Pháp Luân Info

Environment and Spirituality

ENVIRONMENT and ENERGY on the SPIRITUAL menu

For a while now, our world is facing many energy and environment problems. The scientists have warned that the sea level has increased and the ozone layer is penetrated.

Numerous world conferences like those in Kyoto, Bali and Ghana encouraged means to reduce carbon dioxide level in the air. Other previous conferences suggested changing and eliminating the harmful CFC by-products (chloro-fluoro-carbon). At the same time, many new groups sprung up everywhere promoting “green house environment”, “environment protection” and others organized demonstration and protest demanding a “cleaner universe”. Many nations have answered partially to this universal environment protection project by developing and researching the hydro-environment and water resource, promoting hydro-electricity use. Others (i.e. Northern Europe countries and Taiwan in Asia) are building more bicycle lanes on roadways to promote less polluted means of transportation.

In facing the biggest growing problem of the century, those who can remain oblivious and uninformed to the situation would be considered backward. Yet, most Vietnamese people, if they don’t have to pay out of pocket, would continue to waste water and electricity in their use because it’s “free”; if there is no police and other authority nearby, they would continue to dump thrash onto rivers, and throw plastic bags everywhere on the streets, and in public areas. It is time to start being aware, concerned, and show some care for our own universal environment. It is time we learn that these are grave and real problems we are facing. This danger is close by, if not yet in our lifetime then very soon in our children and their children’s time.

The Ozone Layer is much Thinner and easily Penetrated

Over millions of years, the sun’s ultraviolet rays, shone through the oxygen-abundant stratum of the atmosphere, was able to create this ozone layer (full of O₃) that acts as our protective coating to guard against the same harmful UV rays of the sun and to guarantee our survival on this earth.

As we know, life of vertebrae starts in the ocean with numerous life forms of algae type and small oceanic creatures that feed the fish. The ultraviolet rays are very harmful to and destroyer of these primitive lives. On land, they transform crops by altering their DNA. It was the UV rays that were the culprit for wiping out dinosaurs of the past. As far as human is concerned, UV rays cause carcinoma of the skins, and cataracts of the eyes. (please see note 1)

The ozone layer, therefore, because of its ability to block these harmful UV rays, is a necessity in protecting life forms. It is known to scientists for few decades now that the ozone layer is much thinner and has a “hole” above the Antarctic of the Southern hemisphere. And the cause of it is none other than the excess CFCs produced from refrigerators, ice-generators, air conditioners and clothes dryers.

Let’s analyze how this is possible: The CFCs are almost weightless vapors; they rise up to the ozone layer; there they meet with the UV rays that split away the Chlorine molecule from the CFCs; these free Cl^- in turn react with O₃ in the ozone and convert them to O₂ plus a free radical without it (Cl^-) being changed at all – so that the same Cl^- molecule can destroy hundred thousands of ozonic O₃ molecules: that is where the danger lays!

Because of this danger from CFCs, since 1987 many world conferences have acknowledged its destruction and agreed to ban for good all CFC-producing products in developed countries in 1995; for the under-developed and developing countries, they tried to implement the ban in 2010. The replacing product – HCFCs – CFC with a Hydrogen molecule attached – is a little less detrimental to the environment but will also be wiped out hopefully by 2020. However, the ban is in effect only for companies constructing and making equipments producing these chemicals, but there is no mention of banning their use in the general population, so there is really no guarantee. (please see note 2)

So how are we going to make each nation and each individual more conscientious and agree in NOT making these machines as well as NOT using these products that bring harm to the environment? And since science has not come up with any other way to eliminate the use of these machinery, how do we promote everyone to be more thoughtful, more mindful, and less dependent on personal luxury and convenience? This requires everyone to sacrifice a little, have self-motivation and understanding, and always be conscious and responsible for their own surrounding environment.

