Subj: [illusions] Canadian Scientist Hopes Y2K Will Shut Down Planet

Tuesday December 21 11:35 AM ET

Canadian Scientist Hopes Y2K Will Shut Down Planet

By Leah Eichler

TORONTO (Reuters) - A little Y2K chaos would not be such a bad thing, or so
says David Suzuki, a respected Canadian
geneticist, broadcaster and environmentalist.

``I hope there is a major glitch. It might give Mother Earth a rest,'' the
63-year-old host of CBC-TV's ``The Nature of Things,''
broadcast in more than 50 countries, told Reuters.

``I think it would be wonderful if things collapsed for a few days. Chaos
would happen ... but it would be an amazing
opportunity for people to really start thinking about things -- and a global
collapse would really make people think.''

Even if Y2K goes gently into the night, Suzuki believes the time is ripe for
people to start paying closer attention to the
environment. And if interest in his new book, which has hit Canadian
bestseller lists, is an indication, he may be right.

``At the end of every century people go nuts. The millennium is even a bigger
deal. My message in my book is that this is a
moment in time when we can reflect on where we are and where we're going,''
the Vancouver-based environmentalist said.

Where we are is a dismal place, according to Suzuki and his book ``From Naked
Ape to Superspecies,'' written with Holly
Dressel. ``Water is polluted, the air is polluted, soil is polluted. We've
essentially trashed the globe and I don't think there's any
question that the major challenge facing us in the coming years is what are
we going to do about it,'' he said.

DOOMSDAY PROPHET?

Although seen by many as a doomsday prophet, Suzuki insists that not only he
and groups such as Greenpeace are sounding
the death knell of environmental Armageddon -- scientists are too.

``From Naked Ape to Superspecies'' refers to a document, ''World Scientists
Warning to Humanity,'' signed in 1992 by more
that 1,600 senior scientists from around the world, including more than half
of all living Nobel Prizewinners.

The document stated that, as of 1992, humans have as little as 10 years to
avoid an ecological catastrophe. Since then, Suzuki
says, the destruction has accelerated.

``It is crystal clear from what scientists are saying that we have undermined
the underpinnings of life on Earth; we have added
30 percent more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which set in motion
enormous changes in climate,'' he said.

``We've trashed 78 percent of the world's forests and the remaining 22
percent are found in three countries: Brazil, Canada and
Russia. And we're going to decide the fate of the remaining big forests in
the next 15 years.''

But are people heeding the warning signs? Suzuki believes so. He quotes a
recent poll that showed one of the issues people are
most concerned about today is the health of their children, based on the
quality of air, water and food.

``In Canada, one out of every five children has asthma. The asthma rate is
skyrocketing, as are lymphoma, breast cancer and
prostate cancer in spite of billions of dollars spent on medical research.
Why? Because we poison the very things that we
depend on for survival,'' Suzuki insisted.

Much of his criticism is directed at his own country, which does not warn
citizens of genetically modified foods.

``The Europeans are saying, 'If you want to find out if GMOs are dangerous
just watch Canada. They're doing the
experimenting for us. And I think that you don't put people in an experiment
unless they have been told and ask for our
permission. We haven't been told or asked. We're guinea pigs.''

ORGY OF CONSUMPTION

Suzuki also takes issue with the fact that Canada is the only industrialized
country in the world that does not support public
transit. ``If every human being wanted to live like we do in Toronto, we'd
need five more planets,'' he said. ``So there is no way
our lifestyle can be enjoyed by everybody on Earth, but everybody wants to be
like us.''

But all is not lost. Suzuki believes humans can have an immediate impact on
the environment by limiting consumption.

``We (in industrialized countries) now consume 20 times as much as every
person in China and 100 times as much as a person
in Bangladesh. The Wal-Marts, the Home Depots ... the megastores. It's
everything,'' he said.

``We are in an orgy of consumption. We very often point to the developing
world and say they have a population problem ...
but we are the ones overpopulating because we are overconsuming and all the
Indians, Brazilians and Chinese want to be like
us. And we keep saying, we gotta have more, so we can't tell them no, you
can't, you shouldn't, have as much as we have.''

Consumer culture affects not only the environment but the quality of life,
Suzuki says.

According to Seattle-based New Road Map Foundation, the average American
spends six to eight hours a week shopping and
40 minutes playing with his or her children.

``When you're 85 years old and dying, and you're thinking back on the things
that fill you with joy and happiness, that make
you proud, what will it be? It's not going to be a Sony entertainment
center,'' Suzuki said.

``It's not going to be a sports utility vehicle or Gucci clothes. It's going
to be your family and friends and the things you did
together that made your life richer.''