World-renowned environmentalist David Suzuki turned 90 on March 24, and he shows no signs of slowing down. In a candid interview, the Vancouver native said he feels a sense of duty to keep working for the planet he has defended for decades.
A Life of Advocacy
Suzuki became a household name when he began hosting the CBC documentary series The Nature of Things in 1979, a role he held for 44 years. The award-winning geneticist used his platform to become one of the world's most recognizable environmental advocates. Today, at 90, he continues to speak out.
“I’ve been fortunate in having my health so far. And you know, I’ve got no choice. I just have a duty, it seems to me,” Suzuki said. He was on the road in Ontario with his wife, Tara Cullis, performing What You Won’t Do for Love, a live show about their 50 years together as a couple and activists.
Legacy and Grandchildren
When asked about his legacy, Suzuki was characteristically blunt. “After I’m dead, I don’t give a s— what they say. They can say whatever they want. I’m dead.” He added, “The only thing I want to be able to say as a summation of my life is that I can look each of my grandchildren in the eye and say, ‘I love you more than anything else. And I did the best I could.’”
Suzuki, who has five children and 10 grandchildren, says they are the “greatest part” of his life. But that joy comes with sadness as he reflects on the state of the world’s climate and the political and corporate forces driving destruction. “A lot of people are saying, ‘Oh, the kids are different now. They’re going to change the world, because they’re aware of environmental problems.’ And I’m going, what the hell are you talking about? They get what we leave,” he said.
He recalled meeting Greta Thunberg and telling her, “I am so sorry. This should not be what children are doing. Your job is to go out and leave the nest and make new relationships, fall in love, have your heart broken, explore ideas at the cutting edge of human thought. That’s your job. Mom and Dad are supposed to be the warriors who protect your future.”
Disconnect from Nature
Suzuki, who has written many articles for The Vancouver Sun, including guest editing the paper on May 7, 2007, acknowledges a big issue is the disconnect between humans and nature. He sighs when it’s pointed out that social media is packed with product-peddling influencers who care more about Birkin bags than the biosphere.
“The economy isn’t seen as something resting on the very thing that keeps us alive and healthy,” Suzuki said. “If we don’t acknowledge that nature is the source of our fundamental needs, our air, our water, our food, our energy, then we’re going to continue to trash nature, and that’s the crisis we face.”
Celebration and Fundraiser
Top of Suzuki’s accomplishments is the creation, along with Cullis, in 1990 of The David Suzuki Foundation. The foundation, run by his daughter Severn Cullis-Suzuki from 2021 to 2025, will benefit from a birthday celebration at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver on May 22. The event, Legacy: A Celebration of David Suzuki at 90, is open to the public and will feature performances by Sarah McLachlan, Bruce Cockburn, Sam Roberts, William Prince, and Tanya Tagaq. Global environmental activists Jane Fonda and Al Gore are also slated to take part.
Suzuki remains focused on his mission. “I just want my grandchildren to know they were the top of my list,” he said. “I’m just one person, but I did the best I could.”
