David Suzuki facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Suzuki
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Suzuki in December 2009
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David Takayoshi Suzuki
March 24, 1936 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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| Alma mater | Amherst College (BA) University of Chicago (PhD) |
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| Institutions | University of British Columbia |
| Thesis | Interchromosomal effects on crossing over in Drosophila melanogaster (1961) |
| Doctoral advisor | Bill Baker |
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David Takayoshi Suzuki (born March 24, 1936) is a famous Canadian scientist, TV host, and environmental activist. He is known for teaching people about nature and the environment. Suzuki earned a PhD in zoology (the study of animals) from the University of Chicago in 1961. He was a professor at the University of British Columbia from 1963 until he retired in 2001.
Since the 1970s, Suzuki has been a well-known face and voice on TV and radio. He has hosted many shows, made documentaries, and written books about nature. He is most famous for hosting The Nature of Things, a science show on CBC Television that is watched in over 40 countries. He also often speaks out, asking governments to do more to protect our planet.
Suzuki has worked hard to fight climate change. In 1990, he helped start the David Suzuki Foundation. This group works to help people live in a way that respects the natural world. Their main goals include protecting oceans and fish, promoting clean energy, and encouraging sustainability. Suzuki also served on the board of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.
In 2009, Suzuki received the Right Livelihood Award for his important work. His 2011 book, The Legacy, also won an award. He is a Companion of the Order of Canada, a very high honor. In 2004, he was voted fifth on a list of "The Greatest Canadian" of all time.
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Growing Up in Canada
Suzuki has a twin sister, Marcia, and two other sisters, Geraldine and Dawn. He was born in 1936 in Vancouver, British Columbia. His grandparents had moved to Canada from Japan in the early 1900s.
During World War II, Suzuki's family, like many other Japanese Canadians, faced a difficult time. The government forced them to move away from the coast. In 1942, the government sold his family's dry-cleaning business. Suzuki, his mother, and two sisters were sent to a camp in Slocan. His father had been sent to a labor camp earlier. His youngest sister, Dawn, was born in this camp.
After the war, his family had to move east of the Rocky Mountains. They lived in different towns in Ontario, like Etobicoke, Leamington, and London. Suzuki often says that his father taught him to love and care for nature.
Suzuki went to school in Leamington and then in London, Ontario.
Suzuki's Science Career
Suzuki earned his first degree in biology in 1958 from Amherst College in Massachusetts. There, he became very interested in genetics, the study of how traits are passed down. He then got his PhD in zoology from the University of Chicago in 1961.
After his studies, Suzuki worked at a research lab and then as a professor at the University of Alberta. From 1963 until 2001, he was a professor in the genetics department at the University of British Columbia. Even after retiring, he continued to be involved with the university.
Early in his research, he studied genetics using tiny fruit flies, called Drosophila melanogaster. These flies are often used in science to understand how genes work.
A Voice for Nature on TV and Radio
Suzuki started his TV career on January 10, 1971, with a children's show called Suzuki on Science. In 1974, he helped create the radio show Quirks & Quarks, which he hosted from 1975 to 1979. He also hosted Science Magazine for adults throughout the 1970s.
From 1979 to 2023, Suzuki hosted The Nature of Things on CBC television. This popular show has been shown in almost 50 countries. On the show, Suzuki aimed to make people excited about the natural world. He also talked about dangers to people and wildlife, and suggested ways for us to live more sustainably. Suzuki has always supported renewable energy sources like solar and wind power.
He also hosted the 1993 PBS series The Secret of Life. His 1985 series, A Planet for the Taking, was very popular in Canada. In this series, he said that people often think nature is endless and don't worry about it. He called for a big change in how we see our relationship with nature.
Suzuki's book The Sacred Balance, first published in 1997, was later made into a TV mini-series in 2002. He has also appeared in ads promoting energy conservation, like using energy-saving lightbulbs.
In October 2022, Suzuki announced he would retire from The Nature of Things in spring 2023.
Fighting Climate Change
David Suzuki strongly believes that climate change is a very real and urgent problem. He says that most scientists agree that human activities are causing it.
Suzuki explains that for many years, some people and media seemed unsure about climate science. He believes this confusion was caused by groups spreading false information. He says a small number of critics deny climate change or that humans are the cause. These critics, he notes, often do not publish in scientific journals. Instead, they try to influence the public and politicians. Their goal, according to Suzuki, is to delay action on climate change. He says some of these groups have received money from coal and oil companies.
Suzuki is an ambassador for 350.org, an environmental group that works to reduce carbon emissions and find climate solutions. He has also supported the idea of making serious environmental damage a crime at the International Criminal Court. He believes that harming nature is a crime against all life, including humans.
Suzuki has faced some criticism because his travels to spread his message have a large carbon footprint. He admits that he has gone "over his carbon limit" many times. He says he has stopped taking overseas vacations and tries to group his speaking events together to reduce his travel. He would prefer to speak by video whenever possible.
Suzuki has also criticized the study of economics for not valuing the environment enough.
Family Life
David Suzuki was married to Setsuko Joane Sunahara from 1958 to 1965, and they had three children. In 1973, he married Tara Elizabeth Cullis. They have two daughters, Severn Cullis-Suzuki and Sarika Cullis-Suzuki. As of 2022, he has ten grandchildren, including snowboarder and filmmaker Tamo Campos. His cousins' grandchildren are hockey players Nick Suzuki and Ryan Suzuki.
Suzuki has been criticized by some for owning multiple homes while talking about living simply.
Awards and Special Recognitions
- Suzuki has received many honors for his work. He was appointed to the Order of Canada in 1976 and became a Companion in 2006. This is one of Canada's highest civilian honors.
- He also received the Order of British Columbia in 1995.
- In 1986, he won UNESCO's Kalinga Prize for making science popular.
- He received the Right Livelihood Award in 2009, sometimes called the "Alternative Nobel Prize."
- In 2004, he was nominated as one of the top ten "Greatest Canadians" by CBC viewers, ranking fifth.
- In 2010, a documentary film about him called Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie was released.
- On June 23, 2015, the Vancouver City Council gave him the Freedom of the City, making him a Freeman of Vancouver.
Suzuki has also received many honorary degrees from universities around the world, recognizing his contributions to science and the environment.
See also
In Spanish: David Suzuki para niños
