Buddhist Ethical Views on Environmental Problems

Today, when we are living in the age of the global village that brings us closer together. But, this also means that we are facing global issues that include the threat of war, economic crises, racial conflicts, environmental degradation and natural disasters. Humanity can no longer ignore the fact that what happens on the part of the earth will create a tremendous impact on others. For example, in 2004, the Sumatran earthquake and tsunami struck Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and other Southeast Asian states. The Sichuan earthquake and Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar in 2008 shook the entire Asian continent and brought forth the love and concern of the world to their fellow human beings. It cannot be denied that the collective karma of all human beings is the main cause of both natural and human-made disasters. We must also admit that it is greed, anger, and ignorance in humanity that has produced natural disasters far beyond human resistance. Humans have pampered themselves in over-exploiting the earth's resources, thus making nature appear on us.