Let’s Focus on the Rising Ocean Level

Even when the danger of the ozone layer has not been completely solved, here we are encountering other problematic issues that possibly are related to, and probably of much greater disaster in the near future: the sea level on the earth has risen steadily to a dangerous level. For thousands of years, the ocean water level remained controlled and the climate of the earth is inter-dependently well managed. But this is no longer the happy time for our oceanic-weather forecast system. The satellites above the earth are able to inform us of such matters with pictures of the arctic snows – both northern and southern -  forever melting at a fast pace, and the sea level rising up alarmingly fast.

From the 1900s until recently, the sea level has risen a full 20 centimeters, and still speedily increases. During the 20^thcentury, the rate was only 1.8mm/year, now it is measured as an increase of 3mm/year. In the prediction made by the GIEC (Fr. Groupement Intergouvernemental sur l’Evolution du Climat – or GIEC, Eng. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – or IPCC), by the year 2100, the sea level could be increased 60cm more than now. (please see note 3).

That’s a total of 80 cm higher than the previous century. To our meager knowledge and understanding, this number is pretty small compared to the vast ocean on the earth. But the danger retains in the fact that this 80cm is the average increase in sea level world wide - average for all 4 large bodies of water. But the truth is there could be tons of cubic meters of water collectively rising at certain point in certain locality after certain hours or days, depending on the climatic weather, the water supply from inland, the tidal function, and atmospheric influence, where ocean waves could be up to 3m, 6m in height. With the increasing warmer temperature, more changes occur in ocean weather, giving rise to harsher hurricanes and tropical storms, more destructive tidal waves and more vicious typhoons. We have witness some of them recently like Katrina in 2005 that destroyed many southern states of America, or tropical cyclone Nargis in 2008 over Myanmar, as well as many consecutive storms in the Gulf coast of Mexico of last year including Gustav, Hanna, and Ike…

The most threatened areas lay along the ocean shores and the low deltas next to them. But usually these areas are the most populated, everywhere in all continents. There are more entrance ports, and numerous tourist cities and vacation spots along the beaches. And with the weather constantly on the rise, people tend to find oceanside living a bit more tolerable. When the storms arrive, and the sea water level surges, not only homes, streets, cities are washed out and destroyed but crops are deluged, and fields inundated with extra salt making the ground less fertile, and causing agricultural set back. Interestingly, 25% of rice supply of the world are grown in such deltas not too far from destructive ocean fronts.

We cannot estimate the total exact damage. But it takes just a rise of 50cm in ocean level to bring enough threat to roughly 150 million people and about 35 billions dollars in jeopardize. Let alone 3m or more of water level increase. Nonetheless the research in 2007 by the World Bank indicated that for each sea disaster, the ocean water was recorded to rise from 1 to 3 meters. (please see note 4)

At each ocean side disaster, there are millions of people that need evacuation from the area before and during the storm; thousand and thousand of them are displaced from home in the aftermath; houses, buildings, roads, bridges are destroyed; growing fields and crops all washed out; electrical and fiber optic cables often buried underground are all rusty and damaged. And it takes long time and costly resources to rebuild and at the same time one is not sure when the next catastrophe strikes again.

The reason for higher ocean water level is due to the green house effect. The absorption, reflection and energy transmission of a certain element depend a lot on that element’s capability as well as the strength and wavelength of light rays shining on it. For example clear glass lets the shorter wavelength rays like the visible spectrum and some ultraviolet lights (UV) passing through but blocks many other long electromagnetic waves like the Infrared rays. But it is the infrared light that produces heat so the glass house can retain warmth for growing vegetation in the cold temperature. Some of the gases like methane (CH3), carbon dioxide (CO2), or nitric oxide (N2O) also block the long wavelength light rays, so that if the ozone surrounding the earth is full of these gases, it would act like the glass house effect, blocking the infrared from escaping and turning the earth atmosphere warmer.

