Why I love David Suzuki

Yeah so America's got Bill McKibben and 360.org, and that President Obama guy. Canada's got David Suzuki. If you've ever visited a Canadian city, chances are you've seen David. If you don't immediately recognize him as a famous host and broadcaster from the CBC, you'll know him as the face that hangs on Subway walls and a big smile beaming at you from the back of buses. Suzuki isn't selling toothpaste or funky wire glasses in those goofy public service ads. He is hawking the future, one energy efficient light bulb at a time. And that, my friends, is why I love him. There is a myth out there that matters of conservation and efficiency are deadly serious and very complicated. We beg to differ, and Suzuki is proof that we're not alone. (Or we're proof that he's not).

David Suzuki's mission is a simple one.  He wants to save the earth. He's a smart guy, and has figured out he can't do it alone. So he's reaching out to us, all of us, to help in his energy conservation efforts. He's even got a sign up sheet. It's for Canadians, but we're open-minded sorts.

In a sense, Suzuki's not on to anything new.  Afterall, we talk about phantom energy, energy efficient appliances, energy efficient light bulbs, and insulation at Energy Circle. Shoot, we even talk about going outside for a run. What Suzuki brings to this issue is his humor and his humanity. He makes the case that increasing home energy efficiency is not a Herculean task. It's just another aspect of being a responsible human. His best advocates, not surprisingly, are the ones who will benefit most if he succeeds: Kids.  The genius in this Powerwise ad is the indignation of kids, and this:  Instead of asking kids to sit at his table, Suzuki goes to theirs - the treehouse:

And then he comes to my tree house- the beer fridge. He makes a point we've been trying to make for a long time in just under a minute: You are not saving any money by failing to replace your old refrigerator. In fact, you are wasting money.  What you do with the money you save by doing away with an old energy hog is your choice:

In his aw, shucks way, Suzuki makes a point much bigger than beer (and yes, that's saying something): Anyone can make a home more energy efficient. Anyone. Even you. It's the little stuff that matters, and it's stuff we can all do.  David Suzuki has got it right. That's all. This is just a little shout out to somebody who's on the right track. Truth is, we think he's right. We can save the world one (tree) house at a time.