[EcoDharma] Healthy diet, climate sustainability, and Zen

[filippo.dibari]

Thank you Fillipo. I am quite interested in this topic. My family and I started making changes to our diet over ten years ago largely driven by our decision to try to limit our bio-footprint when it came to consumption of food. Over the years we have increased our number of meatless meals and tried to eat more locally produced goods.

I look forward to the discussion here.


Tairin
Sat today and lah

Are you a flexitarian? How are the changes you noticed in your practice? Is it an ideological change or spiritual?

[filippo.dibari]

Hi fellow foodie and nice to meet you. I think your line of work is extremely valuable and necessary and I am sure you have a great deal to teach me - I look forward to it! I am pretty interested in the topic of world hunger, diets centered around vegetables more than mean and sustainable food consumption.

[emoji1374] SatToday lah

Dear Jakeb,

Interestingly the Lancet Report highlights that world hunger, climate change and ....individual choices are all interlinked one another. Therefore must be watched and addressed simultaneously. Each one can contribute on daily basis if we wish to be serious in this topic.

As Bodhisatva do we need to take a stand?

Gasho Shogyo

[Bion]

Dear Jakeb,

Interestingly the Lancet Report highlights that world hunger, climate change and ....individual choices are all interlinked one another. Therefore must be watched and addressed simultaneously. Each one can contribute on daily basis if we wish to be serious in this topic.

As Bodhisatva do we need to take a stand?

Gasho Shogyo

I think taking a stand is unavoidable when realizing that our personal choices impact the lives of others in profound ways. One of us doing things right won’t change entire industries, but many ONES together might just make a difference. In the meantime, I can make sure I do my best on my own and while I might not be able to end world hunger on my own, I can support projects like the UN’s World Food Program and actively participate by donating, using platforms like Seva Search to indirectly contribute economically to WFP etc ... I can also educate myself on alternatives to traditional diets, on ways to help fight climate change and also help educate others, if not in a direct way, than just by the power of my own example. As long as there is the smallest thing I can do to be of service to others, I will find ways to do it.

Ran long again, sorry everyone!

[emoji1374] SatToday

[Naiko]

Thank you for starting this discussion. This is a topic of interest and I am always trying to learn more so I can make better choices. I fear that the climate crisis is going to severely impact both food and water security, in some areas much sooner than others. I personally relate this topic to the Three Pure Precepts, asking myself what harm is created in my actions—what results in the least harm/most good?
Gassho,
Krista
st

[Tairin]

Are you a flexitarian? How are the changes you noticed in your practice? Is it an ideological change or spiritual?

I don’t label my approach to food consumption but yes “flexitarian” would describe it. We tend to just say “meat reduced”. The changes in diet predate my Zen practice by a number of years but I do see them as supporting each other. Initially the change was for moral reasons I.e. to reduce our impact on the environment. Part of that is certainly “spiritual “ in the sense that we take what we need but try to not be excessive or wasteful. I do recite the Meal Gatha and say thanks for each meal. I know it is a gift. We do compost all our waste which I then use in our garden so feeding the earth as well as all the critters that forage through the compost. It doesn’t go to landfill in plastic bags which is important to us as well.

Sorry for more than 3 sentences


Tairin
Sat today and lah

[Ryumon]

Interestingly the Lancet Report highlights that world hunger, climate change and ....individual choices are all interlinked one another. Therefore must be watched and addressed simultaneously. Each one can contribute on daily basis if we wish to be serious in this topic.

Unfortunately, the idea that individuals can have much of an effect on climate change is mostly greenwashing created by oil companies. This is not to say that we shouldn't care, but our actions have minimal effect.

https://theconversation.com/climate-change-focusing-on-how-individuals-can-help-is-very-convenient-for-corporations-108546

Do you know what percentage of CO2 output is caused by cement and concrete manufacture? I'll let you look it up...

Gassho,

Kirk

sat

[Bion]

Unfortunately, the idea that individuals can have much of an effect on climate change is mostly greenwashing created by oil companies. This is not to say that we shouldn't care, but our actions have minimal effect.

https://theconversation.com/climate-change-focusing-on-how-individuals-can-help-is-very-convenient-for-corporations-108546

Do you know what percentage of CO2 output is caused by cement and concrete manufacture? I'll let you look it up...

