Articles & Book Reviews 

What I Think About Climate Change

by Donald Marmara 

Recently my wife and I attended a Buddhist Chinese New Year Ceremony in Eastwood. 

We  enjoyed the emphasis that was placed on accepting everyone’s beliefs, with no attempt to persuade or convert anyone, and on encouraging people to cooperate and take action to help one another, especially those most in need. For me, this created a most welcome climate change – a change from the all too common climate of judgement and expectations, where people are judged and valued or devalued,  according to their beliefs, their outward appearance, and their perceived status in society.

Of course when we talk about Climate Change these days we usually refer to the changes in weather and our concerns about global warming and the potentially devastating effects that this could have, and indeed is already having, on our planet.

A very interesting comment that was made at this ceremony is that, if we direct our efforts at helping each other and working together regardless of our religious, political and other beliefs, people will be happier, there will be less greed, less poverty, less fighting and wars, and all this will lead to a more harmonious environment and will naturally result in a reduction in environmental pollution and other actions that are harmful to our planet – and therefore to all who live on this planet!

What eminent good sense this makes to me!

Perhaps one day we will drop the slogans and the rhetoric. Perhaps, instead of directing so much of our efforts and resources at trying to get others to adhere to our points of view, we will be willing to say to each other “ we want to live in harmony with you, what can we do?” and then be prepared to really listen…

Perhaps then we will see the changes in the world that we all hope for.