Buddhist view on Environment

Use of Natural Resources

The elimination of the three basic evils - greed - is central in Buddhism. As we have already seen in the centre of the Wheel of Life.

For survival, man must live in and use the naturre. To ensure a fruitful long term co-existence with nature, man n the intricate relationships of nature and exploit restraint. An over exploitation of nature will otherwise lead to suffering.

Man must thus find a way of living in symbiosis indicated in the Sigalovada Sutta, a householder wealth, as a bee collects pollen from the flowers. The bee does neither adversely affect the beauty of the flower, nor deteriorate its fragrance, while collecting the pollen which it turns into sweet honey.

In other words, man has to learn to satisfy his greed - he must learn to live in a harmonious symbiosis with nature.

Relation to animal and plant life

The Snake Chapter" presents the Buddhist prescribed practice of metta ("loving-kindness") towards all creatures of all quarters at all times without restrictions.

This attitude of metta to all creatures is fundamental to Buddhism. On the one hand, the basic code of ethics of Buddhism - the Five Precepts (panca sila) - states in the first precept that man should abstain from causing injury or taking life. Furthermore, the Buddhist view is that human beings may be reborn in subhuman states among the animals, which is illustrated in the inner circle in the Wheel of Life.

As human beings may be reborn as animals, kindness to animals (big or small) is a source of merit - merit being essential for man on his way through the cycle of rebirth in sansara in his endeavour to reach nibbana.

Open air, natural habitats and forest trees exert a special fascination to mankind and symbolises for him spiritual freedom. In Buddhism, some of the main events in the life of the Buddha took place in the open air - he was born by a tree in a garden in Kapilavatthu, he attained enlightenment by the foot of a Bodhi tree in Bodhgaya, etc.

Large trees are esteemed in Buddhism. Ironwood, sala and fig trees are recognized as the Bodhi trees of former Buddhas. The Buddha Sakyamuni attained his enlightenment under a ficus religiosa. These aspects strengthen the Buddhist deference towards trees.

The plants provide us not only with nourishment, but they also produce the oxygen necessary for our survival. We should also because of this reason develop a kind attitude towards all plants and not harm them unnecessarily.

Buddhism advocates a gentle and non-violent attitude towards the animal and vegetable kingdoms.

Attitude towards Pollution

Pollution may take many forms. The physical pollution in forms of chemicals, pesticides, waste dumps and open sores in nature have taken on such proportions, which were unheard of during the time of the Buddha. Nevertheless, there is sufficient evidence in the Pali Canon to give us an insight into the Buddhist attitude towards the pollution problem. Several Vinaya rules prohibit monks from polluting in various respects.

Noise is also one of the nuisances of modern society. In Buddhism silence is regarded as serene and noble, as it is conducive to the spiritual progress of those who are pure at heart. Silence invigorates those who are pure at heart and raises their efficiency for meditation. And on the contrary, silence overawes those who are impure with ignoble impulses of greed, hatred and delusion. The Buddha and his disciples revelled in the silent solitary natural habitats unencumbered by human activity.

Buddhism is conscious about, the evil of pollution in its various forms.

The Beauty of Nature

The beauty of nature was a source of great joy and aesthetic satisfaction for the Buddha and his disciples - as it still is today for all of us.

Nature in all its various forms may be a source of strength for "the weary spirit". This is reason enough for us to treat nature in a caring and protective manner.

The Environmental Scenario

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ("IPCC") is a scientific body with the aim to evaluate the risk of climate change caused by human activity. The IPCC was established in 1988 by two organizations of the United Nations ("UN") - the World Meteorological Organization ("WMO") and the United Nations Environment Programme ("UNEP"). The IPCC does not carry our research by itself, nor does it physically monitor climate or related phenomena. The IPCC published its fourth Assessment Report in 2007. In December of that year the IPCC shared the Nobel Peace Price together with Al Gore - the former Vice President of the United States. Some of the conclusions of the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report as regards the climate change were:

* Warming of the climate system is unequivocal;

* Most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic (human) greenhouse gas concentrations;

* Anthropogenic warming and sea level rise would continue for decades, due to the timescales associated with climate processes and feedbacks. Even if green-house gas concentrations were to be stabilized, the effects during the 21st century could be:

* World temperature rises by between 1.1-6.4 C° (2.0-11.5 °F);

* Sea level rises by some 18-59 cm (7.08-23.22 inches);

* more frequent warm spells, heat waves and heavy rainfalls (>90% probability);

* An increase in droughts, tropical cyclones and extremely high tides (>66% probability).

