[EcoDharma] Are we Destroying the Earth

[Doshin]

Alina,

I understand your point. In the EcoDharma threads over the last few years I have also lamented the three poisons (anger, greed and ignorance) and how to get past those major obstacles to a biologically diverse and sustainable world. However we have the technology and knowledge to achieve what is needed but the human problem lies in front of that vision. My career dealt with both the positive and negative each day. I have been told by friends I was wasting my time trying to fix the unfixable as they chose not to bring children into the world. I knew if all hope was lost the fears of what would come would come. My state of mind was contingent on a small ember of hope inside.

My sense of the book is that the author is hopeful for maybe the same reasons I was for the past half century. The things she identifies that need to be fixed are the things that are the hardest to fix for the reasons you list. She is young and the future is hers so I understand.

Doshin
Stlah

[Jundo]

This is what I was referring to in my comment above. No one seems to have an answer for the human-profit-driven-behavior problem in the whole climate change discussion, since very few are willing to yield.

Well, I propose a possible treatment for this illness which may soon become available, ways to moderate our endless compulsions to consume and consume, and to significantly increase human empathy so that we would no more wish strangers to live and play in a trash dump of a world than we would our own children to live in such a world ... by rewiring human nature to see strangers as our brothers and children.

In my view, until human nature is adjusted in such ways, leaving behind the hunger, violence and selfishness of the jungle, all conversations about "what to do" are of limited worth.

Here is my presentation on such issues ...

My Interview: Imperfect Buddha Podcast

https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?22598-My-Interview-Imperfect-Buddha-Podcast

Gassho, Jundo

stlah

[Doshin]

If we wait until the mind is re-engineered and our nature is changed by technologies there will be less left to be concerned about. And what is left will still need the same efforts that millions of good people around the earth are undertaking each day to restore and protect. And I agree that the battle is not being won

But if it is perceived here that “what to do” is but a cerebral exercise of limited worth then it is not worthy to carry the conversation on

Doshin
Stlah

[Jundo]

If we wait until the mind is re-engineered and our nature is changed by technologies there will be less left to be concerned about. And what is left will still need the same efforts that millions of good people around the earth are undertaking each day to restore and protect. And I agree that the battle is not being won

But if it is perceived here that “what to do” is but a cerebral exercise of limited worth then it is not worthy to carry the conversation on

Doshin
Stlah

It is a race against time, for sure.

In the meantime, we must continue to try to bail out the sinking boat with our teaspoons, yelling for the deaf captains to take action.

I thought about this just this very morning, as I sorted my plastics for recycling ... a drop in the bucket, putting the burden on the consumer as if that will save the world ... when the real issue is that industry and regulators must make radical changes in manufacturing and packaging away from our dependency on plastics.

But until we truly change human nature, there will not be the radical changes we need (unless, of course, the earth is then in such crisis that even the industrialists and politicians will finally be forced to act.) Hopefully, we will be able to change human nature in time.

In the meantime, let us keep bailing and sorting and yelling at the captains ...

... For many of us, it seems as though the wealthiest people in the world are constructing a different universe, with their own taxes and banks and legal systems, and they will not be handing their private jets over either, thank you very much. Yes, vast numbers of us do want to work towards the beautiful sustainable society that Ritchie has in mind. But there are other groups, fuelled by anger or fear or greed, that really do not, and Ritchie does not suggest any tools we can use to get round that colossal obstacle ...

https://www.theguardian.com/books/20...climate-crisis

Gassho, Jundo

stlah

[Alina]

If we wait until the mind is re-engineered and our nature is changed by technologies there will be less left to be concerned about. And what is left will still need the same efforts that millions of good people around the earth are undertaking each day to restore and protect. And I agree that the battle is not being won

But if it is perceived here that “what to do” is but a cerebral exercise of limited worth then it is not worthy to carry the conversation on

Doshin
Stlah

I don't think we need to wait to re-engineer humanity for things to change, just get to work and focus that work on changes that are not welcomed by all, but by many for sure. Young people want a future, they may not see it now, but I'm pretty sure that they'd work for the necessary changes if they had the chance. Big social changes have happened in the past when enough people wanted them, and were ready for them, and had had enough of what had always been. That's why I like this thread, about a book about climate change that is hopeful. We need to believe that we can bring about good to make it happen.
Sorry to run long.

Gassho [emoji120]
Alina
stlah

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

[Jundo]

Well, perhaps it will need to be a fast race ...

U.N. climate chief says two years to save the planet

LONDON/BRUSSELS, April 10 (Reuters) - Governments, business leaders and development banks have two years to take action to avert far worse climate change, the U.N.'s climate chief said on Wednesday, in a speech that warned global warming is slipping down politicians' agendas.
Scientists say halving climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 is crucial to stop a rise in temperatures of more than 1.5 Celsius that would unleash more extreme weather and heat.