And the Globe is Rapidly Warming for Real

If we take the average temperature from 1950 to 1980 as the standard measurement, then we can see a steadily warped increase in NASA’s record keeping: 14010 in 1940, 14015 in 1982, 14030 in 1990, 14042 in 1998, 14055 in 2005 – the same year when the two biggest hurricanes: Katrina hit the United States and Wilma hit Jamaica. The damage from these two alone came to thousand of deaths and hundred millions of dollars. Moreover, the prediction for year 2100 will be an extra 5080 added to our global warming, the storms at that time would be unimaginable and irrefutably disastrous.

The warming climate temperature causes ocean water to also be warmer, which in turn causes more melting of the icecaps on top of high mountains in the southernmost antarctic region and northern hemisphere, and in turn raises the sea level much higher. The warming atmosphere also turns wetlands into more desert-like areas because of evaporation, exposing their deep-ended mud that are high in dying creatures. From their decaying bodies, more CO2 (carbon dioxide) is released into the air. The same dying out of deep ocean kelp, algae, and other organisms because of warming water condition also releases extra methane and CO2 that evaporate into thin air at warm temperature as well. Other than that, there are forever increase amount of released methane and CO2 from the raised-for-meat animals by-products, as well as from man-made fertilizers, and burned trees and deforestation.

In theory, CO2 could not block the strongest infrared lights and would not be the worst culprit; N2O (nitric oxide) and CH4 (methane) gases did a much better destroying job. However, methane vapor is fragile, it last only 10 years in the atmosphere, while N2O may last 100 years, but it is the CO2 that outlasts them all and remains forever in the air that we breathe. Right now CO2 has to be the most abundant in the atmosphere and it is produced largely from gasoline and oil vapors from vehicles, the regular exhalation of all human and animals, and some other natural exchange in the habitat.  

Dealing with the Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Problem

Though not as critical, but we still have to deal with the carbon dioxide problem that pollutes our air. To reduce CO2, we can try to avoid using charcoal for cooking, gas and fuel for burning and heating. We can try to apply and use the CO2 released by-products, or bury it deep in the underground. Maybe we need to come up with cleaner energy produced by means other than fuel and gasoline.

The Energy

There are new developments in the car industry, using ethanol as fuel for example. But is it rewarding? To obtain 1.5 liter of ethanol, it is necessary to grow a hectare of sugarcane for the process. This extra agriculture land is taken away from growing the necessary grains (rice, potato, corn…) that feed the world. Or the electric car concept. Yes, it may be more efficient, but then there will be the need for more hydro-electricity equipments that in turn operate with gas and fuel. Aren’t we just “swapping” the energy use? To what benefit?

Extensive researches are being conducted using giant panels that convert solar energy to power. China is the leading effort. But in order to use the solar energy, silicium has to be produced. And more charcoals are used for this silicium processing, which in turn emit tons of indirect pollution into the solar power being created. On the other hand, paneled solar energy is effective only for individual family use, or at most small community of few families, and it is dependent on the forecast and availability of sun lights. Another efficient method is the electrical energy generated by wind farms – named windtricity (electricity by wind)  – for municipal and regional utilities. But this also has drawbacks. It is dependent on availability of wind, how strong the wind, and what direction. Coastal areas benefit more than deeper inland regions. Besides, to construct these giant 125-meter in diameter fans on 180-meter tall poles, lots of cement, aluminum, iron, cables, fibers are used in vast pieces of land. Would the energy produced be ‘clean’ or somewhat indirectly contaminated as well?

Perhaps the cleanest “greenhouse” effect would still be hydro-electricity: the production of electricity power using the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. But then dams have to be built with tons of irons and cement engineered in the process, and hydraulic machines and generators have to run. Other than that forests have to be cleared, farmland sacrificed, flood control instituted and population has to be moved to make room for giant pools of water needed in generating energy.

The bottom line is for ever 1.5 GWE electricity produced, it takes 10 hectares of land for a nuclear power plant, 18.7 hectares for a wind farm, and hundred thousand to million of hectares for hydropower projects.