The IPCC stated very clearly (i.e. with a 95% certainty) in their reports that the recent deterioration in the climate is due to the apparent negative effects on nature by human activities.

The IPCC reports remove any doubt about climate change - it is occurring right now - and, unless we take rather drastic actions now and change our habits profoundly, we are heading for a disaster in the very near future.

Although time seems rapidly to be running out for us, we may still have time to rectify the situation, if the actions taken are forceful and co-ordinated. This "glimmer of hope" is exemplified by a few examples from our part of the world - Scandinavia.

Example I

Sweden's third largest lake - the Lake Malaren just west of Stockholm - had by the turn of the last century (1800/1900) very clean water. - In fact Lake Malaren was one of the sources for Stockholm of drinking water supply. By the mid-1900 the discharge of insufficiently treated sewage from surrounding municipalities and industries had turned the water of the Lake Malaren unusable - even for swimming. The Lake Malaren was about to become a dead lake. Then foresighted and coordinated actions were taken by the municipalities and industries bordering to the Lake Malaren. And in only a couple of decades, the Lake Malaren recuperated and is once again a source for drinking water supply of Stockholm.
Nature has in other words an astonishing power to recuperate from the misdeeds done by mankind.

Example II

The HELCOM (Helsinki Commission) Baltic Sea Action Plan is an ambitious programme to restore the Baltic marine environment by 2021.

The HELCOM BSAP was finally ratified by all the bordering countries to the Baltic sea on 17 January 2000 after some 25 years of preparatory work. The Baltic sea was about to die, as a result of human

activities and pollution. The Baltic sea had algal blooms, dead sea beds and depleted fish stocks. Taking on an all-embracing approach covering sewage treatment, marketing and use of chemicals, fisheries, agriculture and marine transports, the HELCOM BSAP has already showed a remarkable achievement with some 40% reduction in nitrogen and phosphorus discharges and some 40% decrease of nitrogen emissions to the air, as well as halving the discharge of some 50 hazardous substances.

But in order to once again achieve ''clear water" in the Baltic sea, the phosphorus and nitrogen inputs to the Baltic Sea must be further cut by some 42% and 28%, respectively.

And this time the cuts will be more difficult to achieve and require a continued serious effort from all the bordering countries.

Nevertheless, the HELCOM BSAP is about to stand up as an excellent example on how a serious co-operation between ten (10) different countries may be organized and implemented for the welfare of a common large environment (sea water and climate).

In fact the HELCOM BSAP is about to stand out as a good example for the UN Environmental Programme Regional Seas Programme.

Example III

The European Union ("EU") Commission proposed their energy and climate goals on 23 January 2008, subsequently to be formally decided by the EU Council of Ministries and by the EU Parliament. Some of these goals - which may be further strengthened if countries like Brazil, China, India and the USA follow suit - were as follows by year 2020:

* > 20% of the entire energy demand in the EU to be covered by renewable energies (e.g. solar power, wind power, hydro power and bio power). Sweden is required to increase its renewable energy ratio to at least 49%;

* > 10% of the energy demand from the transport sector to be covered by bio fuel;

* > 20% reduction (as compared to 1990) in the emission of anthropogenic greenhouse gases;
* > 20% higher efficiency of the energy consumption.

The European Union is wakening up and endeavouring setting a good example on the international scene.
The above examples give us good hope that - with mans participation and dedicated work - we may overcome the threat of a devastated nature caused by an over-use of nature's resources and the threat of a further deteriorating climate.