Inspiring Inspiring ProgressProgress

Getting Religions Getting Religions Involved inInvolved in

Product Product Stewardship Stewardship

Gary GardnerGary GardnerWorldwatch InstituteWorldwatch Institute

May 30, 2007May 30, 2007

The Plan for TodayThe Plan for Today

I.I. Religions: An Untapped Religions: An Untapped ResourceResource

II.II. Religions as Movers of Religions as Movers of ChangeChange

III.III.Religious AssetsReligious Assets

IV.IV.Making the PitchMaking the Pitch

Religions: An Untapped Religions: An Untapped ResourceResource

Growing secularism, but…Growing secularism, but…• 40 percent of Americans attend 40 percent of Americans attend

religious services at least religious services at least monthlymonthly

• Great influence on corporations Great influence on corporations through shareholder activismthrough shareholder activism

• Help shape worldviews in the Help shape worldviews in the U.S.U.S.

Religions As Agents of Religions As Agents of Change Change

• Abolition MovementAbolition Movement• Civil Rights MovementCivil Rights Movement• End of ApartheidEnd of Apartheid• Debt ReductionDebt Reduction• Climate ChangeClimate Change

Religious AssetsReligious Assets

• Moral authorityMoral authority of leaders of leaders• Political weightPolitical weight of numbers of numbers• Inspirational powerInspirational power of of

scripture scripture • Emotive powerEmotive power of ritual of ritual• Infrastructural assetsInfrastructural assets of of

religionsreligions

Religions Becoming Religions Becoming ActiveActive

Evangelical Evangelical InitiativesInitiatives

• ESA—”The Noah’s ESA—”The Noah’s Ark of our day”Ark of our day”

• What Would Jesus What Would Jesus Drive?Drive?

• Climate Change Climate Change CampaignCampaign

• Use of religious Use of religious languagelanguage

““Environmentalist Environmentalist Monks”Monks”

• Religious authorities respected

• Creative conservation strategy

• Use of ritual

Shipboard Shipboard SeminarsSeminars

• Under leadership of HAH Under leadership of HAH Patriarch Bartholomew Patriarch Bartholomew

• Gatherings of Gatherings of policymakers, journalists, policymakers, journalists, religious leaders, religious leaders, scientistsscientists

• Six held on major Six held on major waterways since 1994waterways since 1994

• Captive audience that Captive audience that learns togetherlearns together

• Tapping moral authorityTapping moral authority

Interfaith Power and Interfaith Power and LightLight

Energy auditsEnergy & climate

education

Using religious

infrastructureEfficiency upgrades

Moderation in Moderation in ConsumptionConsumption

•““All things in All things in moderation”– Terencemoderation”– Terence

•““The Middle Way”—The Middle Way”—Buddhism and Baha’i Buddhism and Baha’i FaithFaith

•Many faiths have similar Many faiths have similar teachingsteachings

Teachings On Teachings On ConsumptionConsumption

•Baha’i FaithBaha’i Faith “In all “In all matters, moderation is matters, moderation is desirable. If a thing is desirable. If a thing is carried to excess, it will carried to excess, it will prove a source of evil.”prove a source of evil.”

Teachings On Teachings On ConsumptionConsumption

•Buddhism “Buddhism “Whoever in Whoever in this world overcomes his this world overcomes his selfish cravings, his selfish cravings, his sorrow falls away from sorrow falls away from him, like drops of water him, like drops of water from a lotus flower.”from a lotus flower.”

Teachings On Teachings On ConsumptionConsumption

•Judaism Judaism “Give me neither “Give me neither poverty nor riches.” poverty nor riches.”

•ChristianityChristianity “No one can be “No one can be the slave of two masters…You the slave of two masters…You cannot be the slave both of cannot be the slave both of God and money.”God and money.”

Teachings On Teachings On ConsumptionConsumption

•Confucianism Confucianism “Excess “Excess and deficiency are equally and deficiency are equally at fault.”at fault.”

•Daoism Daoism “He who knows “He who knows he has enough is rich.”he has enough is rich.”

Teachings On Teachings On ConsumptionConsumption

•Hinduism Hinduism “That person who lives “That person who lives completely free from desires, completely free from desires, without longing…attains peace.”without longing…attains peace.”

•Islam Islam “Eat and drink, but waste “Eat and drink, but waste not by excess: He loves not the not by excess: He loves not the excessive.”excessive.”

V. Making the V. Making the PitchPitch

•Religion: Not a “rented Religion: Not a “rented constituency”constituency”

•Sustainability: About policies and Sustainability: About policies and technologies, yes, but values, tootechnologies, yes, but values, too

•Religions shape values and Religions shape values and worldviewsworldviews

•So seek partners, as DOE does So seek partners, as DOE does with Energy Starwith Energy Star

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