Severn Suzuki at Rio Summit 1992 with Eng Subtitle

佟棉 Tong Mian

18 May 201706:38

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

🌳 Severn Suzuki represents children concerned about the environment, emphasizing the urgency of addressing ecological issues.
🌏 She speaks for future generations and those affected by environmental degradation, such as starving children and endangered species.
😷 Severn expresses personal fear due to environmental problems like ozone layer depletion and air pollution.
🐟 She recounts the decline in fish populations due to pollution and the broader loss of biodiversity.
🌱 Severn dreams of natural wonders but fears they may vanish before her children can experience them.
👶 As a child, she challenges adults to recognize they don't have all the answers to environmental problems.
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 She calls for unity and collective action among the global family of humans and other species.
💔 Severn criticizes the wasteful habits of developed countries and the lack of wealth distribution to the needy.
🤝 She highlights the willingness of a child with nothing to share, questioning the greed of those with plenty.
🌍 She envisions a better world if resources spent on war were redirected to solving environmental and social issues.
🏫 Severn points out the contradiction between the values taught in schools and the actions of adults in the world.
🗣️ 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

00:00

🌏 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.

05:01

📚 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

💡Future

In the context of the speech, 'future' refers to the next generations and the world they will inherit. Severn Suzuki speaks passionately about how current environmental and political decisions are jeopardizing the future for children and future generations. She contrasts losing the future to losing an election or stock market points, emphasizing the irreversible damage that current choices may cause.

💡Environment

The 'environment' is central to the speech, referring to the natural world that is being harmed by human activity. Suzuki mentions key environmental issues like pollution, deforestation, and species extinction. Her appeal urges world leaders to take immediate action to protect the planet for future generations and highlights the interconnection between human health and environmental health.

💡Ozone Layer

Suzuki references the 'ozone layer,' which is a crucial part of Earth's atmosphere that protects life from harmful ultraviolet rays. She mentions that she is afraid to go out in the sun because of the depletion of the ozone layer, which is directly linked to environmental degradation caused by human activities like pollution. This serves as a concrete example of how environmental issues affect everyday life.

💡Extinction

Extinction is used in the speech to describe the permanent loss of species due to environmental damage. Suzuki speaks about how animals and plants are going extinct every day, signaling the urgency of the crisis. This extinction represents not just a loss of biodiversity, but also a loss of natural heritage for future generations.

💡Wealth Inequality

Wealth inequality is highlighted when Suzuki contrasts the privileged lives of people in affluent countries, like her own in Canada, with the dire conditions faced by children living in poverty around the world. She questions why those who have more than enough are still reluctant to share, even when there is an abundance of resources that could help the less fortunate.

💡War

Suzuki touches on 'war' as a major global issue, suggesting that the resources spent on war could be better used to solve environmental problems, end poverty, and promote peace. This juxtaposition illustrates her point that global priorities are misaligned, and that a shift in focus could create a better world for everyone.

💡Poverty

Poverty is a recurring theme in Suzuki's speech. She describes the conditions of children living on the streets in Brazil and compares them to her own privileged life. This contrast underscores the message that poverty and inequality are global issues that need to be addressed, particularly when children in impoverished areas are willing to share despite having so little.

💡Greed

Greed is criticized as a driving force behind many of the world’s problems, particularly environmental destruction and wealth inequality. Suzuki condemns the greed of wealthier nations, pointing out that even though they have more than enough, they refuse to share with those in need. This selfish behavior exacerbates global issues like poverty and environmental degradation.

💡Responsibility

Responsibility is a key concept in Suzuki’s message, as she challenges adults, particularly those in power, to take responsibility for the world they are creating for future generations. She calls on them to align their actions with their words and to make decisions that reflect care for the environment and humanity. This responsibility extends not just to politicians, but to everyone as members of a global family.

💡Hope

Though the tone of Suzuki’s speech is serious and urgent, 'hope' is a subtle undercurrent, as she speaks out in the belief that change is possible. She represents the hope of young people who believe that adults can change their ways and take meaningful action to protect the planet and ensure a better future for all. Her appeal for action is rooted in the hope that collective efforts can make a difference.

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.