In another word, even if we really exert all possible means to conserve energy, including assembling and combining all energy sources of a whole nation, plus reserving extra resources for when it is at high demand, so that adequate energy is distributed at all times, it would take until the year 2030 to achieve the level of what can be called “clean” and “green” energy to satisfactorily solve a third of the electricity problem we are facing. But then at that time the population also increases, and demand certainly augments sufficiently, so that we would never know for sure. It is, therefore, very important to set the measures for energy conservation right now, right away.                       

Energy Shortage and other Pollution Problems

In 1973, the price of oil increased threefold when the Middle East froze its supply. Then in 1979, it doubled again when the collapsed militant government of Iran drove the world economy into a frenzy turmoil. It was then that nations started to really worry about the possibility of running out of oil supply. In the 90’s (the end of the 20^th century) the demand for oil surged 80 times higher than in the early part of the 20^th century. All was due to higher economy, better technology, more development all over the globe. The demand for oil consummation is much higher than the finding of oil and pumping and processing crude oil. Just a few years back, the price of crude oil was less than 100 dollars per barrel, now it is hovering at $150/barrel. Increased oil price, higher demand, less production, and potential danger to the environment prompt the world to think more of conserving, as well as trying to find other ways to come up with cleaner energy to replace oil and petroleum products.

Pollution from gasoline and fuel is high of course, but there are many other pollution-causing interventions for the air, the water system, and the earth. In the air, besides methane (CH4), and carbon dioxide (CO2), there are also nitric oxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), or vapor released from lead-containing products, etc… In the water, there are waste materials from hospitals, factories, populated metropolitan cities and townships, and from fertilizers and insecticides on farmland seeping into rivers and streams. The earth, on the other hand, can be polluted with harmful salt and minerals, bacteria and microorganisms from large landfills and dumpster sites.

The waste and thrash management in itself is a huge problem that needs to be tackled. Increased amount of thrash and waste from large cities and lots of manufacturing plants and factories, and much more non-degradable waste materials that cannot be disintegrated naturally, cause intense worries everywhere. People try recycling, re-processing waste materials, but only certain types of waste can be recycled. So far lots of money spent in researched and applied waste management has brought no alternative solutions yet.

The Future Direction in Solving the Energy Consumption Problem

At the present time, science and technology gear towards the two most readily available energy sources: solar energy and atomic energy. The nuclear power plant can generate strong, efficient and generous quantity of electricity, more than adequate to replace all other types of energy producing means. But it comes with lots of other danger, like the Chernobyl nuclear reactor explosions in 1986 that caused many attributable deaths and radio-active contamination for such large area and for many years afterwards. To increase the safety issue and avoid such disaster, radioisotopes can be produced using Nuclear Fusion (fusing 2 or more of lighter atoms into one larger atom, also called Thermo-Nuclear Fusion because it involves very high temperature and density) instead of Nuclear Fission (splitting of larger atoms into 2 or more smaller atoms) of the past. (please see note 6) Nuclear fusion is safer, and also produces higher quantity of energy. But on the other hand, the desired temperature goes up to millions of degrees Celsius for the fusing reaction to take place. Scientists are frantic to unscramble 2 methods: either find a safe way to achieve such high temperature, or find ways to reduce the required temperature to a safer level.

The second readily available source of energy is from the sun. The only way – and probably the safest and most economical way – to employ this solar energy source at its most efficiency and effectivity is to “catch” it before it goes through the earth’s atmosphere, where it is as its purest, unadulterated, and has most complete and constant value. Somehow we have to achieve ways to convert this sun’s energy to electricity energy out there in space, then transport it onto earth without conducting cables or tunnels.

