David Suzuki is known worldwide for his passionate defense of the planet's future. But who is the man behind the compelling speaker?

David Suzuki was born on the west coast of B.C. to parents who had emigrated from Japan many years before. He was still a youngster when Pearl Harbour occurred. That tragic event caused panic amongst those in power, and complete upheaval in the peaceful lives of the Canadians of Japanese ancestry who were unfortunate enough to live in that area. Fishing boats were seized, land confiscated, and these gentle people were unceremoniously shipped off to the Interior of B.C. This black mark on Canadian history has never been addressed.

As a small boy, David found all this rather exciting. He was able to roam woods and swamps, exploring for beetles and other small creatures while his uncomplaining parents had to cope with leaky shacks and cold winters, so alien to them. Some of the young men formed their own Battalion and fought for Canada. At no time, before, during or after the war, was the slightest hint of disloyalty discovered. Yet when the war ended these loyal Canadians were bluntly told they must never live west of the Rockies again. David's family moved to Ontario, and there he completed his education and went on to become a prominent scientist.

Interestingly enough, from a young age, David was taught public speaking by his father. The senior Suzuki believed his children should learn to speak the language of their chosen country as perfectly as possible. His father's teaching has been invaluable in the life he has chosen, as David Suzuki is one of Canada's most arresting speakers.

He married young to a Japanese Canadian of his parents' choosing, and the couple had children. Increasingly, however, they found they had nothing in common, and the marriage ended. The romantic story of his "one true love" came later. Tara Cullis was a student in an audience where David had a speaking engagement. She said to me later, "I had just begun to consider what type of man I might marry. After hearing David speak, I remember thinking, 'He's the man I could spend my life with! But why would he be interested in me, a nobody? He's a great scientist!'" But David had been drawn this lovely young woman. At the party after the speaking engagement, he danced with her, and summoned up the courage to ask her for coffee later. But he persuaded a friend to go along, "for moral support." Tara was almost too overcome by the great man's presence, to speak. David recalls his friend saying, "Why are you interested in her? She can't even talk!"

Once both had overcome their initial shyness, romance bloomed. A very happy marriage followed. Tara (now,called Nancy) was the rock upon whom David leaned. Their daughter Severn maintains that the David Suzuki Foundation depends on her father's name for its success, but that her Mother's sound judgment and practical knowledge are what make the whole endeavor run smoothly
and effectively.

I recall being in Vancouver to interview the couple soon after the Foundation was created. We sat in David's office, which was so tiny that our three chairs barely fit in the space surrounding David's desk. But the couple was buoyantly optimistic. Somehow, they were sure, this new Foundation would help save the world; would turn it back from its destructive course. Yet it has been, and still is, an uphill battle. When I entered the High School at Princeton where David spoke recently, I heard a woman remark to her neighbour, "Prepare to be brainwashed." Many of us have not come far from the time long ago when David was fired as columnist for The Globe and Mail for being "too pessimistic " Not many at that point wanted to believe this prophet, and many stubbornly close their eyes and ears today.

Oh, there are changes occurring, especially in Canada's cities, as Peter Mansbridge's "Road Stories" on The National have evidenced. Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" has caused quite a stir. Documentaries showing the dramatic changes in the Arctic are now getting close attention. And new generations are appearing to seize the torch.

We really don't need the inspiration of a David Suzuki or an Al Gore. We know what we must do to save the planet. SO, WHAT ARE WE WAITNG FOR?

 April 07, Dodi Morrison