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Water, Environment, and Buddhism-Dr Sarah Bennett

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Water, Environment, and Buddhism-Dr Sarah Bennett WATER, ENVIRONMENT, AND BUDDHISM Dr. Sarah Bennett PhD 3/4/17 1 Background Science and Religion • Information of science (hard data) • Teachings of the religion (influence heart, spirit and soul) Time To Work Together As One 3/4/17 2 Scientists and religious leaders’ actions Examples: • Neuroscience, Mental health, Philosophy, Psychology… • Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi: (the founder/director of Buddhist Global Relief) addressed climate change at “gathering of Buddhists at the White House” May 2015 • The 14th Dalai Lama: quantum physics and Madhyamaka (中观） philosophy in India Nov. 2015 • The 17th Karmapa: environmental issues in Europe 2016 Today, my presentation will bring water, environmental issues and Buddhism together. “Cast a Brick to Attract Jade” [拋磚引玉] 3/4/17 3 Outline Part 1: Nature of Water Part 2: Water and Related Environmental Issues Part 3: Solutions From Buddhism 3/4/17 4 Part 1 Nature of Water • Water Is Life o Physical aspect o Spiritual aspect • Water on Earth o Water cycle movement o Freshwater usage facts 3/4/17 *5 Water Is Life o Physical aspect § 70% human body (and 1 trillion other life forms) § food § cloth § healthy Environment o Spiritual aspect § symbolizing wisdom (八功德水） § purifying (浴佛） § blessings (觀音柳枝灑水） § offering to cultivate virtue (密宗七個水燈 Tibetan Buddhist shrines-seven bowls) 3/4/17 6 Water on Earth Groundwater 0.74% (30.1%) FresHwater Saltwater 2.50% 97.50% Ice & Snow Lakes & Rivers 1.75% (68.7%) 0.01% (1.2%) Saltwater Ice & Snow Groundwater Lakes & River • Total 71% water on earth o 1.75% permanent ice and snow • 2.5% freshwater： o 0.74% groundwater o 0.01% lakes and rivers 3/4/17 7 Water Cycle Movement Physical processes: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, surface runoff, and subsurface flow 3/4/17 8 Precipitation (rainfall) = evaporation + condensation + infiltration + surface runoff + subsurface flow § Certain Total amount of freshwater: 10.22 million km3 (cubic kilometers) § Uneven distribution geographically: Canada, Africa… § Climate change: More uneven distribution (altered weather-patterns) 3/4/17 9 Freshwater Usage Fact Globally: • Agriculture 70%: Irrigation • Industry 20%: hydropower generation, cooling water, process water, products water, as a medium for waste disposal • Domestic 10%: drinking, cooking, washing, and sanitation 3/4/17 10 Part 2: Water and related Environmental Issues • Freshwater scarcity (quantity) • Freshwater pollution (quality) • Solutions from scientists Source: World Business Council for Sustainable Development http://www.unwater.org/downloads/Water_facts_and_trends.pdf 3/4/17 11 Freshwater Scarcity Data: *WHO/UNICEF 2014 • 1.8 billion people: Lack of safe drinking water • 2.4 billion people: Lack of sanitation • 3,900 children: die each day from dirty water or poor hygiene • 1.8 million people: die every year from diarrhea • 4 billion people: facing severe water scarcity (Science advance 2016) *WHO (World Health Organization), UNICEF(The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund) 3/4/17 12 Global Water Stress Source: International Water Management Institute (IWMI) 2006 3/4/17 13 Freshwater Scarcity in China Ø 20% of the world’s population Ø 7% of the world’s fresh water Ø 30% lakes and rivers are unfit for human use Ø 73% of the watersheds supply water to 30 fast-growing cities (Source: World Resources Institute 2016) 3/4/17 14 Major Reasons • Freshwater resources limitation: only 0.007% accessibility, highly uneven distributed geographically • Overdraw groundwater (million years to recover): 90% irrigation water (UK) • Populations growth and global trading: freshwater demand increasing • Climate Change: more uneven water distribution • Freshwater pollutions: Agriculture, industry, and human activities 3/4/17 15 Freshwater Pollution Contamination of Rivers, lakes and groundwater • Agriculture: fertilizer, pesticide, livestock manure… • Industrial pollution: industrial chemical and waste, mining, acid rain caused by air pollution, petroleum leaking (400,000 tanks leaking reports EPA US in 2001) • Human activities: fecal waste (sewage)… 3/4/17 16 Water Pollution in China Ø 33% industrial waste water Ø 90% household sewage Ø 80% cities (278) have no sewage treatment facilities • 70% rivers, lakes and waterways seriously polluted • 980 million partly, 600 million people drink water contaminated with human or animal waste (Source: Different Chinese government resources) 3/4/17 17 Freshwater Scarcity By 2050 • Populations and urbanization increasing (9.3 billion, 2 million daily 2010-2015) • Agricultural water consumption: increase 17% • Industrial use: increase 20% • Climate Change: rain-dependent agriculture down by 50% • Pollution from above: human, agriculture and industry 3/4/17 18 (Source: IWMI 2000) 3/4/17 19 Freshwater Scarcity in China By 2050 ? ? ? 