The Program of the 7^th Round of Interfaith Dialogue between

The Centre for Interreligious & Intercultural Dialogue

 Of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization and

The Korean Conference of Religions for Peace

4-8 December 2018 / Islamic Republic of Iran

Religion and the Environment

Monk. Jung Gak

Professor, Joong-ang Sangha University

I. Population Growth and Industrialization

The world's population has steadily increased from an estimate of 250 million in 1 B.C. to 500 million in 1700, and to a billion in 1850. In 1935 the population reached 2 billion. Forty years later in 1970 it increased to 4 billion, then reaching up to 5 billion in 1987. In 2017 an estimated 7.5 billion people are believed to be living on earth. Since the appearance of humans, or Homo Sapiens, it took over 400,000 years for the population to reach 5 billion. According to the World Population Prospects by United Nations Population Fund, the population is expected to reach 10 billion by 2070. The population level that took 400,000 years to reach is about to double its figure in only 80 years.

Since the dawn of modernization in the 18th century, mankind has coped with disease and famine using science and logic. With the growth in population and replacement of commodities for food, shelter, and clothing with machines, a quarter of the world live in prosperity. The increase in production and consumption has led to massive capitalization and destruction of the environment, all under the slogan “consumption is virtue” among the wealthy class.

Meanwhile, the rest of the world live in poverty, and one third of the world's population suffer from malnutrition and famine. We live in the age of 3P's: population, poverty, and pollution. Poverty can be the cause of environmental problems. Those who cannot afford to take interest in environmental problems destroy the environment, engaging in indiscriminate deforestation and capturing wild animals and plants to solve their lack of wood and food. The destruction of the environment from agriculture and livestock farming leads to more environmental problems such as soil erosion, flooding, and drought, which eventually reduces agricultural productivity. Such environmental problems lead to a vicious circle of poverty.

Political leaders around the world, however, promise us a prosperous future of political stability based on economic development.

II. Economic Development and the Pitfalls of Wealth

The production of goods for a prosperous life requires natural resources, which eventually cause the depletion of natural resource and environmental damage. The use of pesticides and chemicals, as well as the use of GMO food for more crop production, creates confusion in our immune system and ecology. Increase in income has also changed the preference of people, from a grain-based diet to a meat-based diet. The increasing meat consumption requires large-scale livestock production and massive amount of grain for the livestock to feed on. The increase in animal feces also causes air and water pollution.

The use of fossil fuels and other mass scale development of natural resources raise concerns about its effect on the environment. At the current rate, fossil fuel is estimated to run out in 200-230 years, oil in 20-30 years, and natural gas in 40 years. The bigger problem, however, is the emission of lead from diesel oil, and freon gas that destroys the ozone layer. The phenomenon of temperature inversion of the troposphere caused by freon gas result in lung diseases and the heat island effect from the smog. Freon gas also destroys the ozone layer in the stratosphere. This decrease in the ozone level increases UV-B rays, causing diseases such as cancer and creating the greenhouse effect that causes abnormal climates such as heat and cold waves. As for nuclear use, a nuclear explosion can generate excessive amount of heat. This heat causes an enormous amount of combustion to ascend to the stratosphere, blocking sunlight and leaving earth in darkness for months. When such nuclear winters continue for years, the temperature on Earth will be below zero even during the summer.

III. The Environment and the Tragedy of the Commons

The word environment means all that surrounds or encircles us, from the Old French environ. Similarly, the word circumstance comes from the Latin circumstantia, meaning the conditions surrounding us. The word environment encompasses all circumstances, including the natural environment and the ecological environment. The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) explains the factors of environment by distinguishing natural environment from “man and the environment.” The natural environment includes atmosphere, oceans, water, lithosphere, and terrestial biota. The category “man and the environment” includes population, human settlement, human health, bioproductive systems, industry, energy, transport, tourism, environmental education and public awareness, peace, security, and the environment.

Despite the fact that such environmental factors have economic value, people exploit natural resources. In this market failure, people gain indiscriminate convenience and wealth, causing environmental degradation. Although natural resources are a common good, people are eager to reap the benefits of exploiting them, but they are hesitant to pay the costs of pollution. In the end, the total cost to a society exceeds the total benefit. American biologist G. J. Hardin describes this phenomenon as the "tragedy of the commons."

IV. Awareness of Environmental Problems and Ecocentrism

The history of environmental awareness began in the 1950s and 1960s, notably with the 1962 publication of Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, an American ecologist who first stressed the importance of caring for the environment. The book emphasized the danger of pesticides used in agriculture, warning that the failure to take appropriate measures could lead to the collapse of the ecosystem. Lynn White, a historian at Princeton supported R. Carson's argument, saying that the "anthropocentric view is what caused environmental problems."

