Towards Global Environmental Values: Lessons from Western and Eastern Experience.¹

Abstract

The paper argues that new environmental values are needed as the advanced industrial economy becomes global. Reviewing a range of values from hunter-gatherer, agricultural and industrial societies, the paper suggests that environmental value systems should ideally satisfy three criteria. They should be consistent with scientific understanding of natural systems, they should lead to practical ethical and political proposals and, crucially, they should inspire aesthetic responses of pleasure and awe. Current global value systems fall short of this ideal: Gaia has the potential to combine science and awe, but lacks humane decision criteria, while sustainable development is pragmatic but environmentally minimalist and lacks aesthetic inspiration. The short term need is to integrate different strands of current positions as Hinduism combined pre-existing views. A sequence of priorities is suggested: eliminating irreversible environmental change; stabilising population change through more equitable trade; and reconsidering the boundaries, practical and aesthetic, between society and nature.

Is it godly to waste food? How understanding consumers' religion can help reduce consumer food waste

“…The results presented here suggest that the social messages consumers receive from their religious institutions influence food waste behaviors in addition to more individually‐held environmental values that can arise, for instance, from religious texts (Sarre, 1995; Schmidt et al ., 2014). Additionally, as discussed earlier, values do not always align with one another as seen in differences between stewardship theology (care for the planet) and dominion theology (have dominion/control over the planet).…”

“…Consumers with more mystical conceptions of God as nature or the universe itself (as opposed to representations of God as a personal being) are most likely to support sustainability initiatives (Johnson et al, 2017). Similar perspectives are seen in Eastern religions with representations of the divine as being in and through all elements of nature (Sarre, 1995). These supportive attitudes and environmental concerns can be construed as being in accord with the religious texts aimed at reducing food waste (c.f., Tieman and Hassan, 2015, Bloom, 2010, Schmidt et al, 2014, as discussed above.…”

Greening up because of god: The relations among religion, sustainable consumption and subjective well‐being

“…Future research should examine how results may differ based on these demographic factors. For example, sustainability’s link to subjective well‐being may be stronger for Eastern religions, such as Hinduism, that follow a pantheistic view that their gods are in and through all elements of nature (Sarre, ; Schmidt et al, ); therefore, destroying an element of nature is also directly harming their gods.…”

Addressing Criticisms of Global Religion Research: A Consumption‐Based Exploration of Status and Materialism, Sustainability, and Volunteering Behavior

“…In contrast to Western religious doctrine, Eastern religious doctrine (e.g., Hindus, Buddhists) follows the pantheistic view that God is in and through all elements of nature (James ; Sarre ). These Eastern religious followers believe that destroying an element of nature destroys a part of God and, therefore, these followers should be more sustainable as a result.…”