Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Firstly, Buddhism proposed that beliefs, values and ethics have a strong
influence upon the behavioural outcomes that are manifest as the driving forces
behind environmental pressures. Although this perspective underplays the role of
structural forces that constrain human behaviour, the influence of beliefs and
values can be seen to operate via their configuration of goals, wants, needs, intent
and choices. Secondly, a more complete nexus with Buddhism requires an explicit
shift in focus to human welfare as the key objective of both mainstream economic
and policy prescriptions, and the Buddhist way of life (Daniels
2010a
).
The Second Noble Truth reveals the source of this persistent dissatisfaction or
disappointment. It comes from clinging or attachment to external, worldly phe-
nomena in the belief that they will bring sustained and consummate satisfaction or
happiness (French
2003
). These objects of our desire include not just material
goods or assets and the services they provide but people and other animate beings
as well as ideas, social and economic roles, success and status (Webster
2005
).
Desire for maximum consumption via material good accumulation, derived
services, and control over people for self-satisfaction, drives economic and life-
style choices and is the natural economic (if not the social) outcome of a belief
system based on the principle that the external world is the ultimate source of
happiness (Tideman
2001
).
Buddhism makes to explain the 'double whammy' of the past 60 years of
spectacular fossil-fuel-based economic growth where happiness levels within
nations do not seem to be increasing (the 'Easterlin Paradox'), and yet resource use
and degradation have reached unsustainable and possibly ecosphere catastrophe
levels (Baucells and Sarin
2007
; Daniels
2007
). The relentless drive for the
economic extraction and transformation of nature for economic wealth has not had
the anticipated positive impact on subjective well-being. Indeed, craving for
material wealth has not only failed to significantly reduce 'suffering' (increase well-
being) but has increased environmental destruction and instability (Mendis
1993
).
Daniels (
2010a
) examines how central Buddhist world views and themes can
contribute to effectively addressing climate change by looking deep within the
ethical, economic and ecological nature of consumer market economies. A per-
sistent theme of Daniels (
2010a
) approach is the structured analysis of climate
change in terms of the drivers, pressures, and responses that stem from societal
beliefs and world views about human actions and choices, and their links to human
goals and well-being. Buddhist notions of interconnectedness, dependent origi-
nation, and mindful consumption and production can help explain and reshape
human motives and actions for climate and other forms of environmental
sustainability. The mode of analysis of Buddhism has had much in common with
ecological economics—with primary conceptual and methodological roles ascri-
bed to ethics, the ecologisation of society, social capital and sustainability, and
ultimate means and ends via an extensive consideration of well-being and the
goals of human endeavour (Daniels
2010a
).
Environmental, economic, ethical and cosmological dimensions of Buddhism
are presented as a logical and practical basis for reducing the climate change
pressures deriving from prevailing global modes of production and consumption
