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Everything Under the Sun: Toward a Brighter Future on a Small Blue Planet
In this compilation of David Suzuki's latest thoughts and writings, the renowned scientist, author, and broadcaster explores the myriad environmental challenges the world faces and their interconnected causes. In doing so, Suzuki shows that understanding the causes—and recognizing that everything in nature, including us, is interconnected—is crucial to restoring hope for a better future. The solutions are there, he argues; we just need the will to act together to bring about change.
Everything Under the Sun delves into such provocative topics as the difference between human hunters and other predators, the lessons we must learn from the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the subsequent meltdown of the nuclear reactors, and our dependence on the sun for all of our food and energy—indeed for our very lives. Suzuki also considers the many positive steps people are making today.
Underpinning it all is the recognition that we are blessed to live on a planet that gives us everything we require to live, under a sun that gives us the energy we need to produce food and transport and modern conveniences. But we must protect what we have if we want to survive and prosper.
Everything Under the Sun delves into such provocative topics as the difference between human hunters and other predators, the lessons we must learn from the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the subsequent meltdown of the nuclear reactors, and our dependence on the sun for all of our food and energy—indeed for our very lives. Suzuki also considers the many positive steps people are making today.
Underpinning it all is the recognition that we are blessed to live on a planet that gives us everything we require to live, under a sun that gives us the energy we need to produce food and transport and modern conveniences. But we must protect what we have if we want to survive and prosper.
288 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2012
19 people are currently reading
184 people want to read
About the author
David Suzuki
73 books251 followersDavid Suzuki is a Canadian science broadcaster and environmental activist. A long time activist to reverse global climate change, Suzuki co-founded the David Suzuki Foundation in 1990, to work "to find ways for society to live in balance with the natural world that sustains us." The Foundation's priorities are: oceans and sustainable fishing, climate change and clean energy, sustainability, and David Suzuki's Nature Challenge. He also served as a director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association from 1982-1987.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 25, 2012
an indispensable book to educate people on the damage we are doing to the natural systems that sustain life as we know it on this planet. the book also offers real alternatives to our current buy, consume, waste way of life.
of particular importance is the section on the tar sands of northern alberta and how it is wreaking havoc on people's health, wildlife and the environment.
from the book:
"Ripping a page — or the cover — from fellow Conservative and former tobacco industry lobbyist Ezra Levant's book, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his new environment minister, Peter Kent, have taken to referring to the product of the Alberta tar sands as ethical oil.
The Prime Minister and Mr. Levant go back a long way. It was Mr. Levant who reluctantly stepped aside as the Alliance candidate in Calgary Southwest so that Mr. Harper could run in a by-election there in 2002. But the "ethical oil" argument they promote has holes as big as the ones in the ground around Fort McMurray.
To start, the logic is faulty. Just because a country or society is considered "ethical" does not mean everything it produces or exports is ethical. If we are going to delve into the ethics of the issue, we must look at the ethics of energy overall. That means considering the impacts of various energy systems on people and the environment.
Here, the science is troubling. It shows that the Alberta tar sands contribute to about five per cent of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions and are the country's fastest growing source of emissions. To date, they have disturbed 600 square kilometres of boreal forest with little or no chance of true reclamation, use enormous amounts of water, and pollute the surrounding air and water.
In the summer of 2010, an independent, peer-reviewed scientific study showed that toxic byproducts from the tar sands extraction industry are poisoning the Athabasca River, putting downstream First Nations communities and the fish they eat at risk. Health studies show these First Nations communities already have elevated rare cancers associated with exposure to such toxins.
If this is the most "ethical" source of oil we can find, we need to ask other questions about the moral purity of our intensively processed bitumen. For example, if we sell the oil to countries with poor human-rights records, like China, does that affect the product's "ethical" nature? And how "ethical" are the companies operating in the tar sands; for example, Exxon Mobil, well-known sponsor of climate-change disinformation campaigns; BP, responsible for last year's massive oily disaster in the Gulf of Mexico; or PetroChina? There's also the effect of greenhouse gas emissions on our children and grandchildren, which to me is an intergenerational crime.
In this light, wouldn't energy from technologies or sources that limit the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change and that have a minimal environmental and health impacts be far more ethical than fossil fuels? And, from an economic perspective, wouldn't these more ethical technologies or fuel sources be doubly attractive to foreign buyers if they came from an "ethical" country like Canada?
As award-winning Alberta author Andrew Nikiforuk has argued, with proper development, the tar sands could help provide Canada with the oil and money we need to shift to a low-carbon economy. But major changes are needed. Environmental regulation and monitoring must be strengthened. Pollution and related health problems must be addressed. More of the revenue must go to Canadians rather than fossil fuel companies. And a national carbon tax would help us move from oil to less-polluting energy sources.