But it would take lots of resources, man-hour as well as monetary, to do massive and long-term research projects and construction of such probable machinery network to collect, convert, and transport such energy. Nations have to pull resources together, and eliminate maximally all expenses causing by warfare, as well as reduce political ambition and competition. In a way it is like asking everyone to do away with hatred, and become “saints”.

Therefore We Need Genuine Religions

The genuine religions are those that promote love and compassion, like Christianity and Buddhism. Put aside all individuals, organizations or groups who blasphemize religion for their own philistine and cunning ambition. The genuine religions of those who really practice their faith, and live accordingly to the teachings of love and forgiveness. ‘Forget thyself for others’, as taught by Jesus. Those who live up to that would certainly sacrifice themselves to save the burning ones in a fire. Yet, our world is in danger of self-destruction because of the pollution we are causing. Wouldn’t we want to do nothing to help? It is really the responsibility of each and every one of us, as well as of the whole community, and the whole world.

People would question: “But God’s heavens are not on earth”. We can reply with: “Yes, but God also said: I have sent my only Son to earth, and the Master also brought forth others to earth,” (John 17-18). Similarly, Jesus has prayed for the people: “I am not asking you, Father, to take them out from the earth, but teach them to avoid unkind and wrong doings,” (C. 15).

It meant that we have to remain on this earth, but not get tainted by the worldly insincerity, selfishness, and egotism: only wanting safe haven for self, and not care a bit about others. Besides, the God of Christian and Jewish beliefs was a Creator of the Universe and He loved the products He created (please see note 7). He created human last and gave everything to him to use, manage, enjoy and make better (Stt. 2-15). Therefore, according to the Gaudium et spes of Vatican II Council, the Church as a whole and the Catholic faithfuls in particular “have to share the worries of the world” (S. 1), and at the same time “do not scorn and dislike the physical life” (S. 14), and “contribute to the world destiny and share its burden” (S. 40).

Indeed, Jesus came to save the world from sins and death, but while He was out preaching about the Heavens above, He himself performed lots of humanitarian acts, such as curing the sicks. (John 21-25).

Likewise, the Church from the beginning of time, has done as much. Yes, in the beginning, apostles of the Church prepared meals for the widowed whom no one cared for (TDCV 6.1-6). When Judea faced the worse famine, the Antioka church rounded up donation (TDCV 11.29-30). From the ancient era in the West, the Church already pushed for organized hospices to help the poorest, the homeless, and the sicks – these hospices were the earliest known charity missions, and later became hospitals and charitable organizations run by members of the Church. Throughout the long history of the Roman Catholic Church, there are numerous humanitarian projects to care for the needy, the poors, the orphans, the elderlies worldwide by catholic priests and nuns. There are hospices for the sicks, the lepers, the sida (AIDS) patients, etc… Many catholic convents have charity, poverty and service as their sole commitment. And the most notable nun of our time is Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who found the Missionaries of Charity order which ministered solely to the lowest, poorest and neediest of society starting in India and expanding worldwide at the time of her death.

Facing with the energy shortage and grave pollution of the air today, each Christian needs to participate. Yes, even a smallest contribution is still more valuable than none at all. By your own consideration, sympathy, awareness, and sharing; by not littering everywhere; by conserving and rationing energy, water, electricity; and by sacrificing some luxury and extravagance…

Say what? Less consumption? One may argue: - less consumption and less use of certain product leads to less demand; less demand leads to less production; less production leads to less work. When production stops, the economy takes a nose-dive. Bad economy causes people to lose jobs. And the low class, the factory blue collars, the poor, and the uneducated people suffer the earliest when the economy collapses. Therefore, wouldn’t luxurious consumption by the wealthy class be a way to take from the rich and spread out to the poor? The answer is:

If the wealthy people by their luxurious facility share with the poor like such, they also share much more pollution for everyone. Let’s say, rich people like to go on vacation by cars or airplanes (thus creating more pollution to the air), while poor people ride bicycles (no air pollution at all). Let’s say, the rich people have an air-conditioner unit for each of the rooms in their mansion, and for each of the cars they possess (lots of pollution and energy use), while there might be only one electric fan for a whole poor family (minute problem in comparison).

