Two minutes twenty into the clip, he says 'if you have a Green Party, I want to join'.
If the planet is to be sustained, environmental education and personal responsibility will be the key, said His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in a lecture last year.
“Taking care of our planet environment is like taking care of our own home,” he said. “We have a responsibility to take care of the environment. It is our only home.”
In his 75-minute address, he raised environmental concerns across themes as varied as religious tolerance, consumerism and income disparity. He connected the topics by emphasizing how the promotion of human values and religious harmony is needed in order to take care of humanity’s “inner environments.”
“Even if the environment – the external surroundings – are peaceful and beautiful, unless inner environment is not fully taken care of, the external will not bring inner peace,” he said.
In response to a question from a student about how to maintain hope amid the mounting environmental challenges, His Holiness said the answer partially resides in increased awareness through education, especially of children. “From kindergarten, the concept of a dialogue about taking care of the environment should be part of their life through education,” he said.
That concept of lifelong learning extends into adulthood and applies to political awareness as well. “If you have a Green Party ( in this country ), I want to join,” he said to applause.
“This taking care of the environment should be part of our daily life,” he said, adding that it can and should start small. He conserves water by only showering and turning off lights when leaving a room. “Even in small ways, make a contribution,” he said. “If we take care, things can change.”
He recalled how his own environmental awakening occurred, spurred on by ecological issues in Tibet, concerns about global warming and discussions with experts and scientists. “Then I realize the environment issue is so important,” he said.
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