SuttaCentral
Heh! Yes. If the climate crisis does manage to get fixed, all the deniars will be saying that there wasn’t a problem in the first place, and the next generation will probably buy it, and so learn nothing from it. Such is the nature of success in these cases I guess. I’m still surprised it only took a couple of decades for it to decay to this. I thought I had a better handle on impermanence, but apparently not.
Fantastic news!
Ye have little faith Bhante. No disrespect.
It is something that should concern everyone with conviction in rebirth.
I don’t believe everything Eastern religions have to say about rebirth, but it “feels” like enough of a possibility to me, personally, to be worrisome.
And to extend the analogy, you also need to consider intersectionality.
I’m a young person from a big rich country. Young Maldivians were more vulnerable even without climate change, and they are going to literally lose their country.
It is essentially a transfer of wealth. Populations now get the benefit, future generations will have their wealth expropriated and transferred to bondholders. It is a clear example of taking that which is not given.
In my experience, the people most willing to sacrifice present pleasures for for well-being of future generations s are not children but parents.
True!
Also true!
See also re. bhikkhuni ordination.
Who cares?
That type of people will never admit they were wrong.
There is no return on trying to reason them out of positions they did not arrive at by reason.
It is much more effective to use our resources to out vote them.
Bhante, what I have observed over many years and especially between 2007-2012 when I was actively promoting climate awareness and action in the Buddhist community, mainly via Buddhist Council and Faith Ecology Network, is that majority of people, old and young, are willing to sign petitions, but are just lazy (subject to a hindrance ‘thinamiddha’) to change their own lifestyle. In addition to this, very few are really self-motivated. Majority are quite happy to listen and talk so they know more about the global situation, but then they look out to leaders to solve the issues for them without themselves having to change much. I think behind this laziness and lack of self-motivation, is just not recognizing any real dangers for themselves or their children in the near future, or in the next 20-50 years, let alone recognizing any real dangers for themselves regarding rebirth back here on Earth.
Bhante, I will be happy to read your long-term observations on this, whatever they may be. I also welcome others response, especially those who have also been aware and actively engaged in climate action for at least a few years.
About 10 years ago, when I coordinated Buddhist Council Eco-living project, after having given various presentations, I designed a booklet for individuals and organizations/groups to help themselves. While we distributed about 100 at Vesak event in 2011, I ended up leaving my role a year later feeling deeply disenchanted. Now, that the Climate Change signs are more clearly visible, perhaps more Buddhist leaders, middle-aged and young will be willing to place actions to help end climate change and pollution on the list of their priorities and above religious rituals and ceremonies.
Please find enclosed here that booklet, although slightly edited in 2012. I first designed it just for myself to help myself, and only later I adapted it for others, after I felt tired of repeating the same message. While some of the reference weblinks are now out of date, the contents are perennial and remain relevant. I trust that you and others reading this topic will find at least some things in it useful.
May all beings be freed from unnecessary suffering. 
BCNSW Eco_Sustainable_Communities_ Workbook_short.pdf (90.0 KB)
Your are quite right, Dana, and if there is a silver lining here, it is that Australia is very much an outlier. People in Europe and the US are much more aware of the issues, even if, especially in the US, the country is deeply divided. Those such as yourself with a background in sciences can see more clearly, and your voice is needed more than ever.
But still it remains the case that few people are ready to contemplate making any changes of significance, and the entire political process is designed to keep it that way; to tell people that they can continue to have everything they want, without having to pay the cost.
Even Buddhists. Just read this provocative essay on the ethics of consuming less:
http://www.thedancewebsite.org/wp-content/uploads/CCEFOG19.pdf
Yes, and the last Zoom of SECP 2030 on “How do we know things” made me realise the limitations of organisations and Zoom meetings as vehicle for change. I contributed a question by typing it in the Chat, and it was intended for all on the discussion panel, as well as the organisers. I simply asked 'What criteria do you use to chose social media platforms and if you use Facebook why did you choose it?" Bu it was ignored, passed over - an easy strategy to avoid replying to uncomfortable questions.
Just a nitpick, but the emissions he quotes, which depict the US as significantly more than Australia, appear to be inaccurate or out of date (2013).
Currently Oz is riding high with 17.1 tonnes co2/person/year, while the US scrapes by on a measly 15.52.
Indeed. I think it was written in 2013? 
I’m happy to share a similar but more up-to-date essay if you have one handy? 
and there is a short video ‘Story of Stuff’, with a cartoon of governments and corporations supporting each other in more consumption.
32 year old here.
