Press conference with the laureates of the 30th Right Livelihood Award 2009: David Suzuki. Photo by, Holger Motzkau 2010- Wikimedia
The award-winning geneticist and broadcaster were born on March 24, 1936 to Sestu Nakamura and Kaoru Carr Suzuki in Vancouver.
Suzuki has a twin sister named Marcia and also other siblings Dawn and Geraldine. He is a television personality, environmental activist, Canadian scientist, and author.
Being a third-generation Japanese Canadian, he became a great victim of world war II. His family together with other Japanese were sent to the internment camps after being forcefully evacuated from their initial home.
Suzuki recalls his experiences in his elementary and high school years as one that was filled with discrimination and prejudice due to his origin.
He further describes his high school moments as one that was filled with intensity. Nature gave him solace as he would marvel at a large swamp that was just near their house.
Though most of his educational life was filled with prejudice, some of the moments were positive.
When he was in London, he became allies with a group of sophisticated nerds. These friends gave him room to be who he truly is. It is from these people that he, later on, ended up becoming school president.
Suzuki receives the Right Livelihood Award from Jakob von Uexkull. Photo by, Holger Motzkau 2010- Wikimedia
In 2009, Suzuki went on to win the Right Livelihood Award. This international award acknowledges individuals who go the extra mile to give practical and exemplary answers to questions pertaining our day to day life.
In 2004, Suzuki was ranked 5th on the list of The Greatest Canadians of all time. This was made possible by the viewers of the CBC Television series. The channel requested people to vote and select a few individuals who might have had an impact or two on the Canadian citizens
The Legacy, a book that he published in 2011, won the Nautilus Book Award as it was an extraordinary book.
Suzuki in 2006. Photo by, Stephen Barnett from Darwin, Australia- Wikimedia
David ventured into television in 1970. He became the host of the weekly children’s show, ‘Suzuki on Science.
Four years later, he became the main founder of a radio program known as Quirks and Quarks.
Suzuki was well conversant with the media as he hosted a weekly program known as Science Magazine. This program mainly reached out to the adult audience.
A broadcast that greatly brought him to the limelight was CBC’s television series “The Nature of Things”. This series was well known as it broadcasted across 50 countries worldwide.
Suzuki got into their first marriage in 1958 when he was married to Setsuko Joane Sunahara. They stayed in marriage from 1958 to 1965. The couple got three children while they were husband and wife.
Suzuki married a second time to Tara Elizabeth Cullis in 1973. They were blessed with two daughters, Severn Cullis Suzuki and Sarika Cullis Suzuki. Sarika followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming an environmental activist.
Though he greatly believes in the conversation of the environment, he does not believe that the nature that he sees all around him was created by a Supreme being.
He believes that everything underwent a scientific process that brought forth the existence of the beings.
Suzuki signing a copy of his work. Photo by, Joshua Sherurcij- Wikimedia
The professor has gone about to publish 52 books with 19 of them specifically meant for children.
Some of their books published include “Sciencescape” whereby he published in 1986 together with Hans Blohm and Marjorie Harris. He also published Pebbles to computers together with Hans Blohm and Stafford Beer.
In 1990, he published a book entitled “Genethics”, a book which talks about the recent Genetics and Human values. He also talks about his original homeland in his book “The Japan We Never Knew”.
This occurred in 2009 when Suzuki and his daughter Saraki launched a CBC TV show entitled ‘The Suzuki Diaries’ whereby thy got to discuss and evaluate the different issues affecting the world.
The two went on expeditions across different parts of the world. They first ventured into Europe to look into the human and plant life of Europe.
They later went on to return to their home country and had a word or two with different people such as fishermen and scientists.
During these talks, they would greatly talk about the sustainability of the Canadian coastlines and the health risks these coastlines impose on the people of Canada.
This is well proven when he spoke about the fatal effects of global climate change. He stresses that the covid 19 pandemic is just but a glimpse of the dangers caused by climate change.
David Suzuki Foundation is a foundation co-founded by David himself that works hand in hand with other non-profitable organizations to safeguard the importance of taking care of the environment.
David has received backlashes from different personnel who view his activism as harmful to various job opportunities.
One of the critics he was attacked with was the one that involved his opinion about Tar sands being shut down. Some of the faculty members of the University of Alberta spoke about the University having to grant him the honorary degree.
Criticism has also come about as a result of David maintaining a lifestyle with a substantial carbon footprint while protesting against carbon emissions.
With these type of food being greatly used in the modern-day world, David goes ahead to say how bad and unhealthy these type of food is.
His words are greatly underlined in a statement in which he says, “Any politician or scientist who tells you these products are safe is either stupid or lying.” He classifies this science as very very bad science.
To clarify how unhealthy these types of foods are, he has underlined on his foundation’s website how GMOs are mainly based on money.
David Takayoshi Suzuki has shown relentless efforts on the importance of caring for the environment. He has also taken a great part in the entertainment industry broadcasting the various issues succumbing to today’s world.