PasseportSanté.net – Should we be concerned about the effects of air pollution on our health?

David Suzuki — I would tell you that it depends how much asthma, for example, worries you… The miners took canaries to the coal mines because they were more sensitive than humans to poisonous gases. When the canaries passed out, the miners did not say to themselves: “Here, a canary has fallen, do you think that is dangerous? “. No! The canaries were there to warn them in advance, so that they could get out as quickly as possible.

Some say that asthma is not a serious illness, that there are drugs to treat it. In my opinion, it is a very serious illness. There are more and more deaths from asthma. No less than 12% of Canadian children have asthma: we can compare them to these mine canaries. Our children are warning us that the air we breathe is a problem. This is true for asthma, and it is true for many other diseases: cancer, cardiovascular disorders, respiratory diseases, etc.

Currently, all over the world, other “canaries” are giving us signs. Air pollution threatens the survival of many animals and plants, but we ignore it.

PasseportSanté.net – Are you still hopeful?

David Suzuki — I believe we can change things. In 1962, there was no Ministry of the Environment anywhere in the world. From that time on, we constantly evolved until 1988: the environment then became the priority of governments. But since that heyday, we have not stopped regressing. The economy has become the main concern of society.

Personally, I do what I can to educate people, to show them that they live in a world where everything is interconnected. The actions we take have a big impact on others around the world. Mining, for example, is one of the most destructive human activities. But, who wonders where the metal comes from and what are the consequences of its use?

We like to consume and overconsume. We believe that’s what makes us happy… We don’t ask ourselves the most important questions: what will the world look like in 30 years? What world will our grandchildren live in?

PasseportSanté.net – You question our way of life. Are changes in this area realistic?

David Suzuki — At the Suzuki Foundation¹, we are proposing a new vision for Canada. Do Canadians want a country where the air is clean, where children do not get asthma, where we can drink water from any river, where we can eat fish without wondering if it contains toxic products?

At the Foundation, we believe that this country project is quite achievable! We designed a sustainable development plan with clear and realistic objectives, which could be achieved in a generation, a year at a time, if we started now.

According to a study called Power Shift², which we achieved four years ago, only with the technology currently available and proven, Canada could reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 50% in 30 years.

But the politicians and the media are focused on the immediate problems, the short-term job losses, the companies that are going to suffer immediate losses, and so on. No one seems to have vision and leadership.

PasseportSanté.net – Warming oceans and melting glaciers could lead to the release of greenhouse gases (CO2 and methane) that are trapped there, and thus accelerate global warming. Are we close to reaching the point of no return?

David Suzuki — In my opinion, we have already passed it! We have already increased the amount of CO by 30%2 in the atmosphere. Even if we immediately stopped any further addition of CO2, it would take hundreds of years to return to the original equilibrium.

We have launched an experiment on a planetary scale of which we do not know the extent of the consequences. This could go as far as the submersion of immense, very densely populated territories. We are currently only seeing the first manifestations (extreme hurricanes, melting glaciers, etc.). We can’t stop them anymore, it’s too late. The real question is, “Are we going to keep adding more greenhouse gases anyway?” “.

PasseportSanté.net – Aren’t you a bit alarmist? Moreover, this scenario is rarely mentioned in the media.

David Suzuki — Many environmentalists prefer not to stress this reality. Extreme scenarios are so terrifying that people might say to themselves too bad, there is no more hope, and stop all constructive action. Still, it is very plausible.

PasseportSanté.net – Could it be that in 30 years, we discover that the worst has not happened and that an unforeseen adaptation has occurred?

David Suzuki — We can say that anything is possible, that a super plant could appear in the oceans and capture CO2 in excess…

More seriously, suppose that we take the necessary measures to eliminate greenhouse gases, and that after 30 years we discover that it was not necessary, which I very much doubt. What would the cost be? Less than 2% of Canada’s gross domestic product. Then, the benefits would be numerous: the creation of tens of thousands of jobs, cleaner air, buildings in better condition, a reduction in health spending, etc. We would have gained more than our initial investment.

On the other hand, if we do nothing, and if in 30 years we discover that the “alarmists” were right, then the costs and the consequences will be unimaginable and terrible!

We don’t hesitate to pay thousands of dollars a year to insure our home against fires even though the risk of it burning down is probably less than 1%. And yet, when it comes to hedging against climate change, where disaster risks are much higher, we don’t want to invest money to protect the planet, the one and only home we own. It is completely absurd.

PasseportSanté.net – If the cost-benefit ratio is so good, why are we not moving in that direction?

David Suzuki — It is as if we are in a giant car and we are driving 200 km per hour towards a brick wall. In the car, everyone is discussing where they want to sit… No matter who is driving, someone has to tell them: “Put on the brakes and turn the steering wheel! But those of us who say so are locked in the trunk, and no one hears them.

In 1988, scientists sounded the alarm for the first time. They said at the time that greenhouse gas emissions should be reduced by 20% over a period of 15 years.

The then Prime Minister of Canada, Brian Mulroney, commissioned a study which concluded that this would be achievable. According to the researchers, the cost would have been 75 billion dollars, and at the end of 15 years, we would have saved 150 billion! He did not disclose this report. He would have had to invest $ 75 billion on the spot. This decision would have been very unpopular. The dividends would not have been received until years later, when he was no longer in office. Why should a Prime Minister have done something that would be credited to someone else years later?

Politicians only think about the next election. If we had acted in 1988, it would have been so much easier! Now, greenhouse gas emissions are almost 30% higher than in 1988. Reducing them becomes even more colossal every day!

We absolutely must act now⁴. Tell your readers!

Léon René de Cotret – PasseportSanté.net

5st June 2006

1. First published in English under the title David Suzuki, The Autobiography, the work is now available in French by Éditions du Boréal.

2. David Suzuki Foundation. [Accessed May 31, 2006.] www.davidsuzuki.org

3. Power Shift: Cool Solutions to Global Warming, David Suzuki Foundation. [Accessed May 31, 2006.] www.davidsuzuki.org

4. The David Suzuki Foundation also offers, on its site, 10 individual actions to protect nature: www.davidsuzuki.org [Consulted on May 31, 2006.]