India News | Religious Leaders Should Declare Environmental Harm a Sin: Sonam Wangchuk
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk on Tuesday said that religious leaders should declare environmental harm a sin and protecting nature an act of virtue.
New Delhi, Feb 4 (PTI) Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk on Tuesday said that religious leaders should declare environmental harm a sin and protecting nature an act of virtue.
Speaking at an event organized by the Centre for Science and Environment, where schools were awarded for their eco-friendly practices, Wangchuk said there is a need need to rethink education, as the current system teaches people only how to produce and consume more rather than how to live sustainably.
"In today's world, people do not commit violence with knives or weapons, but through unsustainable lifestyles that harm nature," Wangchuk said.
Referring to Delhi's severe air pollution, he said, "People are being given slow poison. Those who could have lived up to 90 are dying at 80 due to air pollution alone. Isn't this a sin?
"Grown ups listen to religious leaders more compared to scientists and engineers. Religious leaders should declare environmental harm a sin and protecting nature an act of virtue. We need to redefine our values," he added.
Wangchuk also called for stricter action against major polluters, including jail terms for those responsible for severe air pollution.
He explained that life on Earth became possible only after carbon dioxide levels dropped over millions of years, thanks to photosynthesis.
"Now, humans are reversing that process, releasing carbon back into the atmosphere. If we continue on this path, we will push the planet back to a time when life was impossible," he warned.
Wangchuk urged a complete overhaul of the education system, which, he said, was designed during the industrial era to promote production and consumption.
"We must redefine learning to focus on sustainability rather than endless consumption," he said.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)