David Suzuki and his use of media in environmental education

Essay by efunkCollege, UndergraduateA-, March 2004

download word file, 6 pages 4.0

The topic of environmentalism has been increasingly talked about in the media, from the Koyto Protocol and climate change to the deforestation of British Columbia's temperate rainforest. The public is continually informed of the degradation that has and is occurring as well as the increase in protective measures that need to be taken. The earth's population has exceeded 6 billion and the human race has been straining the planet and its resources to the max. Even during the early days of environmentalism, environmentalist such as Rachel Carson (author of Silent Spring, 1962) and John Clarke (mountaineer and environmentalist) promoted the idea of sustainability through their work and writings. Many have used their lives as a blueprint for their own work. David Suzuki is no exception having devoted his life to biological research and the endorsing of pro-environmental thought and practice. The goal of Suzuki's work is to inform the public of the current state of the world's ecosystems as well as foster the belief that change needs to occur.

In order to get his message across to the public he has used various forms of media such as radio, television and the internet. The paper will examine social theory and environmentalism (an individual's perception of the environment), the usefulness of media in education as well as how Suzuki himself used these mediums to convey his knowledge.

Biodiversity is one of the key issues in current environmental studies. It has been realised that the actions of humans such as deforestation and over fishing have lead to the destruction of habitats and the eventual loss in biodiversity. There is an estimated 10 to 100 million species on Earth, the rate of loss of species is the highest it has ever been with approximately 100 species going extinct every day While this is...