Severn Cullis-Suzuki
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Severn Cullis-Suzuki (born November 30, 1979 in Vancouver, Canada) is an environmental activist, speaker, television host and author. Born to writer Tara Elizabeth Cullis and geneticist and environmental activist David Suzuki, she has spoken around the world about environmental issues, urging listeners to define their values, act with the future in mind, and take individual responsibility.
[edit] Biography
Cullis-Suzuki was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada.[1] While attending Lord Tennyson Elementary School in French Immersion, at the age of nine, she founded the Environmental Children's Organization (ECO), a group of children dedicated to learning and teaching other youngsters about environmental issues.[2] In 1992, at the age of 12, Cullis-Suzuki raised money with members of ECO, to attend the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Along with group members Michelle Quigg, Vanessa Suttie, and Morgan Geisler, Cullis-Suzuki presented environmental issues from a youth perspective at the summit, where she was applauded for a speech to the delegates.[3][4] The video has since become a sort of viral hit, popularly known as "The Girl Who Silenced the World for 5 Minutes". In 1993, she was honored in the United Nations Environment Program's Global 500 Roll of Honor.[5] In 1993, Doubleday published her book Tell the World (ISBN 0-385-25422-9), a 32-page book of environmental steps for families.
Cullis-Suzuki graduated from Yale University in 2002 with a B.Sc. in ecology and evolutionary biology.[2] After Yale, Cullis-Suzuki spent two years traveling. Cullis-Suzuki co-hosted Suzuki's Nature Quest, a children's television series that aired on the Discovery Channel in 2002.
In early 2002, she helped launch an Internet-based think tank called The Skyfish Project.[6][7] As a member of Kofi Annan's Special Advisory Panel, she and members of the Skyfish Project brought their first project, a pledge called the "Recognition of Responsibility", to the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in August 2002.[2] The Skyfish Project disbanded in 2004 as Cullis-Suzuki turned her focus back to school and enrolled in a graduate course in the University of Victoria to study ethnobotany under Nancy Turner.[6]
[edit] References
- ^ "BC Author Bank: Cullis-Suzuki, Severn". ABCBookWorld. http://www.abcbookworld.com/view_author.php?id=2910. Retrieved on 2008-06-06.
- ^ a b c "Severn Cullis-Suzuki". Speakers' Spotlight. http://www.speakers.ca/cullis-suzuki_severn.aspx. Retrieved on 2008-06-06.
- ^ Cullis-Suzuki, Severn (June 1992). "Address to the Plenary Session, Earth Summit". The Sloth Club. http://www.slothclub.org/pages/activity/japan/sevtour/sevspeech1992.htm. Retrieved on 2008-06-06.
- ^ Cullis-Suzuki, Severn (2002-08-18). "The Young Can't Wait". Time. http://www.time.com/time/2002/greencentury/engeneration.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-06.
- ^ Maybaum, Mary Ann (2004-05-01). "UNEP Global 500 Laureates - Award Winners". United Nations Environment Program. http://www.global500.org/ViewLaureate.asp?ID=187. Retrieved on 2008-06-06.
- ^ a b Suzuki, David (2006). 'David Suzuki: The Autobiography'. Canada: Greystone Books. ISBN 1553651561.
- ^ Scott, Julia (2003). "Earth Pioneer". Collage. http://www.collagefoundation.org/people/people-scsuzuki.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-06.
[edit] External links
- Severn Cullis-Suzuki general information Severn Suzuki Speakers Tour (Japan).
- Severn Cullis-Suzuki's speech at UN Earth Summit 1992 at YouTube (Transcript)
- "The Young Can't Wait" by Severn Cullis-Suzuki, Time magazine, Aug. 2002
- "Freedom and Rights" by Servern Cullis-Suzuki at Library and Archives Canada