Gassho,

Kirk

sat

I’d rather have even a minimal effect than do nothing because “big companies”

[Risho]

I don't think that's the point. In engineering we have a concept of "root cause". I'm sure this is used in other sciences as well. If a solution does not address the root cause, it's just not effective. So instead of spending time and effort on very inefficient ways of addressing things that don't really solve anything - and often have a ton of hidden cost and taxes, not to mention absolutely destroy our competitiveness in the marketplace when we are by far not the lead cause of these issues - we should focus our creativeness and ingenuity on real solutions.

So it's also not that these aren't real problems - it's that we need to focus on real solutions. That's all. And we have a big role to play in finding a solution. I am very confident we will; we have a ton of intellect, and we can solve this. But this whole "discipline" has turned into a religious cult of its own or "Secta" -> I really like that word. lol

There's no need for emotion with these types of issues; it doesn't help. It takes the focus away from actually learning the hard skills necessary to solve these problems, but I'm optimistic we will and we can.

Gassho

Risho
-stlah

Apologies for being inefficient in my speech and going over 3 sentences; it probably has a root cause in my egoistic need of always being right.

[Margherita]

I would be interested in knowing how we can help more our lives and our beautiful world as well. What little we can do, maybe we should do it. But, as Kirk was saying, unfortunately it does not depend that much from each individual (but it doesn't mean we have to stop trying), there are a few companies that need to look at their policies regarding CO2 emissions and change them asap. This article was from a year ago: https://www.theguardian.com/environm...rbon-emissions

As for each of us, I believe most of us simply eat too much, I certainly do. I reduced my plate portion on certain things like pasta and rice, but I can't help myself with many other things, it's a struggle.

Gassho,
Mags
ST

[Ryumon]

The only thing individuals can do is put pressure on governments. No amount of recycling (oh, btw, most plastic isn't recycled), eating vegan, or turning the lights off makes much of a difference. We need to be realistic and worry about things we can change. Instead of thinking about specific food choices because of climate change, think about them because they can foster community, make things cleaner locally, and have an impact on the way individuals eat. The big companies developed the idea of the "carbon footprint" to make individuals feel guilty; don't feel guilty, do what you can on a local level.

https://mashable.com/feature/carbon-footprint-pr-campaign-sham/

Gassho,

Kirk

sat

[Bion]

I would be interested in knowing how we can help more our lives and our beautiful world as well. What little we can do, maybe we should do it. But, as Kirk was saying, unfortunately it does not depend that much from each individual (but it doesn't mean we have to stop trying), there are a few companies that need to look at their policies regarding CO2 emissions and change them asap. This article was from a year ago: https://www.theguardian.com/environm...rbon-emissions

As for each of us, I believe most of us simply eat too much, I certainly do. I reduced my plate portion on certain things like pasta and rice, but I can't help myself with many other things, it's a struggle.

Gassho,
Mags
ST

There are many ways we can contribute, and Shogyo can confirm that, as he is personally involved in projects meant to ACTUALLY help individuals. Sure, we won’t change systematic flaws quickly BUT until we can tackle the root of the problem we can help in small ways. I’d compare this with our current COVID crisis: sure, until they find and distribute a vaccine, we won’t eradicate the issue, but until that happens, small gestures like washing our hands, using gel, wearing our face coverings, keeping the distance, really help in managing the situation. Imagine if we all said: well, since wearing a mask won’t eliminate the virus, I’m not gonna wear it. Let the government fix the problem.. [emoji3526]

[emoji1374] SatToday lah ( ran long again.. so sorry guys)

[Doshin]

Dear Zen practitioner,

I am a Zen practitioner, a foodie, a nutritionist, and i work in the area of linkages between food systems and climate change.

If you are interested in sharing anything related to healthy diets, climate change and Zen precepts, please, write here: am looking for people with similar interests in the Sangha.

Gassho

Shogyo

Hello Shogyo

I just found this thread and agree the topic is important. As already indicated the ethics and health of food choices is an area of great debate (and controversy) and maybe reserved for other threads. However approaching food systems from an environmental perspective is rich for good discussion. Having worked on agricultural environmental issues nationally and always at a landscape scale there is much that an individual can add and a great need for change in National policies. A paradigm shift is needed. Regenerative agriculture intrigues me and I would like to learn more.

Shogyo I am sorry the discussion appears to have ended and if you still participate in the Sangha I hope you will continue the dialogue so we all can learn and see where we can suggest policy changes as informed global citizens as well as make individual choices that become consequential as more do the same,

Doshin
St