The David Suzuki Reader A Lifetime of Ideas from a Leading Activist and Thinker

by Suzuki, David; McKibben, Bill

• ISBN13: 9781553650225
• ISBN10: 1553650220
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-03-02
• Publisher: Greystone Books

Summary

Drawing from Suzuki's published and unpublished writings, this collection reveals the underlying themes that have informed his work over a lifetime. In these incisive and provocative essays, Suzukilooks unflinchingly at the destructive forces of globalization, political short-sightedness, and greed. Suzukicautions against blind faith in science, technology, politics, and economics, and provides inspiring examples of how and where to make those changes that will matter to all of us and to future generations. In this time of global unrest and uncertainty, Suzukiprovides an important reminder of how we are all connected and of what really matters. Written with clarity, passion, and wisdom, this book is essential reading for anyone who admires David Suzuki, who wants to understand what science can and can't do, or who wants to make a difference. Co-published with the David Suzuki Foundation.

Author Biography

David Suzuki is an internationally renowned scientist, broad-caster, and writer. He is also the founder and chair of the David Suzuki Foundation. He lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. ix
Preface	p. xii
Interconnections	p. 1
Catching an Epiphany	p. 3
What Can I Do?	p. 10
Arrival of an Alien	p. 12
London in My Life	p. 14
Galapagos	p. 18
Human Borders and Nature	p. 21
There's a Lot to Learn	p. 27
Elephants of the Sea	p. 31
The Thrill of Seeing Ants for What They Are	p. 34
The Case for Keeping Wild Tigers	p. 37
How Little We Know	p. 40
The Power of Diversity	p. 45
Owning Up to Our Ignorance	p. 48
A Walk in a Rain Forest	p. 51
Megadams	p. 57
Global Warming	p. 60
Why We Must Act on Global Warming	p. 66
Ecological Footprints	p. 70
A Boost for Biodiversity	p. 75
Learning from Nature	p. 78
Near the End of Life	p. 84
Learning to Slow Down	p. 87
Economics and Politics	p. 89
The Hubris of Global Economics	p. 91
The Ecosystem as Capital	p. 94
Ecologists and Economists Unite!	p. 98
Economic Fallacy	p. 101
A Progress Indicator That's Real	p. 104
Endless Growth--An Impossible Dream	p. 107
Three Economists	p. 112
Economics and the Third World	p. 119
Consumption as a Deliberate Goal	p. 123
Assigning a Value to Nature	p. 125
Toward More National Economies	p. 128
The Wall Street Journal's Insane Criteria	p. 132
Following a Different Path	p. 135
The True Price of a Tree	p. 138
Plundering the Seas	p. 141
Shifting Political Perspectives	p. 145
Lessons from Humanity's Birthplace	p. 149
True Wealth	p. 152
Science, Technology, and Information	p. 155
Science and Technology Are Still in Their Infancy	p. 157
Biotechnology: A Geneticist's Personal Perspective	p. 160
It Always Costs	p. 181
The Illusory Oil Change	p. 184
Nuclear Menus (Or, Eating in the Nuclear Age)	p. 187
The Prostitution of Academia	p. 190
Live by the Box, Perish by the Box	p. 195
A Humbling Message of Ants and Men	p. 198
Infoglut and Its Consequences	p. 204
Misusing Language	p. 209
The Really Real	p. 212
Television's Real Message	p. 219
Virtual Reality	p. 225
The Hidden Messages	p. 227
Are These Two Reporters on the Same Planet?	p. 232
Why a Warmer World Won't Be a Better World	p. 236
Science and Ethics	p. 239
Genetics after Auschwitz	p. 241
The Final Dance on Racism's Grave	p. 253
Through Different Eyes	p. 256
The Temptation to Tamper	p. 259
The Pain of Animals	p. 262
Are There No Limits?	p. 269
A Biocentric View	p. 275
Why the Bravest Position Is Biocentrism	p. 277
Borrowing from Children	p. 280
Making Waves	p. 290
Teaching the Wrong Lessons	p. 293
Losing Interest in Science	p. 296
A Buddhist Way to Teach Kids Ecology	p. 301
The System and the Ecosystem	p. 304
Why Sterile School Yards Are a Waste	p. 306
The Invisible Civilization	p. 309
Haida Gwaii and My Home	p. 314
Reflections While Backpacking	p. 317
Leaders, Role Models, and Success Stories	p. 319
The New Leaders	p. 321
Village Power Wins Victories in India	p. 324
A Heroic Shepherd	p. 327
Grass-Roots Groups	p. 330
A Woman in Science	p. 335
Young People	p. 338
Monteverde and Children	p. 341
Child Power	p. 344
Germany--An Inspiring Example	p. 351
Water and a Canadian Scientist	p. 354
One Logger and His Forest	p. 357
Philosopher-King	p. 360
A New Kind of Political Leader	p. 363
Fisheries That Flourish	p. 367
One Farmer Really Close to the Soil	p. 371
Epilogue	p. 376
References	p. 378
Index	p. 383
Credits	p. 387
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