doc reeves, doc suzuki, and us

friends john & georgia just back from canada
happily telling me of their visit to montreal’s botanical garden
email about SPACE FOR LIFE via one beautiful video
do have a look . . .

( CLICK IT HERE, re-click on Vimeo’s site, come back to review )

wonderful !
so here’s some of it, staying from hearing it all . . .

David Suzuki, Vancouver –, geneticist, science communicator, environmentalist

. . . for 99% of the time we’ve been here on earth, we knew we were a part of nature
dependent on nature, so everyone worshiped nature, called the earth our mother

all of these green things on earth that are doing this exchange for us, all of that possible because life captures the energy of the sun and gives that to us

Hubert Reeves, Montreal – , astrophysicist, science communicator

. . . we once thought of humans separate from animals, now coming to realize
yes, we’re all in the same boat

so vital of us to protect nature, not seeing to dominate it

an example is our fish: today’s fishing techniques are so difficult ( for them )
we’re taking 2x as many fish out of the water as are reproducing naturally
the question of what we’ll be eating in 30 years is a serious one

Suzuki –

. . . our move to the sixties was the fundamental break
there, our highest work is our job, to make money, to buy the things we want
economy become our highest priority
meantime, the very economy is built on the biosphere not connected to money
we forget that we here are still part of the natural world

Reeves –

. . . coming into history 100,000 years ago, people were coming out of africa
where things got harder for people protecting themselves from wild brands
no weapons, no big teeth, no fast running

except for their intelligence humans poorly equipped for life in prehistoric era
now their intelligence is working against them
once helping them survive, poor management of their intelligence
threatens human survival today

our intelligence is both blessing & curse

100,000 years ago it allowed us to survive
today it threatens us & our children

Suzuki –

. . . the most critical element: we will only save what we love
today we grow children who spend the least time outside
if “i don’t have to go outside for weeks!” how can we fish ?
or even protest for earth or ocean when we do not care !

when i go i was not able to save the world, but i want to tell my children & grandkids
i tried my best; that’s all you can do

we act today as if money & things are the most important things and they are not
it’s the relationships with other people and the things we do together

let’s stop celebrating dead people
let’s celebrate nature, stop celebrating ourselves

for my grandchildren it is a very uncertain world
that really makes me angry !

the party’s over
now we have to start

so if you care about nature
don’t worry about the planet
follow your heart !

environmentalism isn’t a specialty
it’s a way of seeing the world

fall in love with nature
get outside !
get out of your car !