The Path to a Sustainable Future for Humanity 2022

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The euphemistic descriptor 'climate change' represents a true modern crisis. This crisis is quite possibly the ultimate existential catastrophe for our species and many other non-human genera and taxonomic families, many of whom have already become extinct through human activity, constituting the Sixth Great Extinction.

To date, despite the grim scientific reportage, there has been an insufficient response by humanity, even with the recent COP 26 meeting in Glasgow. There has been much political and even scientific 'reticence', downplaying the actual seriousness of our plight and even misrepresenting the substantial risk of societal collapse.

Indeed, even the most basic corrective strategy, the reduction of net greenhouse gas production to zero, first recommended last century, has not yet occurred to any significant degree, and with national pledges mostly not yet enacted. Many climatic tipping points have either been passed or are approaching. A summer ice-free Arctic is likely to occur before 2040 with major consequences for the world. The Greenland and Tibetan glacial melting have been accelerating well beyond expectations. Likewise, the rate of sea-level rise. It now seems likely that the average global temperature will exceed 2.0⁰ C within decades, rising three times as fast in the northern polar region.

Humanistic Buddhism (including other species as well) is ideally placed to help in this looming catastrophe through its confrontation with the truth, through the Bodhisattva ideal (and practice), and through its experience in palliative care (with the associated expressions of denial, anger, desperation, regret, guilt, but also potentially with forgiveness, compassion and unconditional love).

About the speaker:

Jonathan Page has been a medical oncologist for 40 years and whose meditation practice goes back to 1984, but to his chagrin was largely an erratic practitioner until 2004, generally employing meditation as a last resort to manage innumerable life crises (with variable impact).

Over time he has found meditation to be of great personal benefit, particularly in navigating the major challenges of life, notably ageing and mortality, the impermanence of relationships and the ravages of burnout.

In understanding and largely overcoming burnout, it has been possible to treat cancer patients with greater compassion, attending to the vital psycho-spiritual domain, whilst retaining some degree of resilience.

Meditation can open the door to a clear understanding and vast possibilities.

Everyone is invited, join us on Zoom.