Severn Suzuki at Rio Summit 1992 with Eng Subtitle
Summary
TLDRSevern Suzuki, a young environmental activist, addresses adults at an international conference, urging them to take responsibility for the future of the planet. Speaking on behalf of her generation, she highlights issues like pollution, environmental degradation, extinction, and poverty. She expresses fear for the future, questions the actions of world leaders, and challenges them to reflect their words with meaningful action. Suzuki passionately argues for global unity and the need for environmental and social change, emphasizing that children like her are directly impacted by the decisions made by adults today.
Takeaways
- π³ Severn Suzuki represents children concerned about the environment, emphasizing the urgency of addressing ecological issues.
- π She speaks for future generations and those affected by environmental degradation, such as starving children and endangered species.
- π· Severn expresses personal fear due to environmental problems like ozone layer depletion and air pollution.
- π She recounts the decline in fish populations due to pollution and the broader loss of biodiversity.
- π± Severn dreams of natural wonders but fears they may vanish before her children can experience them.
- πΆ As a child, she challenges adults to recognize they don't have all the answers to environmental problems.
- π¨βπ©βπ§βπ¦ She calls for unity and collective action among the global family of humans and other species.
- π Severn criticizes the wasteful habits of developed countries and the lack of wealth distribution to the needy.
- π€ She highlights the willingness of a child with nothing to share, questioning the greed of those with plenty.
- π She envisions a better world if resources spent on war were redirected to solving environmental and social issues.
- π« Severn points out the contradiction between the values taught in schools and the actions of adults in the world.
- π£οΈ She calls on adults to align their actions with their words and to prioritize the well-being of children and the planet.
Q & A
Who is Severn Suzuki and what organization does she represent?
-Severn Suzuki is a young environmental activist who, at the time of the speech, represents the Environmental Children's Organization (ECO), a group of 12 and 13-year-olds trying to make a difference.
How did Severn Suzuki and her group manage to attend the conference?
-Severn and her group raised all the money themselves to come to the conference, traveling five thousand miles to attend.
What is the main message Severn Suzuki wants to convey to the adults at the conference?
-Severn Suzuki's main message is that adults must change their ways to protect the environment for future generations.
Why does Severn Suzuki feel it is urgent to address environmental issues?
-She feels it is urgent because the environment is deteriorating rapidly, with issues like ozone depletion, air pollution, and species extinction happening before our eyes.
What personal experiences does Severn Suzuki share to emphasize the impact of environmental issues?
-Severn shares her fear of going out in the sun due to ozone holes, breathing polluted air, and her experience of finding fish with cancer while fishing with her dad in Vancouver.
How does Severn Suzuki describe the global family of humans and other species?
-She describes the global family as being 30 million species strong, emphasizing that borders and governments do not change this interconnectedness.
What does Severn Suzuki criticize about the behavior of adults in developed countries?
-She criticizes the excessive waste and consumerism in developed countries, where people buy and throw away without considering the needs of others.
What does Severn Suzuki suggest could be done with the money spent on war?
-She suggests that if the money spent on war was instead spent on finding environmental solutions, ending poverty, and establishing treaties, the world would be a much better place.
How does Severn Suzuki feel about the actions of adults in relation to the teachings they give to children?
-She expresses disappointment and challenges adults to make their actions reflect the values they teach children, such as not fighting, respecting others, and sharing.
What challenge does Severn Suzuki issue to the adults at the conference?
-She challenges them to ensure their actions reflect their words and to make the world a better place for children, questioning whether children are even on their list of priorities.
What does Severn Suzuki want adults to realize about their role in the world?
-She wants adults to realize that they are part of a global family and should act as one world towards a single goal, and that they, too, do not have all the solutions to environmental problems.
Outlines
π Environmental Concerns and Intergenerational Responsibility
Severn Suzuki, a young representative of the environmental children's organization 'Ecco', addresses an audience about the urgent need for environmental action. She emphasizes that she and her peers have raised funds to travel a great distance to speak about the future they are fighting for. She highlights the plight of starving children, endangered animals, and the deteriorating ozone layer. Severn expresses her fears about the environment and the loss of natural wonders, questioning whether they will exist for future generations. She challenges the audience, which includes delegates, business people, and politicians, to recognize that they do not have all the answers and to stop causing further harm. She also calls for global unity and cooperation, reminding everyone that they are part of a larger family of humans and other species. Severn criticizes the developed world's consumerism and waste, contrasting it with the poverty and need in other parts of the world. She ends by urging the audience to reflect their love for future generations in their actions, not just their words.
π The Disparity Between Teachings and Actions
In the second paragraph, Severn continues her speech by pointing out the contradiction between the values taught in schools and the actions of adults. She notes that children are taught to be respectful, non-violent, and to share, yet adults often engage in behaviors that contradict these principles. Severn calls on the audience to remember the purpose of their conferences and to act in the best interests of children. She expresses sadness that parents can no longer reassure their children that everything will be alright due to the state of the world. She challenges the audience to ensure their actions align with their words and to prioritize the well-being of future generations. The speech concludes with a call for adults to demonstrate their love and care through concrete actions rather than just promises.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Future
π‘Environment
π‘Ozone Layer
π‘Extinction
π‘Wealth Inequality
π‘War
π‘Poverty
π‘Greed
π‘Responsibility
π‘Hope
Highlights
Severn Suzuki speaks for the environmental children's organization, ECO.