In this era, the economy seems to cater to the rich and well off, because the rich uses energy a hundred times more than the poor, and benefit a thousand times more than the needy. Because the invested principal remains in the hands of few capitalist minorities of the world. Wouldn’t the world need a more even beneficial balance and more equal enjoyment of luxury? Would a more moral economy, a moral equality in net worth be necessary? To achieve that, government can only be partial in trying to assist, the majority of the work remains in the rich people knowing when to share, to have compassion, and to care for their brothers in need. Morality and religious upbringing may be the only assets. Go ahead and get rich authentically, by true and legitimate means, but don’t be selfish and keep everything for yourselves and your family, also know to share and accommodate others less fortunate. As in the cases of rich and famous Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.

1. Billionaire Bill Gates – founder of Microsoft - turned over the day-to-day operating of Microsoft company to other executive officers and ventured full time in his philanthropic “Bill & Melinda Foundation” in which his large contribution of 37 billion dollars is being spent in various projects.


2. The richest man on earth, Warren Buffet, with net worth roughly 62 billion dollars, even bigger than that of Bill Gates, only left his family a fairly hefty portion. The rest of his asset is being used in altruistic purpose together with Bill Gates.


3. With the same humanity intention, world economist Muhammad Yunus, of Bangladesh, has created the Grameen Bank to help funded many small businesses, and starting out projects for the poor to self-sufficiently take care of themselves if they want and show the effort. He was given the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.


4. At the same time, the Indian professor Chandrasekhar Sakurathri, after his wife and 2 children perished in a terrorist-planned plane crash, was very depressed and at the bottom-pit of his life until he found a way to honor his beloved children by dedicating a free boarding school named after his daughter Sarada to provide education to the very poor, and an eye institute named after his son Srikiran to provide free treatments and surgical procedures at a very nominal fee for those who could barely afford medical care.

If the majority of people act as such, and know to invest in the long term care of society, like building self-sufficient trade schools, arts and crafts companies, etc… they would have helped in creating works and employments for the lesser classes and social castes. Other than that, there are multitudes of other things that moral people can participate in to lessen and eliminate pollution, and reserve precious natural power, such as: * reduce traveling; * ride bicycle or public transportation when possible; * avoid all machinery that uses energy; * promote and use more organic and hand-made products; * employ hand crafting and production of material - in a way, this would create more work and employment for the poor and the less fortunate; * conserve electricity and water, don’t waste any energy; * avoid using corrugated items that do not disintegrate and cause pollution, use more biodegradable products; * recycle even clothing and personal items, don’t just throw them out because they’re  out-moded and old and not fashionable; * do not litter, especially harmful waste materials.

Notes: (1) The Ultraviolet light – UV rays – depending on their wavelength are of three types, UVA, UVB, and UVC. The UVB is the one that causes skin cancer. UVC on the other hand, at mild intensity can even be beneficial to kill bacteria and viruses. 

(2) Hopefully by that year, there would be a type of air-conditioners that uses demagnetization of certain metals to draw out heat. These AC would use much less energy and release less CO2 into the air. (according to: Science et Vie, 11/2008, pp. 91+)

(3) IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change): established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

(4) article from Science et Vie, 7/2008, pp. 55+

(5) articles from Science et Vie, 12/2003, pp. 48+, and Science et Vie, 2/2006, pp. 50+

(6) the lighter nucleus Deuterium (H2) acquires another hydrogen isotope to become the heavier nucleus Tritium (H3) in the fusion reaction of nuclear fusion.

(7) Each time He finishes a production, God proclaimed: “that is good!” (according to the Old Testament)

Giang Kiet Tuong Translated to English

Read Article in Vietnamese: Môi Sinh và Sống Đạo - Dr. Andrew Anh Pham