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E
nvironment
:
legal
and
ethical
issues
how wisdom can be cultivated so that greed can be curbed.
He pointed out that in Buddhism there are two types of
consumption, consumption with greed and consumption
with wisdom. Consumption with greed involves an exces-
sive demand for materials such as food, which can lead to
obesity. Consumption with wisdom, on the other hand,
will reject the necessity of those needs. It will pose ques-
tions such as, what is enough? What are the qualities of the
materials to be consumed? Andmost important of all, what
is not necessary? In Pali this is called ‘bhojanemattaññu (tā)’
or ‘knowing the proper consumption’. At the same time, he
noted that human beings and society could attain happi-
ness by training the mind. Coincidentally, this viewpoint
has been supported by research work on neuroplasticity
that was carried out at the University of Wisconsin. Brains
from average people were scanned and compared to that of
the highly trained Lama – the Venerable Matthieu Ricard
– also known as the world’s happiest man. The results
revealed a highly balanced and happy brain, even though he
lived simply and modestly. Therefore, the solution to envi-
ronmental problems may not be dependent on technology
and institutional re-arrangements alone, but also on train-
ing the mind. In addition, the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change has proposed lifestyle
change as a solution to climate change. This can be achieved
more easily if rich people stop acquiring more and believe
they can attain happiness with less material accumulation.
GSEI has focused its efforts on pursuing good govern-
ance and environmental sustainability through the
application of oriental wisdom. GSEI action research
is our global atmosphere. Climate change problems occur as a result of an
accumulation of CO
2
that began in the middle of the nineteenth century.
In terms of historical emission, as estimated by the World Resource
Institute in 2005, the developed countries–mainly the United States and
Europe – account for 76 per cent of accumulated CO
2
; these nations have
already utilized three-quarters of our atmospheric CPR. International
agreements have pushed many developed nations into pursuing emis-
sion reduction goals. In reality, their emissions are partly reduced by
offshoring or outsourcing their production elsewhere. For example,
between 1990 and 2008, based on figures from the UnitedKingdom(UK)
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, GHG emissions
from UK production decreased by 14 per cent, whereas GHG emissions
from UK consumption increased by almost 20 per cent. Unsustainable
consumption is another problem. The Global Footprint Network found
that between 1961 and 2007, the world consumption level would require
1.5 earths to sustain itself in terms of the use of natural resources. There
is clearly an excess demand with respect to the limited supply available
for humanity. The source of current global dilemmas can be traced to
excess greed and heightened consumerism. In his book, The Price of
Civilization, Jeffrey Sachs stated that given the neuroplasticity of the
brain, constant stimulus through media and advertisements may lead
to addiction to certain material objects. From an early age, our younger
generations are bombarded by images and stimuli that induce an endless
need to consume. This reflects what Mahatma Gandhi said: “The world
has enough for everyone’s need but not enough for everyone’s greed.”
Contemporary economics theory views greed as an inevitable trait
of human nature that cannot be curbed. Therefore, the mainstream
approach usesmarket and institutional mechanisms as well as technology
to fix the problems. These conditions may be necessary but insufficient.
In fact, the works of Venerable P.A. Payutto, based on Buddhism, explain
Achieving climate change mitigation through combining local wisdom and scientific knowledge is key
Image: GSEI