David Suzuki free essay sample

But despite all of his troubles David went on to become the â€Å"greatest living Canadian† (National Review of Medicine, 2008). Review David Suzuki has been a very successful environmentalist winning many awards including the Citation of Lifetime Achievement in 2005. He is described by many people as â€Å"†¦ a passionate, committed and dedicated spokesperson for Canada’s wild places – and a fearless critic of the threats they face, he is a tireless advocate for the rights of First Nations, and he maintains a staggering schedule as Canada’s leading environmental champion. (Ralph McMillian, 2005). David Suzuki received a scholarship for Amherst all Boys College where he studied medical science but while studying, fell in love with genetics. He describes genetics as ‘precise mathematically and elegant in its analysis’ (David Suzuki, 2009). He then went to the University of Chicago and got a PH. D in Zoology. While a scientist David was working on finding an effective pesticide for crops when he read a book that changed his life forever. The book was called ‘Silent Spring’ by Rachel Carson.It talked about the side effects of pesticides and how they will damage the delicate ecosystem. After reading ‘Silent Spring’, David went on to warn the world about global warming and climate change and described how the future may look if humans keep inventing without looking at the consequences. In 1974 David hosted three television science series. This allowed David to tell the world about what he had learnt and how to prevent the continued destruction of the environment from progressing. In 1986 he received a GoldMedal Award Biological Council of Canada and in 1990 David and his wife founded the David Suzuki Foundation: To protect the diversity of nature and our quality of life, now and for the future† (David Suzuki Foundation). David is now an author of over 30 books, has received over 10 honorary degrees from various universities world-wide and is currently Professor Emeritus at the University of British Columbia. His greatest achievement is letting the world know what he has learnt about the declining health of the environment and how to prevent it fr om plummeting. ChallengesDavid Suzuki was born 2 years before the Second World War. In 1941 when David was only five years old Japan attacked Pearl Harbour in an attempt to weaken America’s position in World War 2. Because of his nationality, David and his family were stripped of everything they owned and were taken to an internment camp called ‘slogan city’ which was located in the Slocan Valley. David describes this as a ‘defining moment in his life’ (David Suzuki, 2011). Because of the circumstances David lost much of his schooling and when he did return to his education (in the camp) he skipped through three grades in one year.This left him with huge holes in his education and took a lot of extra tutoring from his family for him to become level with all the other children in his grade. During his years at the school in the camp all his classmates tormented him and excluded him from their games and friendships because he couldn’t speak the native tongue (Japanese). He became lonely and often retreated to the swamp which he describes as his own ‘magical’ place (David Suzuki, 2011). There he would look for ‘treasures’ such as insects or animal eggs.He still experiences a lot of racial discrimination today but has always pushed through these barriers because he is determined not to let these trouble him or affect his life. Strengths When David was young his father forced him to learn how to publicly speak because his father believed that all Asian people are shy and don’t like to speak publicly. So his father would make David write a speech about a particular subject and give David a week to learn it. He would then take him down to the basement and make David tell the speech to him. David would then have to tell the speech to him every night after that until it was perfect.Even though David hated this at the time he now is very grateful to his father for this invaluable skill. Public speaking is now one of David’s most valuable assets because without it he would not have been able to tell his message to the world. David is now a well renowned environmental speaker and environmentalist. But speaking is not the main reason why he is such a well-known environmentalist, determination is the key. Despite all of his troubles David Suzuki has pushed through and made the world know his beliefs and is determined to make a change in the world he calls home. Impacts on OthersAfter listening to one of David Suzuki’s inspirational speeches many people feel determined to follow his lead in his environmental battle and ‘to take on the challenges that lie ahead’ (Marghhaniti, 2007). After listening to one of these speeches Marghhaniti was so inspired that she went on to write her own series of books on Global Warming called the ‘Little Humbug Series’ this series is aimed at young children and she hopes ‘that by writing this s eries of books I will have encouraged children to take more of an interest in their environment and help to protect it’ (Marghhaniti, 2007).Suzuki has also inspired many people to believe that even if your past is against you it doesn’t mean that your future is. Conclusion Ever since David Suzuki was young he had an interest in animals. This interest was nurtured when he was sent into the mountains of Canada in the Slocan Valley after he and his family were taken to an internment camp due to Japan attacking Pearl Harbour. Because he was kept in the camp he lost much of his schooling and experienced and still experiences racial discrimination but because of his strong beliefs and determination he has become the â€Å"greatest living Canadian† (National Review of Medicine, 2008).