David Takayoshi Suzuki (b.1936) is a Canadian scientist, television personality, author, and environmental activist. He is renowned for his ability to make scientific and ecological issues relatable to the public, primarily through his television series The Nature of Things with David Suzuki (1979–,) and for his efforts in environmental conservation.
Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Suzuki lived four years living in an internment camp during World War II. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology at Massachusetts’s Amherst College in 1958 and a PhD in zoology at the University of Chicago in 1961. After post-doctoral research, he joined the University of British Columbia in 1963 as an assistant professor of zoology, becoming a full professor in 1969 and professor emeritus in 2001.
Starting with television appearances in the 1960s, Suzuki has made several television programs to convey his scientific findings and concerns with the public. He has hosted The Nature of Things with David Suzuki since 1969. Along with other TV and radio appearances, he created and hosted various television specials, including the highly acclaimed A Planet for the Taking (1985,) The Secret of Life (1993,) and The Brain (1994.)
Suzuki is also a prolific writer and has published more than 50 books, generally about genetics or ecological sciences. His notable works include popular textbook An Introduction to Genetic Analysis (1976) and The Autobiography (2006.)
An outspoken advocate for environmental conservation, Suzuki started the David Suzuki Foundation in 1950 to provide research and information for government, businesses, and individuals.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by David Suzuki
We are playing Russian roulette with features of the planet’s atmosphere that will profoundly impact generations to come. How long are we willing to gamble?
—David Suzuki
We now have access to so much information that we can find support for any prejudice or opinion.
—David Suzuki
We must reinvent a future free of blinders so that we can choose from real options.
—David Suzuki
Topics: Future
We’re in a giant car heading toward a brick wall and everyone’s arguing over where they’re going to sit.
—David Suzuki
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