Climate change, or global warming, hasn’t been receiving much attention in the national media these days, but this doesn’t mean that the problem has been licked. Far from it. Climate change may indeed be the most serious crisis facing the world today. Unlike a cyclone or earthquake, however, climate change does not break suddenly; rather, it increases gradually, almost imperceptibly, and thus its full impact probably won’t become apparent for decades. Nevertheless, if we are to prevent the worst consequences, we have to start working on it now, otherwise we will have to face sheer catastrophe.
Does Buddhism have anything to contribute to our understanding of global warming? And can it offer any remedies? In this lecture Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi will look at global warming from a Buddhist point of view, exploring its causes and explaining how Buddhism might offer an antidote.
Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi, born in New York, has been a Buddhist monk since 1972. He is a world-renowned scholar and has translated many Buddhist texts from the Pali Canon into English. In recent years, he has turned his attention to the issue of world poverty. In 2008, together with his students, he founded “Buddhist Global Relief” (BGR) to assist people throughout the world afflicted with chronic hunger. BGR has launched almost twenty projects in South Asia, Central Asia, and Africa.