They are a group of 12 and 13-year-olds trying to make a difference.
They have raised all the money to come to the conference themselves.
Severn is fighting for her future and that of all generations to come.
She speaks on behalf of starving children and dying animals around the world.
Severn expresses fear about the state of the environment, including the ozone layer and air quality.
She recalls a time when fishing was possible, but now fish are found with cancer.
Severn dreams of seeing wild animals and pristine jungles, but fears they may disappear.
She questions whether the current generation worried about these issues when they were young.
Severn challenges the audience, stating that they don't have all the solutions.
She emphasizes the need to stop causing harm if solutions are unknown.
Severn reminds the audience that they are all part of a global family, regardless of borders.
She points out the wasteful habits in developed countries and the lack of sharing with the needy.
Severn recounts the experience of meeting children living on the streets of Brazil.
She highlights the willingness of a child with nothing to share, questioning the greed of the wealthy.
Severn suggests that money spent on war could be better spent on environmental and social solutions.
She reflects on the teachings of schools and questions the actions of adults against these teachings.
Severn challenges the audience to ensure their actions reflect their words and love for children.
Transcripts
[Applause]
hello I'm Severn Suzuki speaking for
Ecco the environmental children's
organization we're a group of 12 and 13
year olds trying to make a difference
Vanessa Suttie Morgan Geisler Michelle
Quigg and me we've raised all the money
to come here ourselves to come five
thousand miles to tell you adults you
must change your ways coming up here
today I have no hidden agenda I am
fighting for my future losing my future
is not like losing an election or a few
points on the stock market I am here to
speak for all generations to come
I am here to speak speak on behalf of
the starving children around the world
whose cries go unheard I'm here to speak
for the countless animals dying across
this planet because they have nowhere
left to go I am afraid to go out in the
Sun now because of the holes in our
ozone I'm afraid to breathe the air
because I don't know what chemicals are
in it I used to go and I used to go
fishing in Vancouver my home with my dad
until just a few years ago we found the
fish full of cancers and now we hear of
animals and plants going extinct every
day vanishing forever in my life I have
dreamt of seeing the great herds of wild
animals jungles and rainforests full of
birds and butterflies but now I wonder
if they will even exist for my children
to see did you have to worry of these
things when you were my age all this is
happening before our eyes and yet we act
as if we have all the time we want and
all the solutions I'm only a child and I
don't have all the solutions but I know
I want you to realize neither do you you
don't know how to fix the holes in our
zone layer you don't know how to bring
the salmon back up in a dead stream you
don't know how to bring back an animal
now extinct and you can't bring back the
forest that once grew where there is now
a desert if you don't know how to fix it
please stop breaking it here you may be
delegates of your government business
people organisers reporters or
politicians but really your mothers and
fathers sisters and brothers aunts and
uncles and all of you are someone's
child I'm only a child yet I know we are
all part of a family five billion strong
in fact 30 million species strong and
borders and governments will never
change that I'm only a child yet I know
we are all in this together and should
act as one single world towards one
single goal in in my anger I am NOT
blind and in my fear I'm not afraid of
telling the world how I feel in my
country we make so much waste we buy and
throw away Buy and throw away Buy and
throw away and yet northern countries
will not share with the needy even when
we have more than enough we are afraid
to share we are afraid to let go of some
of our wealth in Canada we live the
privileged life with plenty of food
water and shelter
we have watches bicycles computers and
television sets the list could go on for
two days two days ago here in Brazil we
were shocked when we spent time with
some children living on the streets this
is what one child told us I wish I was
rich and if I were I would give all the
street children food clothes medicines
shelter and love and affection
if a child on the streets who has
nothing is willing to
share why are we who have everything
still so greedy I can't stop thinking
that these are children my own age that
it makes a tremendous difference where
you are born that I could be one of
those children living in the favelas of
Rio I could be a child starving in
Somalia or a victim of war in the Middle
East or a beggar in India I am only a
child yet I know if all the money spent
on war was spent on finding
environmental answers ending poverty and
finding treaties what a wonderful place
this earth would be at school even in
kindergarten you teach us how to behave
in the world you teach us to not to
fight with others to work things out to
respect others to clean up our mess not
to hurt other creatures to share not be
greedy then why do you go out and do do
the things you tell us not to do do not
forget why you're attending these
conferences who you're doing this for we
are your own children you are deciding
what kind of a world we are growing up
in parents should be able to comfort
their children by saying everything's
going to be alright it's not the end of
the world and we're and we're doing the
best we can but I don't think you can
say that to us anymore are we even on
your list of priorities my dad always
says you are what you do not what you
say well what you do makes me cry at
night you grown ups say you love us but
I challenge you please make your actions
reflect your words thank you
[Applause]
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