Gore vs. Suzuki

A World of Unbalance David Suzuki’s A Sacred Balance and Al Gore’s A Climate Emergency both outline the detrimental ways in which technology, population growth, and our way of living have begun to and will continue to destroy our diverse ecosystem. However, the outlooks that these two environmental giants have on man’s role in the world are perfectly opposite. “There is no environment ‘out there,’” urges Suzuki, “we are born of the earth and constructed from the four sacred elements of earth, air, fire, and water” (432). Gore, contrastingly, doesn’t look at humans as part of the interconnected “web,” but as rather just “[having an] impact on [the earth]” (456). This web that Suzuki speaks of has been built up and perfected over millions of years. Every single aspect of nature has found a way to evolve and mold its way of living to depend on every single other aspect. This includes, whether we know it or not, human beings. Gore sees the world from a different, more statistical lens. In his eyes, though we are part of this earth and ecosystem, we are not made up of the elements, but rather are inhabitants of this planet for a short while. He gives the impression that humankind is not actually part of the ecosystem, just an outside force, or separate entity, acting upon it. No matter the perception of our place on the planet, both writers agree on the fact that humans are throwing the balance of the earth off kilter and see us as without a doubt the number one cause of the decline in the biosphere’s diversity and climate change in general. The two men also mutually share the understanding that the detached, shortsighted way of living in which we live today has only recently been adopted by society. Suzuki depicts the way in which our “ancient understanding… has been shattered” (429), while Gore outlines the “new relationship between humankind and the earth” (460) in their respective writings. Though the differences between how Suzuki and Gore approach humans are easy to see, so are the similarities between their findings on our negative effects on the ecosystem. Suzuki explains shorty into his book that homo sapiens have become a “superspecies” of sorts. Never before has one species been able to change the biological, chemical, and physical makeup of the planet on such a scale as we have, and the reasons behind that, he states, are population, technological advances, and the radical change in our way of thinking. Similarly, Gore quotes that “the new relationship between humankind and the earth has been caused by a confluence of three factors.” (sff) The three factors he speaks about being population, technology, and our way of thinking, just as Suzuki has stated. Population was first on both Gore and Suzuki’s list; it is what started Suzuki’s superspecies thought and was described by Gore as an environmental crisis. Studies have shown that “species loss… [matches] the population pattern.” Meaning as the human population of the world goes up, as it has done since the end of the Second World War, the population of animals declines. Not to mention the increased demand for food, water, and other natural resources that comes with increased masses of people, which both writers touch on. Next came technology. Though it obvious to both Gore and Suzuki that it is an amazing tool, as technology continues to evolve and our habits continue to stay stationary the effects of them become more and more prominent. Whether it be the extraordinary amount of greenhouse gasses we are emitting into the atmosphere or the CFCs that were once regarded as a wonderful scientific creation, the advances human beings are making have proven to be less than positive environmentally speaking, especially in the eyes of a Suzuki who deems these as “terrible [conundrums]” (431). Last on the list is our way of thinking. It is all too obvious that our awareness of the interconnectedness in the world and sense of “local” has greatly diminished, making it easy to dispose and consume more than ever. Unfortunately, solving these adverse, worldwide issues is easier said than done. Both Suzuki and Gore suggest that a complete overhaul of our perspective is necessary. Suzuki’s close ties with the world around him allow him to see that we as humanity need to realize that whatever we do the earth, we do to ourselves and that every action has a consequence; therefore, humans have a responsibility not only to the earth but also to themselves to act accordingly. Gore sees it as an issue of needing to believe that “if we keep the right perspective and keep our eyes on the prize, we can solve this problem, we will solve this problem….” (465) The change necessary for this 180 degree change is possible in the eyes of these two writers, what is needed, according to Suzuki, is an appreciation, and to Gore, a change in morale. The earth is a fragile and sophisticated system. Though Suzuki and Gore both think differently about humans in relation to the earth and how we can solve this global “climate emergency” they are both in agreement on the fact that we must learn to live and think differently in order to sustain a habitable environment. The way of thinking that humans have adopted within the last century is one of greed and shortsightedness and must be replaced with a more conscientious one if we are to become one with the “fundamental needs” that Suzuki speaks of throughout his piece.