David Suzuki's foot flies forward, smudging green paint across the newsprint below. In an instant, Canada's eco-hero crashes to the ground. Turns out, being the editor of The Vancouver Sun can be a slippery pursuit.
"I never thought I'd be getting my footprints taken," he says, laughing. "Here we go." Despite the tumble, he repaints his foot green and confidently presses it onto a sheet of paper. In one motion, he creates a perfect template of a well-worn foot, one that's carried him through 71 years of life — from academia to activism — all the way to his 12-hour day Friday as guest editor-in-chief of The Sun.
Stepping into newsprint, literally and figuratively, was a learning experience, Suzuki said, his face expanding into his trademark smile. His trek toward greening up the newspaper began in February, when he opened up his email to find a note from The Sun's publisher, Kevin Bent. It was an invitation to become editor for a day. "Instantly, I said, 'Whoa, this is a great opportunity.'" He didn't hesitate to accept.
"Communication is a huge part of what we do. There's no point doing all our studies and reports if we don't communicate it," he said. "I know it's only one day, but to have actually an influence on the articles — not just in the front section but in the business page and the sports and the entertainment — that's just a huge opportunity."
Editorial Immersion
His editorial immersion began with a two-hour meeting on April 12. He met with department heads and editors to brainstorm over environmental content, angles and ideas. They discussed everything from ocean bottom trolling, hybrid limousines, pine beetles and organic cuisine to global warming and climate change. This meeting led to the idea of a more literal interpretation of an "environmental footprint" — the impression of Suzuki's foot, seen throughout the issue.
A Look Back at Suzuki's Environmental Advocacy
In a 1987 interview with The Vancouver Sun, Suzuki spoke at the Stein Valley's Voices for Wilderness Festival. He said the battle between loggers and environmentalists over the Stein Valley symbolized man's greed and short-term perspectives. "The Stein and other places are symbols of what's happening on the entire planet," Suzuki said. "If left unchecked, it seems to me that the argument of jobs and the economy will persuade us to go in and simply log off everything." He added, "We're destroying areas like this at an astonishing rate for very short-term gains. Each one by itself is not the death knell. But each one is indicative that we just don't value wilderness areas and we're willing to go in and destroy all of them if left unchecked."
Suzuki's legacy as an environmental activist and communicator continues to inspire. His guest editorship at The Vancouver Sun remains a memorable moment in the newspaper's history, showcasing his commitment to using media to spread awareness about environmental issues.
