Suzuki's Crystal Ball by Alicia Filipowich

Thursday, February 5,1998 Serving Lei Community College and puthern Alberta for over 30yearS; Suzuki's crystal ball By Alicia Filipowich He's had a bullet fired through his window, his office broken into and his computer hacked into. He was almost forced off the road by a logging truck, all because of his beliefs. Last Wednesday, David Suzuki, dressed in a green suit, brown shirt and black shoes shared his thoughts and beliefs with a crowd of 1,300 at the University of Lethbridge. His talk on nature, its link with the econo my and how it will be affected in the millennium, was sold out a half hour before the show started, with over 200 people still wanting to to get in. Suzuki compared our approach to the year 2000 as "embarking on a suicidal road." In the driver's seat is the economy and we, the population, are headed for a brick wall in a car going 100 km/h, arguing about where we want to sit. The people who want to stop the car or veer its course are locked in the trunk. "If we hit the wall, we'll respond. But it's a hell of a lot harder to pick up the pieces after," said Suzuki, comparing the tragedy to that of Lady Diana's. In the past, people understood that we are deeply embedded in the natural world and used this to create our leg up on other species, technology. This growth of science, said Suzuki, "Has provided more insight which has changed the course of human history." Those born after 1950 have grown up in the largest period of growth and change. Any other way of life to the Baby Boomers and Gen Xer's, said Suzuki, is sim ply unacceptable. "Progress equals change and nobody wants to stop progress." With progress and change come the evils of technol ogy like DDT, designed to kill bugs. "We love technol ogy because we designed it to do things for us." ENDEAVOR PHOTO BY ALICIA FILIPOWICH David Suzuki's prophecies captures the attention For more see Suzuici, page 2 Ot a packed house at the U ot L. New members join SA team By Greg Wiseman Regier calls himself a, "Late starter Regier says the position will be a in the post education department," as good learning experience and he is The Students' Association has filled he grew up on a farm and knows what, looking forward to working with the its vacancies and the new members "Long hours and little pay is all about." team. took office on Monday. In a secret bal He managed a small swimming facil "They have good plans, I have good lot at the Student Council meeting last ity in Southern Alberta with about 10 plans and I will back them up. I'm not Thursday Trent Regier was elected to people directly under him. He also had afraid of new challenges." says Regier. the Executive Vice-President position to work with upper management and He says he has gone through most of and Todd Boychuck was chosen as the create proposals for them. the problems students have gone last student representative. He says being in the Nursing pro through and he has a desire to represent Regier, second-year Nursing student gram has helped with his ability to lis them. Stay tuned for the next was surprised to get in."I didn't expect ten to people which is important when For more see SA, page 2 Endeavor, coming on to get in," says Regier. representing the student body. February 12,1998 Climbing Back Packing Skydiving FEATURING ^ FIRST RESPONSE *** Lethbridge Vehicle North Face g **• SAFETY SERVICES Licensing and Registry Standard First Aidjplus Moimtaln Hardware Basic Rescuer C.PlR. Next course:February 14 -15 ^ Photocopjnng/faxing v License and novelty plates ^ Photo ED (/'Driver testing Student Discounts & Evening Courses ^ Binding and laminating ^ Driver's Abstracts ^S«^M>iiCl|iStfî««i^^ Available A O V EflSiTUn £ S LTD 3 2 0-1563 CoBege VUteMa^^ ^93 314 -11 Street South, Lethbridge, AB; (403) 328-5041 '-f C r Page 2 The îdeavor Thursday, February 5,1998 CoUeselfews Suzuki's CfystatlâH reveal dark outlook Continued from page 1 bur political agendas and fulfil our eco not broadcasting scientist's concerns, species as a whole. We have as little as nomic needs. He compared it to letting the CBC not boUiering to report it and "We are so intelligent, air is an Canada's fishermen catch more fish to the New York Times and the absolutely vital substance used as a ten years to a world sustain a quota, just because numbers Washington Post âid it was "not news garbage can for the most toxic chemi catastrophe are down. worthy. "We have as little as ten years cals... we treat the earth in such a cal What we never consider or question, to a world catastrophe but we will lous way. As the world discovered, every tech is where we get it all from; from pro spend two years on OJ (Simpson)...and "We have to establish the genuine nology has its costs and we can't antici duce in the winter to RV's and bubble report on the sexual gymnastics of the bottomline, things that keep us alive. pate what those costs could be. gum. "We seldom reflect on where it's President of the United States." That is the challenge for the millenni Suzuki said a proper environmental coming from...it's made possible by the For four billion years, nature has um." assessment is needed. "In history, we generosity bf the earth." existed and unless, "We live within the Question period was held after his lived in a >vorld View...everything is And the populous says we can't productive capacity of nature and man talk and both young and old, from a 75- connected. Nothing exists in isolation." afford a clean environment if you don't age ourselves...we will not persist and year-old man to a 12 year old child, Science is the opposite. Instead of have a growing economy? "It's down go on." shared their views. "We have reached looking at nature and the environment right suicidal," he said. Even though we are confronted with the point of no return, we haven't paid as a whole, Suzuki reminded the audi He spoke of several scientific docu a catastrophic course, we can't do enough attention to people like you," ence that it does the exact opposite. ments, one, signed in 1992 by scientists much because "We live such complex said the 75-year-old. They take nature and put it in isolation, from over 60 countries, including half lives," said Suzuki. One U of L student gave him the best controlling it in the lab. of the living Nobel prize winners, And to change things, we all must compliment of the night; "You have He described the ignorance of EntiUed "The World's Scientists raise the level of understanding so we motivated me to make a change in my humans today in nature's role in our Warning to Humanity." It spoke of the all start at the same level. life." lives, comparing a logger's view of need to take action now, before it is too We have three basic needs. First, "An He reminded the audience in his hour what a forest is, to an environmental late. undeniable reality that we are biologi and a half speech that it is not material ist's. Loggers, said Suzuki, "Call it "Human beings in the natural world cal humans...animals." Members of the possessions one should be concerned marketable timber. But it's more. It's are on a collision course...we have no audience in Calgary expressed displea with. "On your death bed you won't soil, water, air, animals and microor more than one or a few decades sure when he referred to humans as ani look at the material items but reflection ganisms. No one has ever grown a for remaining before the chance to avert mals. The second need is social, like on what you are proud of: family, com est." the threat we confront, will be lost." love and the third is spiritual. munity and the service you performed Suzuki said we try to make nature fit He spoke of the media's neglect of Suzuki doubts the intelligence of our in that community." "I bet you didn't know..! The Nature of Things * We have no inkling how many species we share this earth with. A Harvi Suzuki, a genicist with 12 honorary ics after his first course. He graduated biologist said about 1.5 million spjgciesAave scientific names but there arc as degrees from Canada, the United in 1958 and worked in Tennessee and many as 10 to 100 million on ^MSSB/m States and Australia, was born in the University of Alberta before mov Just because a speciman has'^^^B^ted and somehpw identified, it d6^^t| 1936 in the Greater Vancouver area. ing to the University of British mean we know anything about it. "We have jusl given a name td a dead spo^f^^, At 6, Suzuki and his family were Columbia. At UBC, he is doing man," said Suzuki. ' "'.^- interned, like hundreds of other research on the paralysis of fruit flies. * More people visit zoos and aquariums than attend sporting events. Suzuki ;^ Japanese Canadians during WWII, in He has written for the Globe and said it is because of our profound need to be with other species, '% northern B.C.

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