An Analysis of a Consequentialist Claim in the Dalai Lama - Essay Example

An Analysis of a Consequentialist Claim in the Dalai Lama Dalai Lama claims that the world has become incapable of holding the people’s irresponsiblebehavior. He says that the world is our home and the responsibility of protecting it is not a matter of doing right or wrong but should be a means of survival. In other words, the world is deteriorating at rate that it cannot hold anymore. This is attributed to the behavior of the people living on it. He calls the behavior of these people irresponsible (Gyatso 1).

Lama asserts that more emphasis should be put on the natural environment other than the media and education. Issues to do with the rise in population and the advancement of technology are affecting the nature. He says that the environmental disasters being witnessed are due to our irresponsible behavior. Lama gives a case example of Tibet where he grew up and the changes in environment that have undergone in the past years and its consequences (Gyatso 1). According to Lama, Tibet was once a wildlife paradise.

The wildlife in Tibet was rarely hunted and hunting only occurred in the remote areas where crops could not be planted. It was a custom for the government officials to make a proclamation on protecting wildlife. He claims that there were no provisions to harm the animals whether on land or in water, in fact, the only animals allowed to do so were the wolves and rats. However, the contribution of hunting in the loss of wildlife is not significant (Gyatso 1).He offers a vivid picture of Tibet when he was young.

During his travelling at that time, he used to see a number of species on the way. These species range from mammals to birds. He recalls how he interacted with the animals and other forms of nature (Gyatso 1). The wildlife is long gone and this is due to the loss of habitat and partly due to hunting. Only a small fraction of the habitat remains in Tibet. The forests in Tibet are also gone; he compares the present state of Tibet forest with a clean shaven monk’s head. He says that the solutions lie within us and there is need to fix our behaviors not the environment; technology does not offer most of the solutions (Gyatso 1).

Evaluation of the Argument The argument of Dalai Lama is valid to some extent. The source of environmental destruction is from the human beings. This is true because most of the activities done by human beings including industrialization affect the environment negatively. Most of the environmental disasters like floods are due to deforestation and the destruction of habitats. Thus, his claim that environmental disasters are due to our irresponsible behavior is true. Technology is playing a crucial role in the conservation of environment.

Its role is much significant and cannot be ignored. Lama’s claim that solution cannot be found in technology is not true. For example, technology has reduced has a lot of paper use. Works Cited“The Natural World – Ethics for the New Millennium.” Gyatso, Tenzin. Bulletin, 2010. Web. 4 Feb. 2011.