The problem is, no matter what Ezra Levant and his friends in government say, oil has never been about "ethics". It has always been about money. Those who argue the case for "ethical oil" should work to ensure that our energy needs are met in a truly ethical way, now and into the future. In the end, the only truly ethical solution is to phase out oil. The black eye that tar sands oil is sporting can't be remedied with meaningless phrases such as "ethical oil".
To be seen as truly ethical when it comes to energy policy, Canada must slow down tar sands development, clean up the environmental problems, implement a national carbon tax, improve the regulatory and monitoring regime, and make sure that Canadians are reaping their fair share of the revenues. We must also start taking clean energy seriously. Rather than subsidizing the tar sands and all the fossil fuel industry through massive tax breaks, we should be investing in energy technologies that will benefit our health, economy, and climate.
It might also help if Canada's environment minister spent more time protecting the environment rather than appeasing the oil industry and its apologists."
of particular importance is the section on the tar sands of northern alberta and how it is wreaking havoc on people's health, wildlife and the environment.
from the book:
"Ripping a page — or the cover — from fellow Conservative and former tobacco industry lobbyist Ezra Levant's book, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his new environment minister, Peter Kent, have taken to referring to the product of the Alberta tar sands as ethical oil.
The Prime Minister and Mr. Levant go back a long way. It was Mr. Levant who reluctantly stepped aside as the Alliance candidate in Calgary Southwest so that Mr. Harper could run in a by-election there in 2002. But the "ethical oil" argument they promote has holes as big as the ones in the ground around Fort McMurray.
To start, the logic is faulty. Just because a country or society is considered "ethical" does not mean everything it produces or exports is ethical. If we are going to delve into the ethics of the issue, we must look at the ethics of energy overall. That means considering the impacts of various energy systems on people and the environment.
Here, the science is troubling. It shows that the Alberta tar sands contribute to about five per cent of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions and are the country's fastest growing source of emissions. To date, they have disturbed 600 square kilometres of boreal forest with little or no chance of true reclamation, use enormous amounts of water, and pollute the surrounding air and water.
In the summer of 2010, an independent, peer-reviewed scientific study showed that toxic byproducts from the tar sands extraction industry are poisoning the Athabasca River, putting downstream First Nations communities and the fish they eat at risk. Health studies show these First Nations communities already have elevated rare cancers associated with exposure to such toxins.
If this is the most "ethical" source of oil we can find, we need to ask other questions about the moral purity of our intensively processed bitumen. For example, if we sell the oil to countries with poor human-rights records, like China, does that affect the product's "ethical" nature? And how "ethical" are the companies operating in the tar sands; for example, Exxon Mobil, well-known sponsor of climate-change disinformation campaigns; BP, responsible for last year's massive oily disaster in the Gulf of Mexico; or PetroChina? There's also the effect of greenhouse gas emissions on our children and grandchildren, which to me is an intergenerational crime.
In this light, wouldn't energy from technologies or sources that limit the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change and that have a minimal environmental and health impacts be far more ethical than fossil fuels? And, from an economic perspective, wouldn't these more ethical technologies or fuel sources be doubly attractive to foreign buyers if they came from an "ethical" country like Canada?
As award-winning Alberta author Andrew Nikiforuk has argued, with proper development, the tar sands could help provide Canada with the oil and money we need to shift to a low-carbon economy. But major changes are needed. Environmental regulation and monitoring must be strengthened. Pollution and related health problems must be addressed. More of the revenue must go to Canadians rather than fossil fuel companies. And a national carbon tax would help us move from oil to less-polluting energy sources.
The problem is, no matter what Ezra Levant and his friends in government say, oil has never been about "ethics". It has always been about money. Those who argue the case for "ethical oil" should work to ensure that our energy needs are met in a truly ethical way, now and into the future. In the end, the only truly ethical solution is to phase out oil. The black eye that tar sands oil is sporting can't be remedied with meaningless phrases such as "ethical oil".
To be seen as truly ethical when it comes to energy policy, Canada must slow down tar sands development, clean up the environmental problems, implement a national carbon tax, improve the regulatory and monitoring regime, and make sure that Canadians are reaping their fair share of the revenues. We must also start taking clean energy seriously. Rather than subsidizing the tar sands and all the fossil fuel industry through massive tax breaks, we should be investing in energy technologies that will benefit our health, economy, and climate.
It might also help if Canada's environment minister spent more time protecting the environment rather than appeasing the oil industry and its apologists."
