have two daughters, Severn and Sarika.</p>

<h2>Public Presence and Influence</h2>
<p>Suzuki maintains an active presence on social media. The David Suzuki Foundation has garnered over 460,000 followers on Facebook, while Suzuki's personal Twitter account has more than 100,000 followers. Through these platforms, he continues to influence public discourse on climate action, biodiversity, and environmental sustainability.</p>

<p><strong>References:</strong><br />
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Suzuki</p>
<p>https://davidsuzuki.org/</p>
<p>http://theanthrotorian.com/culture/2015/6/30/interview-with-the-incomparable-david-suzuki</p>
<p>https://www.facebook.com/DavidSuzukiFoundation/</p>
<p>https://twitter.com/davidsuzuki?lang=en</p>

Source *

Source you received the information from. eg. personal experiences, acquaintances, web-links, etc

Comment *

Briefly describe the changes you made.

Warning! All fields are required. Empty fields won't allow the form to be submitted and your changes will be lost.
Once the changes are submitted they cannot be edited again until your submission is reviewed.