In the essay "A Planet for the Taking," David Suzuki describes
Canadians' odd appreciation for this great natural bounty we call our own. He
is an internationally acclaimed scientist who is concerned about the welfare of
Canada. Suzuki's intended audience is the Canadian population that does not
realize the grave danger they are instilling upon themselves by haphazardly
taking our resources without looking at the subsequent repercussions of their
actions. The essay is persuasive and informative. He compares various facets
of science and gives reasons why none of these fields can explain why we are
destroying nature.
The organization of the essay supports the author's views well. It
begins with general opinions about the Canadian population and is followed by
more detailed explanations. The general opinions in the beginning are well-
chosen considering the audience. Suzuki's tone is evident when he states "We
have both a sense of the importance of the wilderness and space in our culture
and an attitude that it is limitless and therefore we needn't worry." These
words suggest that we are willing to reap the rewards of our vast resources but
we fail to see the harm that we are doing, and will continue to do if we do not
stop these actions.
Although his approach for explaining his beliefs changes, Suzuki's tone
of great concern remains consistent throughout the essay. After his views are
presented, Suzuki begins to tell us what we have done to our country and how we
are destroying it. Present day Canadians are compared to native Canadians which
successfully serves its purpose in illustrating how, for centuries, people lived
off the natural resources in Canada. With the development of science and
technology, we have developed better ways of mass harvesting resources but these
methods are taking at a faster rate than nature can sustain. Science suggests
means of replacing these resources we are taking but there is no quick
replacement for ecosystems that have taken thousands of years to evolve.
Following his explanations of how we have destroyed nature, Suzuki
discusses science and how society deals with it, "I believe that in large part
our problems rest on our faith in the power of science and technology." This
statement and the following sentences are used to describe how people deal with
great developments in science and technology. Because there have been so many
great advances in these fields in the past century, people are comfortable
placing their faith in science though scientists are still ...