August 20, 2016
Although written a few years ago, the message is even more relevant today than I believe it was when written. The frightening statistics about how our environment is being affected by global warming and its causes have only amplified since its publication. David Suzuki gives great introductions to many of the components affecting our globe today, addresses where the issues come from and where we can go from here to create a more sustainable planet for future generations. This is a great read for anyone interested in learning more about the different ways human life impacts the environment or where we are headed if we don't change our behaviors.
May 4, 2016
It’s difficult to criticize a tome of research collected for the greater good and presented earnestly and succinctly by Suzuki, the esteemed and prolific activist, in partnership with his foundation’s communications specialist—but it must be done. Perhaps Suzuki and Hanington simply tried to cover too much material. Each chapter’s contents, a compilation of policy micro-briefs, at once scientific and moralizing, invite the reader to learn about the myriad environmental challenges we face and to consider what can be done to remediate or reverse them. Abrupt transitions, repetition, and sometimes awkward, often hackneyed topic summations detract from the overall crux of the book, which couldn’t be more important: that prioritizing short-term economic gain over the long-term health and sustainability of our planet is catastrophic and that a commitment to endless economic growth is maniacal and leads to collapse. Frustration is apparent as blame is cast variously at the governmental level, the individual level and at the collective. While solutions to some environmental problems are included—optimizing blue carbon capture through the protection of ocean ecosystems, transitioning to organic, local food systems to eliminate the pollutants agribusiness replies upon, cultivating closely-regulated aquaculture to support global food supply while curbing overfishing—many recommendations are not concrete and instead call more broadly for renewed dialogue and action. The need for economic valuation of negative externalities is one of the most compelling ideas Suzuki and Hanington highlight along with their advocacy of a precautionary approach to management. Their admonishments are both sage and surly.
September 3, 2012
A thoughtful collection of roughly 100 essays on, well, everything under the sun. As advocates of responsible action, David Suzuki and Ian Hannington address nearly every issue pertaining to life, the environment and the place of humans on this world with prose that reads as well as Mr. Suzuki speaks. They provide facts and numbers and help dispel numerous myths pertaining to the so called "environment vs economy" debate that we hear more and more often these days.
The book is neither confrontational or preachy. Instead, each essay opts to leave the reader with something to think about. Whether or not you consider yourself an environmentalist, every human in their right mind should at least respect, if not acknowledge, the connection we have with our planet, our food and our neighbours.
The book is neither confrontational or preachy. Instead, each essay opts to leave the reader with something to think about. Whether or not you consider yourself an environmentalist, every human in their right mind should at least respect, if not acknowledge, the connection we have with our planet, our food and our neighbours.
December 6, 2015
I think the environment and it's care or lack of care is the most important issue facing us right now. The book is informative.
That being said, I also found it hard to get through. The reading is very factual, but also very tedious. It depresses me to think about how we prize money above animal and environmental welfare. The endless pursuit of money blinds us to the value of nature beyond the dollar signs.
It took me a while to get through and I eventually skimmed.
That being said, I also found it hard to get through. The reading is very factual, but also very tedious. It depresses me to think about how we prize money above animal and environmental welfare. The endless pursuit of money blinds us to the value of nature beyond the dollar signs.
It took me a while to get through and I eventually skimmed.
September 5, 2018
Readers of this book must be aware that it is a collection of essays, columns, and articles that were written for various media. Hence it is a little repetitive and rhetorical, when what you might be looking for is more in-depth analysis and what I call solutioneering. I was committed to read it as it was a gift, but I read it as quickly as possible, photographed a few pages of the best bits, and gave it away in hopes that someone less familiar with the topic would read it.
March 27, 2016
There is something in the way this author writes about the larger picture of things that I love. Serious issues are addressed and provocative topics are explored with the base understanding of what we need to survive and prosper on this beautiful planet Earth. A must read for all humans!
November 11, 2012
Always love David Suzuki, but I fear this book preaches to the converted. It's written simply enough though to be appealing to climate skeptics etc.
January 23, 2013
A must read for the sake of future generations.
July 10, 2014
We're doomed. And that's the message from this "optimistic" environmentalist book.
February 18, 2016
Food for thoughts on the environment but in small bites. You could read it one essay at a time and let your mind really reflect on it.
September 1, 2017
Great book about what we have done to our earth. Loved the chapter about our species at risk.
November 4, 2017
great exploration of the environmental challenges we all face
October 29, 2023
A multifaceted understanding of our planet's challenges and potential pathways toward a brighter future.
January 20, 2024
I recieved this book at my baby shower.
I read it out loud to my newborn son with hope that he could one day help change the world.
I read it out loud to my newborn son with hope that he could one day help change the world.
October 30, 2014
Excellent, clearly communicated primer by one of the leading lights in environment science.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews