Buddhism & Climate Change

[Nigel]

Dear Dhamma Friends,

In my work life I have been learning a lot more about the problems, impacts, causes and politics of climate change. Recently I used a Google Search to find out more about how Buddhists around the world are analysing and responding to the challenges and threats of climate change. I have loaded some of the most interesting ones on the Hout Bay Theravada Buddhist Centre website Links page www.theravada.org.za/links.asp You may have some other links to recommend.

I'd like to encourage a forum here on Engaged Buddhists about people working on climate and environment issues. In particular, I am going to the UNFCCC Conference of Parties in December, in Poznan, Poland and I would like to link to other Buddhists to help share our perspectives and actions with the COP.

My email is via the Centre, [e-mail]

Yours with metta
Nigel

[Moona Perrotin]

Well said, Shane!
I am a non-meat eater by nature. But being militant for a 'good cause' is certainly not Buddhist, I think.
By the way I clicked on your page because you live in Adelaide. I and my husband Dominique have lived there too for many years. A dear friend of ours is running a Vietnamese Buddhist centre (Thien/Zen) on Womma Road. If you were interested you could go there to a meeting of English speaking meditators. It is called Upeksa Village, for more details please visit: www.uipeksavillage.org Much metta
Moona

[Shane]

Hey Moona,

Actually I do attend Upeksa Village on Saturdays, and occasionally on the Wednesday.
They have the best vegetarian meals there.
Thay has mentioned both you and your husband, and your work on the website for them.
I've added Upeksa Village to www.wikipedia.org

My Vietnamese dharma name is Giac Dinh.

They've recently converted to solar power there too. We helped label their books in the library section. We also do walking meditation as part of our practice.

www.upeksavillage.org

Shane (Giac Dinh).

[Lama Shenphen Rinpoche]

ECOLOGY OF SPIRIT
Humanotera Conference – Ljubljana 21/02/2007
Lama Shenphen Rinpoche
Buddhist Congregation Dharmaling

When we are talking about environment, and the troubles which are arising nowadays, we have no difficulty to understand that most problems are human caused. But why humans are so blind to destroy the world as they do?

The answer could be found in political decisions and actions, to increase benefits at all cost, including the cost of our health.
Another answer can also be found in how the religions are teaching their followers on this issue, the issue of environment. And Buddhism does have a significantly different approach.

Indeed, we do not place the humans as the unique center of this world, with an environment created by an almighty God with the goal to serve men and women, to be used, consumed ac-cording to tastes and wishes, sacrificed on the altar of their vanity.

Our relationship with the environmental world is set on the basis of inter¬dependence and law of causality. Whatever we do creates a cause that we will experience in return in a soon or later future; in this very life, or next. “I am creating the world in which I will live later”! This perspective creates a deep sense of responsibility.

If I am an actor of pollution, killing, and destruction, I will definitely experience the conse-quences of it. If the human justice is very flexible, manipulated, and often blind, the law of cause to effect never fails to place the result in accordance with the cause.
If I act in a positive way, I will experience a positive future. If I commit negativities, and degrade this world, I will suffer in it.

Furthermore, of course, by compassion for all beings, we understand the responsibility we have in keeping the nature healthy, and transmit it as such to the following generations. And we are taking in consideration all realm of existence, animal one and all those we usually can’t see.

As the proverb says: “We shall not do to others what we wouldn’t like to experience ourselves”; do we wish to live in a polluted world, suffering from all kind of cataclysms, consequences of our careless and selfish attitudes?
Surely not, so how could we create the causes that our children, grand-children, and all the oth-ers, will suffer this way?

Buddhism teaches to act in respect with all beings, and the environment, with which we are closely connected. We develop a genuine sense of responsibility and respect for all sentient beings, which implies to respect the environment in which we are all living, now and in the future.

We think it is very important that religious communities do show the example in this matter, not by reading Holy texts trying to prove how much they love the environment, but by actions in the daily life.
The destruction of our planets is motivated by an increasing materialism. Unfortunately, religions are often taking part in this materialism, developing greed and attachment to wealth and property, creating enterprises and giving into finances a lot of interest. How later on to preach about simplicity and ethical life? We have first to be an example, and then to teach our followers the values that we are respecting.

We promote a certain amount of objective to bring a difference in the actual situation of the World. These objectives are going from:
* creating a change in the economical systems, searching for sustainable industrial products;
* reducing the consumption of petrol, gas, coal;
* developing a more respectful agriculture, producing better quality and more healthy products;
* stopping the extension of infrastructures, preserving the natural areas;
* increasing the modes of transportation less greedy in fuel, reducing the more polluting ones;
* preserving the natural heritage, protecting the ecological functions of some areas and species;
* promoting a better prevention of health rather than curing the effects of a degraded environ-ment, limiting seriously the usage of pesticides and GMOs projects;
* encouraging researches about how to achieve a sustainable society;
* establishing as a priority at all international levels the care for ecology and resolution of actual and coming ecological threats.

We also encourage all citizens of all countries to bring awareness of the seriousness of the situation within political campaigns, requesting clear statement and actions from candidates.

Thank you.

[Nigel]

Dear Bhante and those brothers and sisters who are following this discussion,

From 1 to 14 December 2008, all of the governments of the world will be gathering in Poznan, Poland to work on agreements to replace the Kyoto Protocol and prepare for new commitments to reducing carbon emissions, improving the natural storage of carbon, reducing deforestation, and helping to educate the human race about the consequences of our unsustainable lives (notably in the West). See this website: http://www.cop14.gov.pl/index.php?lang=EN

I brought my voice to this particular website and forum to find committed Buddhists who can help share dhamma, resources, information, and strategies to transform the current situation into one that is more sustainable and accountable. I appreciate the words from all of you, and most particularly now from Lama Shenpen Rinpoche.

From our perspective in Africa, serious concerns include:
1. Rapid deforestation of the Congo Basin and East African forest complex by multinational corporations in collaboration with corrupt government officials. There will be an agreement hammered out in Poznan to reward countries that conserve natural forests (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation & Degradation - REDD). However, the current design may well reward those countries with the fastest rate of deforestation, will not make Western & Asian states responsible for the carbon and climate change implications of deforestation in Africa, and will release large amounts of money to corrupt States, without guarantees that indigenous and local peoples will be taken into account, and have their rights protected;

2. Africa will be hard hit by climate changes, notably with the drying out of the Sahara, Sahel, Rift Valley and parts of Southern Africa. Nomadic peoples, not responsible for carbon emissions, will be at grave risk, and many millions will be migrating into cities that are unable to accommodate them, risking surges in violence and human rights violations. How can African voices be heard at the UN level, and how can we shift the discussion from 'business as usual' into a discussion based on understanding kamma, and helping those who are perpertrators take responsibility for their actions? Nomadic peoples have insecure land title and rights in Africa, and yet they hold some important solutions to adapting to climate change. There are similar concerns from the Arctic, low lying island states, Central Asia, central Australia, the Andes, and so forth.

3. How do we shift the discussion from an 'economic bottom line', to a sustainability and biodiversity bottom line? Economics has been at the centre of human decision making for less than 2 centuries. A blip in time in our history. Yet, this is the hegemonic voice in the UN today. The Western states insist that ´the market´(i.e. their markets and economic habits) must be the way to find our way out of climate change, even though 'the market' is the expression of human greed, ignorance, craving and global inequities.

This faceless amoral 'market' of the few has created the vulnerability of the many, both human and non-human sentient beings. We as Buddhists are in a position to unite with other faith communities, indigenous peoples, local communities, other ways of thinking, to say that climate change decisions should be based on reducing consumption, moving away from market dynamics (as the sole solution), moving firmly towards low technology solutions, and emphasising the growth of wisdom over the growth of wealth. Most importantly we can be saying to politicians and other humans, that values other than consumption \ growth \ free trade ideologies can be at the centre of our existence and practices. What our Sangha has been practicing and teaching for 2500 is itself a fully formed solution to the negative kamma of carbon emissions. Our experience, the dhamma, is liberating, a middle way, as taught by the Buddha. Furthermore it is shared by the natural world and many non-dominant peoples.

To survive, I believe that we as Buddhists must enter into dialogue with those who hold power and set world policies and agreements. It is a responsibility at this stage.

Please continue to share your words and insights.

As a last note, we may not all agree amongst ourselves, let us keep a tone of respect and good listening between us. If your way is a vegan way, then share this. If your way is not vegan, let us not get caught in ideological positions, but accept that we all inherit our kamma. Wisdom will shine through in this dialogue.

Peacefully.

[Modgala Duguid]

Dear Nigel,
I am very glad to see this forum. Climate change is here already and it is the poorest who are suffering most! We have to do something. that is why I went to the climate camp in the UK along with other members of the Network of Engaged Buddhists. Please do look at the NEB website to find out more pan Buddhist discussions that were presented at a Climate conference in London in the summer.
I was horrified to find that in the UK there are plans to build more coal fired power stations!!!
Personally I think that the way we are raping our planet shows a disregard for the very first precept. We are causing dreadful harm to very many species of plants and animals because of our greed.
I wish you well in your endeavours. Best wishes
Modgala

[Moona Perrotin]

Dear Nigel, May you be heard at the conference in Poland! I am currently reading a book about the water crisis facing people world wide: 'When the rivers run dry' by Fred Pearce. Devastating news, but as with the financial crisis, wrong thinking and a lot of wasteage is involved. If we only started appreaciating all living beings, and appreciate the Earth as living being and water as living and trees etc etc......

[Nigel]

Hi Moona, I am back from the UN Climate Change Conference. I have hardly had time to think (though I have made time for daily meditation). The conference was in some ways a disaster. Negotiations between countries have more or less ground to a halt. The scientists were begging people to understand that we are missing all the critical deadlines for reducing emissions and accepting the new goals. I heard so many people from all over the planet talking about the living reality of climate change. It is very true that we are well and truly in this. Some of the scary moments were when senior scientists almost mad with frustration were explaining that even if we stopped all carbon emissions tomorrow we will still be dealing with extreme weather for another 1000 years, and that is not the case. I am not trying to be dramatic, you know, as a Buddhist I think I am meant to see things with open eyes, however frightening that is. The Buddha told us that greed, anger and delusion were poisons and that heedlessness would bring us only suffering. Such apparently is the case now. I'll try in the coming weeks to write something more sensible here. Maybe one last comment: I went to an inter-faith session at the Conference. It was really one of the only forums where people were talking about the real issues and real solutions. A Christian theologian was explaining how in the early climate conferences, people were so horrified by the science, and so incapable of grasping the nettle, that instead of dealing with what is primarily an issue of ethics and lifestyle, they dumped all of that and are focussing on economic and financial discussions, hoping to find a technical solution. The idea that the solution lies within us, not in some external salvation, is very hard for the negotiators to accept. Does this sound familiar? Peace to all living things and may compassion awaken wisdom in our minds, intentions and deeds.

[Modgala Duguid]

Thank you for sharing your first impressions. We do have to look reality in the eye!
We have a small new Buddhist group in London and one of the members I met at the climate camp at Kingsnorth has a lot of questions about the psychology of reactions to climate change that are very interesting. But above all the question is how to offer spaces where hearts and minds can change. the Buddha talked a lot about changing hearts and minds and that maybe is where a lot of us need to go, to think about what we can do. The Network of Engaged Buddhists UK shared a leaflet and booklet of ideas produced by a Trust in Britain that is bringing together people of different faiths in the UK to form seven year plan of living and doing things to raisde awareness and help people look at our planet differently and so make changes in their lives. Through our interfaith forum I am having a meeting at our local environmental centre to see what we can do. tonight at our little temple one of our people is giving a talk on faith and sustainability. I am thinking of running retreats that enable us to look more deeply at our environment and the issues that affect us. I am so glad that we have this space to share our concerns and our ideas for this beautful planet. Thank you much metta Modgala

[Shane]

I personally would love to get into Solar Power in a big way. Unfortunately, the initial cost is preventative.
Plus I am in public housing. So, I can't make major modifications to the home that I am in (and I'm scared the panels would get stolen). But I'd love to start small. Ie, to set something up that would power a small fan during the summer. The panels could be on my window sills (if they aren't too heavy).

But yes, I agree that human activity needs to slow down. In fact, I wish that the financial system were removed altogether (it creates division and would solve the world's problems).

[Modgala Duguid]

We are all limited in the things we would like to do! Frustrating but finding things we can do is important. and encouraging others without preaching. Doing more things as communities can save - ie coming together for meals etc. You can come here for a meal in the New Year if you are in london!
We can learn together and have fun together in our little sangha. Good wishes
Modgala

[Shane]

My little sangha is having a Christmas Eve party. While I can't afford much, I am going to at least surprise a woman, who is less fortunate than myself, with the means to support herself.

[Modgala Duguid]

sounds great. I hope you have a good celebration