Echo Revolution confab starts next week

It is not possible for the developing world to follow in the footsteps of the developed world due to the scarcity of resources and environmental constraints. The rich has already finished the quota of the poor. There is a historical responsibility on the rich due to over exploitation of resources and nature. Hence the rich is indebted to the poor on environmental terms.

JHU Parliamentarian Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera said an international conference on Environment and Humanity under the theme “Echo Revolution” would be held in Sri Lanka on August 19 and 20 at the BMICH.

Addressing the media the Ven. Thera said the purpose of this international conference was to have a constructive dialogue on the substantial development pathways for developing countries.

“Depletion and environmental degradation will be the two core challenges that the modern human civilization will have to face. Due to scarcity of resources the world fossil oil and gas production and consumption is supposed to reach the peak before the end of this decade, if it has not already happened; the Carbon emissions peak needs to be reached during the same period if the human is to limit the global warming to two degrees centigrade. If not climate change will reach catastrophic proportions in mid 2030s. Fifty per cent of forests on earth have already gone. Crop diversity has reduced by 75%. Annually two million hectares of cropland get degraded. Desertification on earth is happening at an alarming rate. So all these signals imply that the human civilization has reached the end of the fossil fuel era,” the Thera said.

Speaking further the Ven. Thera said alternative development paths should be envisioned, pilot tested, demonstrated and mainstreamed to solve this issue. “It is not possible for the developing world to follow in the footsteps of the developed world due to the scarcity of resources and environmental constraints. The rich has already finished the quota of the poor. There is a historical responsibility on the rich due to over exploitation of resources and nature. Hence the rich is indebted to the poor on environmental terms. In order to repay it is necessary for the developed world to support the developing world to develop their sustainable development infrastructure. Based on the sustainable development infrastructure the developing world needs to find a new path for spiritual development which leads to frugality and life satisfaction,” Rathana Thera said.

The International conference will be held under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Environment and Natural Resources Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera, Priyanand Agale, while academics, professionals, artistes, civil society leaders, Buddhist clergy and other religious leaders would participate at this event along with officials from 15 other nations.