David Suzuki and His Use of Media in Environmental Education

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.…