Yet last year, the world's energy-related CO2 emissions increased to a record high. Current commitments to fight climate change would barely cut global emissions at all by 2030.

Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change said the next two years are "essential in saving our planet".

"We still have a chance to make greenhouse gas emissions tumble, with a new generation of national climate plans. But we need these stronger plans, now," he said. https://www.reuters.com/world/un-cli...et-2024-04-10/

I guess he did not read Hannah Ritchie's book.

Gassho, J

stlah

[Jundo]

Connecting with this discussion, I just posted this ...

[FutureBuddha] TV Recommendation: A Brief History of the Future (PBS)

https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?22621-FutureBuddha-TV-Recommendation-A-Brief-History-of-the-Future-%28PBS%29

I would like to recommend a new 6-part documentary series from American public television, PBS ...

It is an optimistic (but no "rose colored glasses" either ) introduction to work and insights by various researchers, architects, urban planners, agriculturalists, psychologists, biologists, conservationists and the like around the world, hosted by a noted 'futurist' (the son of a WW2 Holocaust survivor) hoping for a better world.

Each episode does offer a message of hope ... if we make the right choices ... if great hurdles can be overcome.

I recommend it to all who believe that our world situation, although dire, has rays of light.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IvlY63h2dg

The series is available here, although there may be geographic limits.

https://www.pbs.org/video/beyond-the-now-ft4j2u/

Gassho, Jundo

stlah

[Doshin]

Began the series this evening.

“Action is the antidote to despair.” ~ Edward Abbey


Doshin
Stlah

[Doshin]

Chapter 2 Air Pollution

Since it is Earth Day let’s start with the good news. When I was growing up in the 1950s and 1960s I would dread the trip to see relatives in southern California. It was grey and moody due to air pollution. In the 1970s and 1980s we were concerned about acid rain and the thinning of the ozone layer. I drove through southern California a decade or two ago and I saw blue skies and realized there were mountains and hills surrounding the freeways and development. The world came together and solved the acid rain and ozone challenges. The author goes to length to celebrate these successes which came about because people wanted their government to find solutions.

Although many breath cleaner air than their parents, air pollution is still a major problem worldwide. The author points out that air pollution is still one of the biggest causes of respiratory, cardiovascular, stroke and lung cancer. Millions of people die each year due to air pollution. So, there is still much work to be done.

As discussed in this Chapter, air pollution comes from burning things. And humans have been burning things for hundreds of thousands of years. But there were few of us and that adage “the solution to pollution is dilution” made sense back then. Now there are billions of us, so dilution is not the path.

The author states at the end of this Chapter that she believes air pollution (and biodiversity loss which I already discussed above) are things we should “stress about.” Her recommendations to address air pollution follow below and in the book, she discusses them;

• Give everyone access to clean cooking fuels
• End winter crop burning
• Which is the cleanest car to drive?
• Drive less; cycle, walk and take public transport
• Ditch fossil fuels for renewables and nuclear

People can make this happen. It was the people of Beijing who demanded their government improve air quality of one of the most air polluted cities in the world. In a matter of a decade the air greatly improved.

Doshin
stlah

[Alina]

Thank you Doshin.

Drive less; cycle, walk and take public transport

I'd love to be able to embrace this one in particular (I did most of my life) but where I live now there is no public transport, and sometimes not even sidewalks to go where I have to. My hope is that more and more people will start demanding it (though that means letting go of the convenience of driving your own car...) so that it becomes possible.


Gassho
Alina
stlah

[Doshin]

Hello Sangha,

A question for you (and feel free to message me), is this Thread helpful for you? I see there over a thousand views but only a few comments. If you find my summaries and the input of others here of value I will gladly Carry On! Just do not want to be filling the digital room unnecessarily and be annoying If you have suggestions to improve efforts/format please share.


Doshin
Stlah

[Tairin]

Hi Doshin

As far as I am concerned this thread is helpful so please carry on. For my part I read a lot of what is posted here at a Treeleaf but I don’t always feel I have much meaningful to add to the conversation. I also try to abide by the 3 sentence guidance.


Thank yo for all you do here.


Tairin
Sat today and lah

[Alina]

Hello Doshin,

I am one of the ones commenting, so this may be a bit redundant, but I wanted to say that I really appreciate that you are sharing this book with us. I look forward to each new chapter, I've been very worried about everything related to climate change for a few years so having the chance of learning more from a professional in the subject and getting feedback is beyond awesome.

[emoji120]
Gassho
Alina
stlah

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

[Houzan]

Yes, it is helpful and interesting.
Thank you for doing this [emoji120]

Gassho, Hōzan
Satlah

[Jenny A]

Yes, please do carry on. I agree it is helpful and interesting. I am following the thread even if I don't comment. Thank you for sharing this book with us.

Gassho,

jenny
stlah