The 86-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader said the threat of climate change is not limited by national boundaries but affects us all
‘We need to take urgent steps to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and adopt renewable sources of energy such as … wind and the power of the sun’ he said
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Associated Press
Published: 11:55pm, 23 Apr, 2022
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama with a block of ice from the Himalayas, talks about climate change. Photo: AFP
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama urged the public to reduce fossil fuel use during a meeting with activists to mark Earth Day, warning that the climate change crisis transcends national boundaries.
The 86-year-old – who is now living in exile in India’s Dharamsala – was presented with a block of ice carved from one of the fast-melting glaciers in India’s Himalayan Ladakh region.
Mounted on a wooden stand, the hunk of ice was meant to highlight the effects of climate change on the Tibetan plateau.
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“In my own life I have witnessed the decline in snowfall, first in Tibet and later, in Dharamsala,” the Dalai Lama said during the Earth Day event.
He urged for the adoption of renewable sources of energy to mitigate the crisis that is posing a threat to the entire human race.
“We need to take urgent steps to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and adopt renewable sources of energy such as those that rely on the wind and the power of the sun,” the Tibetan spiritual leader said.
“The threat of climate change is not limited by national boundaries – it affects us all.”
The glaciers are melting fast in parts of the Himalayas, said to be due to global warming. Photo: Bloomberg
The Himalayan ice block expedition covered around 250 kilometres (155 miles), with the trekkers travelling on foot, bicycle and in electric vehicles to raise awareness about the effect of fossil fuels on glaciers.
They also used low-carbon technologies to keep their sample from melting.
Earth Day, which falls on April 22 every year, is the most widely observed secular holiday around the globe. While EarthDay.org underlines that we should invest in our planet every day of the year, Earth Day is seen as a prominent day of action.
More than 1 billion people worldwide mark the holiday by working to both instigate climate policy change and shift everyday human behaviour for the betterment of our world.
Earth Day, which falls on April 22 every year, is the most widely observed secular holiday around the globe. While EarthDay.org underlines that we should invest in our planet every day of the year, Earth Day is seen as a prominent day of action.
More than 1 billion people worldwide mark the holiday by working to both instigate climate policy change and shift everyday human behaviour for the betterment of our world.
Dalai Lama calls for reduced fossil fuel use, more tree planting in Earth Day message
The Dalai Lama marked the 52nd Earth Day with a message saying that all creatures -- humans, animals, birds and insects -- want to live a “happy life” in their “collective existence."
The Dalai Lama marked the 52nd Earth Day with a message saying that all creatures -- humans, animals, birds and insects -- want to live a “happy life” in their “collective existence."
File Photo by Edwin Locke/UPI | License Photo
April 22 (UPI) -- The Dalai Lama called for reduced fossil fuel use in favor of renewable energy sources across the globe in his climate crisis-focused Earth Day message on Friday.
The Tibetan spiritual leader said that all creatures -- humans, animals, birds and insects -- want to live a "happy life" in their "collective existence," The Hindu reported.
"As human beings our marvelous brains provide us with remarkable opportunities to do good, but if we look at how the world is today, we should be able to do better," the Tibetan leader said in the message posted to his official website.
The Dalai Lama went on to push for more inner value-encompassing holistic education that takes into consideration other people's wellbeing.
"We have to put the global interest first," he said, calling the world "heavily interdependent."
He pointed toward wind and solar power as alternatives to fossil fuels, and asked for better protection of the environment, the planting of more trees and closer watch on deforestation.
Deforestation and forest degradation are occurring at alarming rates around the world, according to a report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Though deforestation has decreased over the past 30 years, the organization estimates a loss of 420 million hectares of forest since 1990 through conversion to other land uses.
The Dalai Lama said in his message that in his lifetime, he's seen a decline in snowfall in his native country of Tibet and Dharamsala, India, where he lives.
"Some scientists have told me that there is a risk of places like Tibet eventually becoming deserts," he wrote. "That is why I am committed to speaking out for the protection of Tibet's fragile environment."
April 22 (UPI) -- The Dalai Lama called for reduced fossil fuel use in favor of renewable energy sources across the globe in his climate crisis-focused Earth Day message on Friday.
The Tibetan spiritual leader said that all creatures -- humans, animals, birds and insects -- want to live a "happy life" in their "collective existence," The Hindu reported.
"As human beings our marvelous brains provide us with remarkable opportunities to do good, but if we look at how the world is today, we should be able to do better," the Tibetan leader said in the message posted to his official website.
The Dalai Lama went on to push for more inner value-encompassing holistic education that takes into consideration other people's wellbeing.
"We have to put the global interest first," he said, calling the world "heavily interdependent."
He pointed toward wind and solar power as alternatives to fossil fuels, and asked for better protection of the environment, the planting of more trees and closer watch on deforestation.
Deforestation and forest degradation are occurring at alarming rates around the world, according to a report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Though deforestation has decreased over the past 30 years, the organization estimates a loss of 420 million hectares of forest since 1990 through conversion to other land uses.
The Dalai Lama said in his message that in his lifetime, he's seen a decline in snowfall in his native country of Tibet and Dharamsala, India, where he lives.
"Some scientists have told me that there is a risk of places like Tibet eventually becoming deserts," he wrote. "That is why I am committed to speaking out for the protection of Tibet's fragile environment."
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