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David Suzuki

David Suzuki Quotes

Professor

David Suzuki is a Canadian professor, author, television host, environmental activist, and scientist. He is renowned for his contributions to environmental protection, particularly in the areas of climate change, biodiversity, and sustainability. Born on March 24, 1936, Suzuki has been active in the public sphere since the 1960s.

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Famous 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

“It's time we stopped ignoring the environment. Let's not let another election go by without making this a high priority.”

Time Environment Election Priorities

Author:David Suzuki

“From year to year, environmental changes are incremental and often barely register in our lives, but from evolutionary or geological perspectives, what is happening is explosive change.”

Years Environment Our Lives Perspective Happenings Environmental Register Explosives Environmental Change Incremental Change

Author:David Suzuki

“Despite the international scientific community's consensus on climate change, a small number of critics continue to deny that climate change exists or that humans are causing it. Widely known as climate change "skeptics" or "deniers," these individuals are generally not climate scientists and do not debate the science with the climate scientists.”

Humans Science Individual Energy Community Numbers Known Environment Scientist Climate Critics Climate Change International Deny Debate Despite Consensus Skeptic Small Numbers

Author:David Suzuki

“We no longer see the world as a single entity. We've moved to cities and we think the economy is what gives us our life, that if the economy is strong we can afford garbage collection and sewage disposal and fresh food and water and electricity. We go through life thinking that money is the key to having whatever we want, without regard to what it does to the rest of the world.”

Ifs Thinking World Want Life Giving Doe Strong Water Cities Economy Environment Our Lives Keys Economics Regard Moved Collections Entity Electricity Garbage Fresh Food Sewage

Author:David Suzuki

“We are upsetting the atmosphere upon which all life depends. In the late 80s when I began to take climate change seriously, we referred to global warming as a "slowmotion catastrophe" one we expected to kick in perhaps generations later. Instead, the signs of change have accelerated alarmingly.”

Life Environment Generations Depends Late Climate Environmental Climate Change Expected Atmosphere Upset Kicks Global Warming Catastrophe 80s

Author:David Suzuki

“We all live downstream”

Nature Environment Natural Environment

Author:David Suzuki

“Salmon farming-the placement of large metal or mesh net cages in the ocean to grow fish-was pioneered in Norway in the 1960s. Since then, the industry has expanded to Scotland, Ireland, Canada, the US, and Chile, but is dominated by the same multinational corporations. Wherever it is practiced, net-cage salmon farming is controversial and raises serious environmental concerns.”

“Our choices at all levels-individual, community, corporate and government-affect nature. And they affect us.”

Government Choices Individual Nature Community Levels Environment Climate Corporate Our Choices

Author:David Suzuki

“How do commercial interests usually protect themselves from liability claims? Through insurance. In fact, in our society, the litmus test for safety is insurance. You can be insured for almost anything if you pay enough for the premium, but if the insurance industry isn't willing to bet its money on the safety of [biotechnology], it means the risks are simply too high or too uncertain for them to take the gamble.”

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

“Many organic practices simply make sense, regardless of what overall agricultural system is used. Far from being a quaint throwback to an earlier time, organic agriculture is proving to be a serious contender in modern farming and a more environmentally sustainable system over the long term.”

Long Used Term Practice Environment Modern Serious Prove Environmental Make Sense Long Term Agriculture Farming Quaint Throwback Organic Agriculture

Book:The Big Picture: Reflections on Science, Humanity, and a Quickly Changing Planet

Source: The Big Picture: Reflections on Science, Humanity, and a Quickly Changing Planet

“The environment is so fundamental to our continued existence that it must transcend politics and become a central value of all members of society.”

Values Existence Environment Members Fundamentals

Book:The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature, Updated and Expanded

Source: The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature, Updated and Expanded

“Because we aren't certain about the effects of GMOs, we must consider one of the guiding principles in science, the precautionary principle. Under this principle, if a policy or action could harm human health or the environment, we must not proceed until we know for sure what the impact will be. And it is up to those proposing the action or policy to prove that it is not harmful.”

Ifs Knows Humans Action Certain Principles Environment Effects Policy Prove Impact Harm Gmos Guiding Principles Human Health

Author:David Suzuki