[A Sip of a Book] Is a Sustainable Future for Humans and the Environment Possible?

Editor's NoteSome sentences encapsulate the entire content of a book, while others instantly resonate with the reader’s heart, creating a connection with the book. We excerpt and introduce such meaningful sentences from books.

This is a collection of dialogues between a Buddhist philosopher and an environmental scientist who is a former co-chairman of the Club of Rome. The two authors point out the flow of modern society, obsessed with greed that seizes and exhausts finite resources, and propose a human revolution that draws out the infinite wealth within humans as a solution. They emphasize a shift in thinking that we all share the same Earth as neighbors and must take responsibility for future society, while presenting practical measures such as the development and spread of simultaneously renewable energy, the introduction of an energy tax, and the gradual increase of energy prices.

To solve environmental problems, it is necessary to have a neighborly awareness that we all live on the same Earth and a mindset that takes responsibility for future society. We must share the values of coexistence and co-prosperity between individuals or countries and others and other countries. -p.39-

If transitioning to renewable energy is difficult, maximizing energy efficiency becomes even more important. -p.94-

The essence of science lies in the pursuit of truth, and the achievements of this pursuit should lead not only to commercial profit but also to public benefit. -p.132-

We must shift from a resource-wasting society of mass production, mass consumption, and mass disposal to a sustainable society. At the same time, it is extremely important to nurture the younger generation who will inherit and accelerate this trend. -p.175-

Establishing permanent peace, living in harmony with nature, and protecting a rich ecosystem by building a sustainable global society is the most important task for us living in the 21st century to responsibly pave the way. -p.194-

Challenge Toward Earth Revolution | Ikeda Daisaku and 1 other | Yonhap News Northeast Asia Center | 312 pages | 12,000 KRW