Severn Cullis-Suzuki gave this speech at the UN Earth Summit of 1992, when she was only 12 years old. Most of us are familiar with her father, environmentalist David Suzuki. I could not believe this video was 18 years old and I had never come across it before. The message is more timely than ever. It’s interesting looking back and wondering if Severn’s message resonated with our world leaders. I definitely think more people are aware of the environmental issues at hand, but many people do not seem to care. This is just my take on Los Angeles. Standing back and watching my community and really seeing if people are doing the simple things, like bringing a reusable bag to the grocery store, can be discouraging. When I am interacting with friends and customers who visit my store, a different picture emerges. But sometimes we have to leave our bubble in order to make a real assessment, and the picture can be dismal at times. I am still optimistic and continue to do my part, as I know others in my community and around the world are doing as well. All our small steps WILL add up.

Severn Cullis-Suzuki personally wrote the entire speech. My hero!

Tags: david Suzuki, environmental issues, Severn Suzuki, UN Earth Summit of 1992