At the United Nations Climate Change Conference held in
Bali during the second week of December, Canada’s Prime Minister took a hard
line stance indicating that he will not accept any real targets for reducing
carbon-dioxide emissions unless the targets apply to both developed and
developing countries.
Reasonable or not? Dig a little deeper. Developed countries have caused most of
the damage and grown materially rich by spewing gases into the atmosphere
unchecked for over 200 years. It is only fair (if not politically palatable)
that they have higher targets than the economically developing countries to
level the playing field, at least until 2012.
David Suzuki, Canadian scientist and environmentalist, has warned the world of
the costs to future generations of doing nothing, and calls it a crime to not
address this intergenerational responsibility.
”The words ecology and economy come from the Greek word oikos meaning 'home'.
Ecology is the study of home, our biosphere”, the planet of life. Economy is the
management of the home. Ecologists try to find out how life flourishes on the
planet, what conditions and principles govern life's well being. We have to
learn to live within the constraints of our home, the eco of economics.
Philosophy in the classical manner is the study of the home of man's inner life
and the raising of consciousness so that man's actions reflect the principles of
truth, justice and harmony in his own life and for the well-being of others now
and in the future. Philosophy and ecology need to join forces to prevent the
further degradation of the conditions required for a rich and fulfilling life on
earth.
