Image by Elena Mozhvilo
As we build up to the COP26 climate summit here in the UK, I wanted to share a few thoughts about the importance of compassion, for yourself, other people – both near and far – and all life on this planet. We are clearly facing a grave threat right now, as climate change heats our precious planet to levels that are already causing severe weather such as unusually powerful hurricanes and freakishly/unsustainably high temperatures, like the near-50C heat recorded in Vancouver this summer.
Melting ice caps, catastrophic flooding, wildfires raging across the globe… It’s easy to feel hopeless and defeated right now (and I often do, believe me – the news can be overwhelming at the moment). But I refuse to be defeatist, because I passionately believe that just as humanity created this crisis, so we can solve it. Despite our many faults as a species, humans are remarkably intelligent, creative and downright tenacious when we throw our collective weight behind solving large-scale problems.
Just look at the pandemic – humanity mobilised and developed a safe, highly effective range of vaccines in record time. I am lucky enough to have had my booster jab recently and feel both humbled and deeply grateful for the many brilliant scientists and medical staff who have come together to protect me and my loved ones from this awful disease.
Why compassion is the answer
So just giving up and allowing greedy corporations, such as the oil and gas industry, to destroy our children’s future is not an option. I think we should all do everything in our power to tackle climate change, from driving and flying less, eating less meat, buying less stuff, using less plastic… right up to pressuring our politicians and corporations to change their behaviour in every way we can.
As consumers, we all have tremendous individual power to change things, if we only realise that and use it (imagine if the whole UK population collectively boycotted Tesco, for example, until they stopped selling rainforest-destroying beef. I guarantee you they would take it off the shelves in double-quick time!).
And to do that, we all need to harness the uniquely human skill of compassion. Remember that compassion involves two steps: first empathy, so we imagine what it’s like for another person (or sea turtle, wild salmon or polar bear) to be suffering, really putting ourselves in their position and feeling that suffering from the inside. Then making a conscious decision to do everything in our power to help relieve their suffering.
The Buddha taught us that this beautiful thing, compassion, is a force we should direct to ourselves, those we love and care about, then those we don’t like so much and out and out, in ever-expanding waves, to all living beings. That means every human on this planet. All mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, insects – even microbes, without whom you could not survive a single day! And of course every plant and tree on the planet too, which are also essential for our survival (you know that oxygen you just inhaled? Mostly from plants).
Do what you can
I’m not saying that everyone has to start living a perfect life, or turn into Greta Thunberg over night. Just do what you can. It’s not that hard for us all to turn down the heating; drive less (or even better, switch to an electric car); only fly once a year, if at all; eat less meat; drink tap water instead of bottled, and so on.
You can also donate to my favourite charity, the WWF, using the button below, if you can afford it and wish to do so. So please, be compassionate. Do what you can. Show a little love for this beautiful, miraculous, life-giving planet we all inhabit. Your children and their children will thank you for it, I promise you that.
Warm wishes,
Dan