Research into Environmental Awareness and Action in order to Build a Sustainable Society

In the second half of the 20th century, the developed world achieved high economic growth and rapid developments in science and technology in pursuit of a rewarding, convenient, and comfortable standard of living. However, such development came at a price, producing a massive impact on nature and the environment on a continental and global scale, including global warming and the destruction of the stratospheric ozone layer, to say nothing of the effect on our local environments. In the 21st century, we are reflecting on this development, focusing on human lifestyles and ways to sustain natural diversity and a healthy environment. We have investigated what kind of role could be played by the concept of social harmony found in Buddhism. Looking at current economic processes, science and technology developments, and lifestyles, we investigated the formation of a recycling-based society that does not waste limited resources and energy, reorganization of the previous competition-driven capitalist economies, and development methods that take into account environmental burdens, rather than research prioritized only according to science and technology objectives. The research used the following methods: 1) review of the differences between Japan and other countries with regard to factors such as environmental philosophy, way of life, history, and religious philosophy, through a survey in Japan and exchange of ideas with overseas experts, and 2) a questionnaire on environmental awareness and behavior sent to students in Japan and in other countries in Asia, North America, and Europe, to gather background infonnation on lifestyles in the 21st century and beyond. For method 1, we have conducted local surveys in Gennany, the UK and China. We have also conducted a questionnaire survey comparing Japan, Germany, the UK and China, which produced many new findings. We plan to conduct similar surveys in a number of countries, evaluating religious philosophy, culture, customs, climate, and other factors, to establish moral principles and lifestyles that can preserve the beauty of nature. We will also analyze how the concept of social harmony found in Buddhism is involved. We are also investigating religions that teach moral principles, but we have yet to obtain any specific results on the relationship between the environment and religion. We will investigate the degree of religious penetration and attitudes towards environmental management in various countries. We also plan to investigate why the concept of social harmony found in Buddhism hardly exists any more in Japan