David Suzuki Quotes

“Human domination over nature is quite simply an illusion, a passing dream by a naive species. It is an illusion that cost us much, ensnared us in our own designs, given us a few boasts to make about our courage and genius, but all the same it is an illusion.”

Nature Environment Mankind

Author:David Suzuki

“Our economic system, which we have elevated to our highest priority, is based on the creed of cancer: endless growth. It has left nature out.”

Science Environment

Author:David Suzuki

“My parents survived the Great Depression and brought me up to live within my means, save some for tomorrow, share and don't be greedy, work hard for the necessities in life knowing that money does not make you better or more important than anyone else. So, extravagance has been bred out of my DNA.”

Mean Doe Has Beens Important Hard Parent Knowing Share Hard Work Tomorrow Survived Greedy Dna Great Depression Extravagance

Author:David Suzuki

“I can't imagine anything more important than air, water, soil, energy and biodiversity. These are the things that keep us alive.”

I Can Important Energy Water Alive Imagine Air Soil Biodiversity

Author:David Suzuki

“Environmentalism isn't a discipline or specialty. It's a way of seeing our place in the world. And we need everybody to see the world that way. Don't think 'In order to make a difference I have to become an environmentalist.'”

Thinking World Way Needs Order Differences Seeing Discipline Making A Difference Environmentalism Places In The World Environmentalist Specialty

Author:David Suzuki

“Japan is a model already to the lie that economic growth is the key to our future. If they can really show an alternative to nukes and fossil fuels, then they will be the poster boy for the renewable energy for the future.”

Ifs Shows Lying Energy Growth Boys Economic Keys Models Alternatives Fuel Japan Our Future Fossils Economic Growth Fossil Fuel Posters Renewable Energy Burning Fossil Fuels Nukes

Author:David Suzuki

“My earliest memory from childhood is of fishing with my father. And I remember vividly we were in a store, and we were buying a pup tent to go on our first camping trip.”

Firsts Remember Father Memories Childhood Goes On Stores Buying Fishing Tents Camping Pups

Author:David Suzuki

“Many instances of persecution and killing have occurred in countries with atrocious human rights records such as Sri Lanka, Guatemala and the Democratic Republic of Congo.”

Humans Country Records Rights Democratic Killing Human Rights Instance Republic Persecution Congo Sri Lanka Guatemala Democratic Republic

Author:David Suzuki

“What about our children and grandchildren and their children and grandchildren? Do we not want them to live healthy and happy lives?”

Want Children Healthy Our Children Happy Life Grandchildren Children And Grandchildren Healthy And Happy

Author:David Suzuki

“Change is never easy, and it often creates discord, but when people come together for the good of humanity and the Earth, we can accomplish great things.”

People Earth Together Humanity Easy Accomplish Great Things Discord

Author:David Suzuki

“You would have thought that our first priority would be to ask what the ecologists are finding out, because we have to live within the conditions and principles they define. Instead, we've elevated the economy above ecology.”

Firsts Would Be Asks Principles Economy Conditions Findings Priorities Ecology

Author:David Suzuki

“Japanese people cut their energy use by 25 percent immediately after Fukushima. They showed there was huge opportunity there. And instead, the government simply wants to get those plants up and running again.”

People Want Use Government Running Opportunity Energy Cutting Huge Percent Plant Energy Use Fukushima

Author:David Suzuki

“Birds are, especially canaries, are super sensitive to hydrogen sulfide and sour gas.”

Bird Sensitive Gas Sour Hydrogen Canaries

Author:David Suzuki

“Global trade has advantages. For starters, it allows those of us who live through winter to eat fresh produce year-round. And it provides economic benefits to farmers who grow that food.”

Years Grows Economic Produce Benefits Advantage Trade Rounds Winter Farmers Starters

Author:David Suzuki

“The way we see the world shapes the way we treat it. If a mountain is a deity, not a pile of ore; if a river is one of the veins of the land, not potential irrigation water; if a forest is a sacred grove, not timber; if other species are biological kin, not resources; or if the planet is our mother, not an opportunity -- then we will treat each other with greater respect. Thus is the challenge, to look at the world from a different perspective.”

“If one day I look out from my cabin's porch and see a row of windmills spinning in the distance, I won't curse them. I will praise them. It will mean we are finally getting somewhere.”

Looks Mean One Day Praise Distance Curse Spinning Porch Cabins Windmills

Author:David Suzuki

“Humanity is facing a challenge unlike any we've ever had to confront. We are in an unprecedented period of change.”