I am just waiting for more people to be vegan and then unabashedly be super pro vegan.
As it is, I just managed to remain vegan even as a Theravada monk. However, I am told to accept meat even when offered, just don’t eat it. I am told to not demand no meat, only tell the donors that I am vegan if asked.
Who’s vegan here? Can like this comment to tell me. If you are not a vegan yet, don’t like this comment. Then I can get a sense of how much support and hope is there for the future.
I feel long ago that the issue of climate change is urgent enough that people should behave like Peta, directly invade all spaces to promote veganism for environment. However, as it is, there’s still a lot of social unacceptablilty of such actions. People will generate aversion and it hurts the movement.
So we go slow, slowing cooking our earth up.
And should I just interrupt senior monks who keep on saying that there’s no need to be vegan as a Buddhist, that all humans, not Buddhists should be vegan in this day and age?
So many social boundaries to respect, how to do effective climate actions? I just do my part, I am already a well known vegan promoter in many circles I come into, without being pushy. I rarely meet another vegan monk. Who’s turn it is to step up and be pro vegan in action and speech?
That is wonderful that you can maintain health on a vegan diet. I tried but had soon found it unsustainable, maybe due to European biological heritage - evolutionary dependence on high calcium and protein from cows. But I was a vegetarian for about 45 years, until 5 years ago, when I started again experiencing signs of malnutrition. Since then I include a piece of fish occasionally, local sustainably harvested, for a more balanced diet and also social reasons. To minimise harm to others I eat no more than needed, and local, minimally processed food. A friend of mine, almost a vegan, takes B12 injections - not a natural way of maintaining health. Also, vegan diet is not sustainable in extreme climates - it would involve lots of food imports and climate impacts along the way.
But I think it is great that some people, like you, take it up, and so can show medical science that it is possible to easily remain healthy that way even for many years and into an advanced old age. That can help open up a way for many people to reduce and give up meat eating where practically possible.
Still no likes on my previous comment. Oh well, it’s always better to rely on economics to move people rather than abstract ideals.
Climate change is finally making an impact on the economy. The age of abundance is over. It would be interesting to investigate what does this means for Buddhism in general.
Going forward, it’s much better to reuse existing buildings, structures than to raise money to build new temples and monasteries.
Coming few years, more and more people would want to renounce as the standard of living is dropping, no future of increasing income, things always get more expensive. Some people might see no point in continuing the rat race and got forced to drop off.
Some of these coming to ordain may be pure in motivation, some might just want to have a nice life while there’s still rich donors. It becomes more urgent to vet the incoming applicants to see their motivations. I suspect that the earlier batches would have more people who are sincere, and the later batches would have less.
Meat prices might go up, once governments realize that subsidizing meat is not worth the money spent. This would drive a lot of people to become involuntary vegan.
Poverty would not come suddenly (unless the country goes into war for resources) but in stages. Greatest impact maybe psychological as people adjust to minimalist lifestyle. This might be one of the areas where Buddhism can help in the transition towards a no growth, or even negative growth economy paradigm.
Just FYI, the medical consensus is that a plant based diet is the healthiest and the less animal products a population eats, the less health problems they have and the longer they live.
https://nutritionfacts.org/ is a great resource for evidence based nutrition science for anyone interested 
I’ve liked it now!
Vegan is the best!
What do we actually have control over other than our own choices. I personally dont have any road map for how things will work out but i have faith that it will be good as i try to live my life well. We are not living for 10 years in this present day so the end of the world senerio docent seem to be happening yet. We have buddhism in the world and lots of people feel inspired enough to make changes in their life because of it. I think theirs hope here if we stay true to our best qualitys. I personally think most people of my generation would jump ship to skillful ways of living if there was a manifest world out there to go to. Its just the infuencial people who look good often sweetly encourage a path of destruction.
Dont underestimate what the BSWA and others are doing. People are finding refuge in these places and building better lives because of it. I notice when people critisise religion or religious leaders they often miss out buddhism and the buddha.
Its inspiration that pulls us towards light.
Weve got a great resource here. Maybe the next step is to build real world meet ups so its easy to meet trust worthy people in the world from these platforms. If i knew people who i could gel with in the real world i could build real world realationships and through that start to create refuges for me and people around me where we can create our society to make living the buddhas teaching easy.
It does seem to all be out of control though. So thats why i dont think control is helpful. Inspiration and a world to act it out might be a more effective medicine.
The BSWA is viewed across the world. Is there a way people could find others who take inspiration for the videos so they can meet up in their own area to say watch the friday night videos together? Its a heck of a way to travel to australia every week for the community vibes.