Since then, ecocentrism has been the main stance among scholars when dealing with environmental issues. Ecocentrism is an environmental movement that values the right to survival of nature, and strives to restore the ethical relations between human and nature based on respect for nature. According to this point of view, nature is an entity that has the right to survival, and human beings and nature should maintain a close ethical relationship. It emphasizes that like any other biological creature, humans must follow the law of nature and live in harmony with our ecosystem.

In 1973, British economist E. F. Schmacher argued in his book "Small is beautiful" that "growth-oriented economic development will not bring peace to mankind." He also urged people to abandon the thought that the Earth belongs to them, and to regard it as something they borrowed from future generations.

V. Global Awareness of Environmental Problems

International treaties have been signed in response to the increasing awareness of environmental problems. On February 2, 1971, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat, commonly known as the Ramsar Convention, was signed in Ramsar, Iran. The Geneva Convention on the control of acid rain and transboundary air pollution was signed in Switzerland in 1979, followed by the Basel Convention on the control of transboundary movement and disposal of hazardous wastes. In 1992, the Nairobi Convention was signed in Kenya on the protection of biological diversity from genetic engineering and destruction of tropical forests. In 1989, the Montreal Protocol was signed to protect the ozone layer, followed by the Convention on Climate Change in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992 as well as the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.

The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development signed on June 1992 entails the aforementioned protocols. Agenda 21 of the declaration included 27 basic principles and action plans for the preservation of nature and environmentally sound and sustainable development (ESSD). The declaration aimed to introduce a new international treaty, acknowledging the interdependent nature of the Earth under the premise that the preservation of our Earth is important in achieving sound and sustainable development.

Sustainable development includes both aspects of economic development and nature preservation under the principle that we need to "satisfy the needs of our generation without destroying the environment of our future generations." It is based on the principle of development that uses natural resources within the boundaries of sustainability and self-purification of emitted pollution. Sustainable development is currently evaluated as the best alternate solution to stop pollution arising from energy and hazardous waste.

VI. When Gas Emission from Cows Becomes Detrimental

According to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), gas emissions of astronauts inside a sealed spaceship can cause headaches and risk explosion, which is the main reason why space suits and toilets are equipped with gas inhalers. Meanwhile, one of the causes of global warming is burps and gas emission from cows, sheep, and other ruminants. In 2003, the New Zealand government proposed a "fart tax" on cows. According to them, approximately 20% of methane gas emitted into the air came from the burps and gas emissions of cows.

China's local environmental monitoring center has announced that the high level of air pollution in Dazhou City in Sichuan Province is caused by the grilling of larou, a type of smoked pork that the Sichuanese people enjoy eating. The officials pinpointed pork as the main cause of air pollution.

In May 23, 2016, the Korean Ministry of Environment announced that cooking a mackerel inside an airtight room can emit up to 2290㎍ of ultra-fine dust, around 22 times the level rated “very bad” (100 ㎍/1㎥), as well as the carcinogen formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds.

In Tehran, many Iranians are said to live under the risk of lung diseases such as pneumonia related to air pollution. Once hailed as the Paris of the Middle East, Tehran faces the problem of gas emitted by 5 million automobiles and 14 million people. We cannot blame cows, pigs, mackerels, or cars.

The biggest threat to the destruction of the ozone layer is not animal feces or ammonia, but the nitrogenous fertilizer sprayed by farmers and nitrous oxide (N20), a chemical byproduct of microorganisms living inside the soil. Nitrous oxide is one of the six greenhouse gases agreed to be reduced in the Kyoto Protocol for the prevention of global warming in 1997. It is known to have 310 times the effect CO2 has on global warming, and takes 120 more years to degrade. Nevertheless, we cannot criticize the farmers who spray fertilizers, or scientists who produce nitrogen fertilizers as it is an unintended byproduct.

However, the situation has changed now. The moment we realize that an unintentional act can lead to disastrous consequences, we cannot avoid our responsibility and ethical judgement. Religion can guide us in changing the unintentional evil to good deeds.

VII. Awareness of Environmental Ethics in Religion

The ecological research and environmental problems that began in the 1960s spread to various classes. In the 1990s, religious leaders around the world were involved in drafting concrete action plans for environmental problems. In 1993, the Declaration toward a Global Ethic was announced at the centennial celebration of world religions hosted by World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP) in India. The declaration emphasized "the culture of preserving the ecology of the Earth for sustainable development and regeneration of organic lives" as one of its five values.