Humanity Challenges Periods Climate Change Global Warming Unprecedented

Book:Everything Under the Sun: Toward a Brighter Future on a Small Blue Planet

Source: Everything Under the Sun: Toward a Brighter Future on a Small Blue Planet

“There are some things in the world we can't change- gravity, entropy, the speed of light, and our biological nature that requires clean air, clean water, clean soil, clean energy and biodiversity for our health and well-being. Protecting the biosphere should be our highest priority or else we sicken and die. Other things, like capitalism, free enterprise, the economy, currency, the market, are not forces of nature, we invented them. They are not immutable and we can change them. It makes no sense to elevate economics above the biosphere.”

“Each time I visit Japan, I am reminded of how Canadian I am and how little racial connection matters.”

Littles Matter Connections Japan

Book:Metamorphosis: Stages in a Life

Source: Metamorphosis: Stages in a Life

“The human brain had a vast memory storage. It made us curious and very creative. Those were the characteristics that gave us an advantage - curiosity, creativity and memory. And that brain did something very special. It invented an idea called 'the future.'”

Humans Made Ideas Memories Brain Creativity Creative Special Advantage Curiosity Curious Characteristics Human Brain Storage

Author:David Suzuki

“But human borders mean nothing to air, water, windblown soil or seeds or migrating fish, birds or mammals.”

Humans Mean Water Air Bird Fishes Seeds Borders Soil Mammals

Author:David Suzuki

“The current economic system is fundamentally flawed and inevitably destructive.”

Economic Currents Destructive Flawed Economic Systems

Author:David Suzuki

“Protecting the biosphere should be our highest priority or else we sicken and die.”

Should Dies Highest Priorities Biosphere

Author:David Suzuki

“Other things, like capitalism, free enterprise, the economy, currency, the market, are not forces of nature, we invented them. They are not immutable and we can change them.”

Force Economy Capitalism Enterprise Currency Free Enterprise Forces Of Nature Biosphere

Author:David Suzuki

“If we continue to set human borders and the economy as our highest priorities, we will never come to grips with the destructiveness of our activities and institutions.”

Ifs Humans Economy Activity Highest Institutions Priorities Borders Destructiveness

Book:Everything Under the Sun: Toward a Brighter Future on a Small Blue Planet

Source: Everything Under the Sun: Toward a Brighter Future on a Small Blue Planet

“So now the challenge is to imagine a different world where our wealth is in human relations and the things we do together, and we learn to live in balance with the rest of nature.”

World Humans Different Together Challenges Wealth Imagine Balance Relation Human Relations Different Worlds

Author:David Suzuki

“Even meeting Kyoto targets barely makes a dent in what we have to achieve.”

Achieve Meetings Target Kyoto

Author:David Suzuki

“If Canada, one of the richest nations in the world, can't meet Kyoto targets, why should China or India give any considerations for meeting the targets?”

Ifs World Giving Should Nations India Meetings China Canada Consideration Target Kyoto

Author:David Suzuki

“Human beings are often at their best when responding to immediate crises - car accidents, house fires, hurricanes. We are less effective in the face of enormous but slow-moving crises such as the loss of biodiversity or climate change.”

Humans Faces Moving House Human Beings Loss Fire Car Crisis Climate Climate Change Accidents Enormous Hurricanes Responding Biodiversity Car Accident House Fires

Book:From Naked Ape to Superspecies: Humanity and the Global Eco-Crisis

Source: From Naked Ape to Superspecies: Humanity and the Global Eco-Crisis

“Any politician or scientist who tells you these [GMO] products are safe is either very stupid or lying.”

Lying Stupid Products Politician Safe Scientist Gmos Very Stupid

Author:David Suzuki

“Perhaps the whole world is actually a banquet, to which every living thing is invited. First you come as guests: then eventually you're on the menu.”

World Firsts Whole Whole World Guests Invited Living Things Menus Banquets

Author:David Suzuki

“Our beliefs, our values shape the way we look out at the world and the way we treat it. If we believe that we were here, placed here by God, that this - all of this creation is for us, it's for us to go and occupy, dominate and exploit, then we will proceed to do that.”

Ifs World Way Believe Looks Values Belief Creation Shapes Treats Exploits

Author:David Suzuki

“We're in a giant car heading towards a brick wall and everyone's arguing over where they're going to sit.”

Nature Car Wall Climate Change Arguing Giants Bricks Our Environment Headings Brick Wall People Stupidity

Author:David Suzuki

“Education has failed in a very serious way to convey the most important lesson science can teach: skepticism.”

