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From the desk of David Suzuki

David Suzuki

We must listen to the scientists

By David Suzuki - 22 months ago

When I give speeches, one of my main messages is that the key to our remarkable success as a species is foresight – the ability to look ahead, to see where the dangers and opportunities lie, so that we can then act accordingly. It is one feature that distinguishes us from all other animals. It’s worked for us. In only a hundred thousand years, we went from being just another species on the plains of Africa to the dominant animal on the planet.

Today, with computers and scientists, our ability to look ahead is even more sophisticated. For more than 40 years, though, leading scientists of the world have warned us we are heading in a very dangerous direction, and that there are opportunities if we change direction.

We are facing a very critical point – you all know about climate change that is affecting glaciers and ice sheets especially in Canada; about toxic pollution everywhere in our air, water, and soil; about depletion of ocean fish; about species extinction. Scientists have been telling us this for quite a while, but the warnings about climate change have been especially strong and urgent for more than 20 years. Why don’t we pay attention? If we don’t listen to scientists, who do we pay attention to? CEOs of corporations? Economists? Religious leaders? We should be putting top scientists at the forefront, not muzzling them or altering their reports as George Bush has done for eight years.

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3 Comments

 
Post #1
Sebastian Carausu Sebastian Carausu - 22 months ago

Totally agree. The problem is that scientists don't have political power, first, and second, no offense, but they are quite bad at communicating with the masses. It took a great orator like Al Gore to raise the attention on Global Warming.

 
Post #2
Ian Hanington Ian Hanington - 22 months ago

Only minor offence. Scientists "are quite bad at communicating with the masses"??? David Suzuki is a scientist and he's been effectively communicating with the masses for a long time. The Nature of Things was on the air (and Quirks and Quarks before that) long before Al Gore ever hit the scene!

And Carl Sagan and Stephen J. Gould and Stephen Hawking have also written best-selling books about science..

But, point taken - it would be great if even more scientists, especially those working in the area of environmental science-  had those skills. Better yet, if the media were to pay a bit more attention to science!

 
Post #3
Cornell Van Ryk Cornell Van Ryk - 22 months ago

I would much rather listen to a scientist than a politician but find it very difficult to find scientific answers to my many questions concerning the environment. I find most scientists involved in this field to be so passionate on the subject that they represent only one side of the arguements. I also hear scientists using sensational language ("destroy the planet" is my favorite) which turns me off.

A good example of what I'm trying to explain is the whole discussion around energy efficient light bulbs. All the examples I have read explain the energy savings involved and the resulting reductions in CO2.  I have been unable to find anyone who has included the offset (loss of heat from my old bulbs in the winter made up by my furnace) in the calculation. I know light bulbs are not an energy efficient light source but I believe they are a pretty efficient heat source when located where you require heat.

I have many similar questions and don't really know where to get a simple scientific answer.

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