3/4/17 20 Solutions from Scientists • Water integrated management: major rivers Water footprint, use *grey water for irrigation • Desalination, rainwater harvest • Waste water treatment (recycling) • Community: short shower or no water garden… Possibility ? * Clean waste water from baths, sinks, washing machines… 3/4/17 21 Truth of Freshwater Reality Water Resource < Climate change + Pollution + Demand Demanding (Populating growth) Pollution Climate Change Freshwater resource 3/4/17 22 Scientist work Government duty (provide information) (Change policy and system) Demanding: Water resource, Population growth, Climate change (data), Economic system, Reducing pollution Global food product trading, Human over consumption Room for improvement limited Need to change mindset and behavior to reduce demanding 3/4/17 23 Part 3 Solution from Buddhism • Buddhist teachings 1. The concept of nature 2. The concept of suffering (the Four Noble Truths 四圣諦) 3. The way to stop suffering (Threefold Partition 三學, the Eightfold Path 八正道) • Diagnose the root causes of freshwater crisis through Buddhist lenses • Solutions from Buddhism: Change mindset and behaviors to reduce consumption at all levels ( individual and collective) 3/4/17 24 Buddhist Teaching 1. Buddhist concept of nature 1) The ultimate nature is emptiness: Things exist by dependence upon others 2) Environment (inhabited), inhabitants are composed of same basic elements (earth, wind, fire, water and space) 3) Interdependence or Interrelationship between the environment and the inhabitants 3/4/17 25 2. Buddhist concept of suffering Four Noble Truths (四圣諦) - the first teaching of the Buddha 1) Suffering or pain (苦): • suffering of pain (苦苦): physical and mental sufferings • suffering of change (壞苦): temporary pleasure • pervasive suffering (行苦，舍受): not recognised 3/4/17 26 2) Causes of suffering (集) The three poisons § Attachment, greed (貪): endless desire physical and emotional (suffering of change, suffering of pain) § Aversion, hatred (嗔): ill will, malicious (suffering of pain) § Delusion, ignorance (痴) (three sufferings) 3/4/17 27 3) Cessation of suffering (滅) Threefold Partition (三學): • Virtue, generosity (戒) • Mind, loving-kindness (定) • Wisdom (慧) 4) Path leading to cessation of suffering (道): Eightfold Path (八正道) 3/4/17 28 3. The way to stop suffering Threefold Partition （三學）- Eightfold Path （八正道） VIRTUE （戒） Right Speech（正語） Generosity Right Action（正業） Right Livelihood（正命） MIND（定） Right Effort（正精進） Loving-kindness Right Mindfulness（正念） Right Concentration （正定） WISDOM （慧） Right View（正見） Right Intention（正思維） 3/4/17 29 Diagnosis through Buddhist lenses Freshwater crisis and environmental issues Buddhist diagnosis Freshwater scarcity Suffering of pain 苦苦 (physical Pollution suffering, recognized) Economic system, Temporary pleasure 壞苦 Global trading, (suffering from keeping the pleasure) Over consuming Boundary (selfishness) Climate Change (Ice melting in pole Not be able to see suffering in future, Areas) when does it is too late 行苦 3/4/17 30 The Solution from Buddhism Freshwater crisis and Buddhist Buddhist environmental issues diagnosis Solution Freshwater scarcity, Suffering of pain 苦苦 Virtue 戒 (right speech, Pollution (physical and emotional) right action, right livelihood) Economic system, Temporary pleasure 壞苦 Mind 定 (right effort, right Global trading, (suffering from keep the mindfulness, right Over consuming pleasure) concentration) Boundary (selfishness) Climate Change (Ice Not able to see, when does Wisdom 慧 (right view, melting on polar regions) it is too late 行苦 right intention) 3/4/17 31 Wisdom (慧) 1. Right View (正見) and Right Intention (正思維) • Information of science (hard data): climate change • Teachings of religion (influence heart, spirit and soul): No denial, think about other countries most affected To recognize the water crisis and environmental issues 3/4/17 32 Mind (定) 2. Right Effort (正精進), Right Mindfulness (正念), Right Concentration (正定) Desire is infinite, can never be satisfied. • “Reduce desire" and "satisfaction” : corporate greed • Identify what is "need", what is "want”: individual To change mind set and culture 3/4/17 33 Virtue (戒) 3. Right Speech (正語), Right Action (正業), Right Livelihood (正命) • Eexecutive power: change system and policy • People’s power: change lifestyles and government To change the way of living, stop over consumption 3/4/17 34 Compare Our Food (Water Footprint) Meat, Water footprint Percentage of total WF rice , cabbage (Liters/Kg) (%) (1996-2005) Beef 15400 67 Sheep Meat 10400 3 Pork 5990 19 Goat meat 5521 1 Chicken meat 4325 11 Paddy rice, Rice (milled) 1670, 2497 13 Cabbage 237 Source: Water Footprint Network (WFN) http://waterfootprint.org/en/resources/interactive-tools/product-gallery/ 3/4/17 35 Less Meat to Vegetarian? The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man (Charles Darwin) To become a vegetarian is to step into the stream which leads to Nirvana (Buddha) Try to cut back on how much meat we eat. Not just for our health and animal welfare, but for the environment too! (You and me) 3/4/17 36 Ultimate Solution YOU & ME Love and Compassion to each other and our planet 3/4/17 37 Thank You! 合十 3/4/17 38.
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