Religion & Ecology
July 2010
Banner photo: Alpine Flowers and Cloud Reflection, Colorado [© Carr Clifton]
Ernst von Weizsäcker Speaks on Sustainable Development
Ernst von Weizsäcker at the Josei Toda International Center [© Seikyo Shimbun]
Environmentalist Ernst von Weizsäcker, nephew of former German President Richard von Weizsäcker and a member of the Club of Rome, spoke at an academic symposium held at the Josei Toda International Center in Shinjuku, Tokyo, from March 19-20. The symposium was the 26th in a series organized by the Institute of Oriental Philosophy (IOP).
In his lecture, Professor Weizsäcker focused on sustainable development and climate change and stressed the need for states and civil society to collaborate and share accurate and current information with one another if they are to find solutions to these pressing issues.
Professor Weizsäcker also emphasized that armed conflict can result from resource scarcity and that an ethics and politics of sustainability needs to be developed to deal with this potentiality. Calling for solidarity within society, Professor Weizsäcker expressed his hope that Buddhist philosophy might play an important role in uniting people.