Way Important Education Teach Serious Lessons Skepticism Skeptical Skeptic Positive Energy Important Lessons

Author:David Suzuki

“The human brain now holds the key to our future. We have to recall the image of the planet from outer space: a single entity in which air, water, and continents are interconnected. That is our home.”

Life Humans Home Humanity Water Space Brain Air Planets Keys Intelligent Our Future Continents Recalls Entity Human Brain Outer Space Interconnected

Author:David Suzuki

“We must pay greater attention to keeping our bodies and minds healthy and able to heal. Yet we are making it difficult for our defences to work. We allow things to be sold that should not be called food. Many have no nutritive value and lead to obesity, salt imbalance, and allergies.”

Should Mind Body Able Values Difficult Pay Attention Greater Healthy Heal Salt Mind And Body Defence Obesity Imbalance Allergies

Author:David Suzuki

“Planting native species in our gardens and communities is increasingly important, because indigenous insects, birds and wildlife rely on them. Over thousands, and sometimes millions, of years they have co-evolved to live in local climate and soil conditions.”

Years Important Sometimes Community Millions Conditions Bird Garden Climate Species Locals Rely Soil Native Insects Indigenous Wildlife

Author:David Suzuki

“If we pollute the air, water and soil that keep us alive and well, and destroy the biodiversity that allows natural systems to function, no amount of money will save us.”

Ifs Wells Water Natural Alive Air Amount Function Soil Positive Energy Biodiversity

Author:David Suzuki

“We can't blame children for occupying themselves with Facebook rather than playing in the mud. Our society doesn't put a priority on connecting with nature. In fact, too often we tell them it's dirty and dangerous.”

Children Facts Dangerous Blame Priorities Dirty Our Society Mud Connecting Naughty

Author:David Suzuki

“One of the joys of being a grandparent is getting to see the world again through the eyes of a child.”

World Children Eye Joy Grandparent Through The Eyes Eyes Of A Child Through The Eyes Of A Child

Author:David Suzuki

“For the sake of our health, our children and grandchildren and even our economic well-being, we must make protecting the planet our top priority.”

Wells Children Economic Planets Our Children Sake Priorities Well Being Grandchildren Positive Energy Children And Grandchildren Top Priorities

Author:David Suzuki

“The medical literature tells us that the most effective ways to reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, Alzheimer's, and many more problems are through healthy diet and exercise. Our bodies have evolved to move, yet we now use the energy in oil instead of muscles to do our work.”

“All those hours exploring the great outdoors made me more resilient and confident.”

Made Hours Exploring Resilient Great Outdoors

Author:David Suzuki

“We must reinvent a future free of blinders so that we can choose from real options.”

Real Blinders

Author:David Suzuki

“In the environmental movement, every time you lose a battle it's for good, but our victories always seem to be temporary and we keep fighting them over and over again.”

Seems Fighting Loses Movement Victory Battle Environmental Temporary

Author:David Suzuki

“It's not unexpected that shooting massive amounts of water, sand, and chemicals at high pressure into the earth to shatter shale and release natural gas might shake things up. But earthquakes aren't the worst problem with fracking.”

Problem Might Earth Water Natural Worst Amount Pressure Release Shooting Shakes Sand Unexpected Gas Massive Chemicals Earthquakes Natural Gas Fracking

Author:David Suzuki

“Treaties, agreements and organizations to help settle disputes may be necessary, but they often favor the interests of business over citizens.”

May Helping Interest Citizens Organization Favors Settling Agreement Disputes Treaties

Author:David Suzuki

“If we have any hope of finding ways for seven billion people to live well on planet with finite resources, we have to learn to use our resources efficiently. Plastic bags are neither efficient nor environmentally friendly.”

People Ifs Way Wells Use Planets Findings Resources Seven Billions Bags Friendly Efficient Plastic Finite Live Well Plastic Bags Environmentally Friendly

Author:David Suzuki

“The failure of world leaders to act on the critical issue of global warming is often blamed on economic considerations.”

World Leader Issues Economic Critical Global Warming Consideration World Leader

Book:Just Cool It!: The Climate Crisis and What We Can Do - A Post-Paris Agreement Game Plan

Source: Just Cool It!: The Climate Crisis and What We Can Do - A Post-Paris Agreement Game Plan

“Our personal consumer choices have ecological, social, and spiritual consequences. It is time to re-examine some of our deeply held notions that underlie our lifestyles.”

God Spiritual Time Choices Spirituality Social Consequence Environmental Notion Climate Change Lifestyle Consumers Ecological Consumer Choice

Author:David Suzuki

Filter quotes by topic

Famous David Suzuki Quotes