The debate on integrating environmental ethics with religion was not created within the religious community, but was a task imposed by our society. Nevertheless, the concept of "restoration of relations with nature" and "establishment of environmentally-friendly values" provided an opportunity for religion to partake in the environmental movement as long as it stayed within the boundaries of religious principles.

In response to this global movement, the "Declaration of Environmental Ethics" by Korea's religious leaders was written under the auspices of the Korea Conference of Religions for Peace (KCRP). In it, each religion announced their point of view and solution to environmental problems. However, the questions raised at that time such as "Why hasn't God created nuclear material to biodegrade naturally" or "Why wasn't plastic created to biodegrade into fertilizer" could not be answered by theodicy itself. Each of the presenters at the conference attempted to find answers in each religion, using different concepts such as “body, life, and organism” in Christianity or the “all in one and benevolence” theory in Confucianism and the concept of qi in Taoism. However, we could not find any answers based on transcendence and intrinsic value. Religion, therefore, failed to suggest a universal ideology and its role stayed limited to pointing out the danger of environmental destruction.

VIII. The Language of Religion and Development of Ecology

I have mentioned previously that the word environment is similar to the word circumstance. Here, we notice that the word circumstance implies the meaning of "us" rather than "me and you." Finding oneself in this cogwheel-like organic relationship in the world brings us back to the concept of ecocentrism.

Those who argue a human-centric view that men are at the center of all creation, suggest that the exploitation of the environment is based on the Old Testament that grants men domination over other living creatures. Scholars like Rachel Carson and Lynn White have argued that "environmental problems have been caused by the anthropocentric view." We must therefore abandon our anthropocentric way of thinking and discover the reciprocal principle of "organic reunion," keeping in mind the true meaning of religion (re + ligion) or reunion.

One of the disciplines that contributed to the resolution of environmental problems is ecology coined by Ernst Haeckel from Germany. Ecology is derived from the Greek work oikos (meaning house) and logy (meaning academic discipline), which translates to the “study of housing.” It is based on the principle that "all living creatures have their own ecological niche" and has developed into an academic field that studies the interrelationship between organisms and the environment. Several books have tried to incorporate the field of ecology into religious studies such as "Ecology and Religion" by David Kinsley and "Worldviews and ecology" by Mary Evelyn Tucker.

IX. The Environment and Myself are No Longer Two but One

The interdependence between living things and human beings, or the principle that "nature and human beings are not dualism" is usually found in the religious cosmology of Asia. In Asian religions, existence is considered a religious value. Whatever is changing is considered alive. Nature, like the mountain or water is also identified as a living entity. D. Kinsley attempted to seek for an ecological spirit in "the unity of reality," one of the main principles of religion in Asia.

In his book Lushan lianzong baojian nianfu zhenghui (廬山蓮宗寶鑑念佛正回), monk Pudu (?-1330) of the Yuan Dynasty introduces the term Shentu benlai wuyixiang (身土本來無二相)” which means "my body and the earth are not two different things." He emphasized that the environment and oneself are not two. Taoism and Confucianism also emphasizes that nature is not to be conquered, but rather, that we should find harmony in nature. Using the principle of yin and yang, with the harmony of the yin and yang as good and incongruity as harmful, Laozi mentioned the principle of action without intention that does not violate harmony and "non-action yet there is nothing undone" in Dao De Jing. In other words, he argued that natural action precedes artificial action. In the same vein, French sociologist Emile Durkheim suggested that what is natural is social.

X. We Must Preach the Spirit of Religion not the Dogma

In Buddhism, the principle of dependent arising mentions that "if this exists, that exists; if this ceases to exist, that also ceases to exist." The phrase is used to teach that everything in the world is interconnected like a network, and the movement of one affects another. American meteorologist Edward Norton Lorenz introduced the butterfly effect in 1972, to describe the theory that the wing of a butterfly in the Amazon jungle can cause a tornado in Texas, USA.

Now that we know the ultra-fine dust emitted when cooking mackerel can destroy the ozone layer, we must preach the universal spirit of religion, not the dogma of each religion. In his book Die protestantische Ethik und der Geist des Kapitalismus, Max Weber said that "religion and economic principles are interrelated." This indicates the possibility that religion can move forward in the direction of the interdependence between religion and the environment.

In other words, religion can be at the forefront, providing new possibilities in solving environmental problems. Today, religion should encourage the practice of applying the supernatural logic of religion to the mundane and ethical life of "Hic et nunc (here and now)." We can suggest people to break away from the human-centric view that implies humans have superiority over other creatures, and to guide them to action within the boundaries of organic relationship based on Asian principles. Finally, religion must teach people that we are no longer conquerors of nature but rather its members, following the law of nature.