Climate Change and You: What's faith got to do with it?
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Dear Reader, Last Sunday, religious leaders, climate thinktanks and the government of India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, got together for a rather unique event. On the sidelines of the ongoing Mahakumbh in Prayagraj, the largest religious gathering in the world, the discussion centred on the role of faith in combating the climate crisis.
Chandra Bhushan, CEO of the environment non-profit iForest, put it succinctly: religion and faith have immense power to influence society, and climate action cannot succeed unless it resonates culturally and emotionally with the masses. Faith leaders can do better on that count compared to scientists and policymakers. And one religious leader, Swami Chidanand Saraswati, president of the Paramarth Niketan, warned that if we fail to act now, the next Kumbh will be held on mere sand, not at the confluence of sacred rivers.
Perennial rivers like the Ganga are fed by water from Himalayan glaciers, which are retreating due to less snowfall and high temperatures. “Our Upanishads teach us that the entire world is a creation of the almighty. (The philosophy of) Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam sees the world as one.
Our rivers, animals, forests, and every life form in this entire ecosystem not only takes but gives back to the environment. We must understand our duty to the environment and learn to give," urged Swami Mukundananda, founder of Jagadguru Kripalu Yog Trust. During the event, participants took a pledge to develop religious centres and shrines as models of sustainability.
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