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FEATURE | EASTERN HORIZON 51
How Taiwan uses
Buddhist literature for
environmental education
By Dr Natasha Heller
Climate change is one of the Taiwan offers an example of how to
biggest challenges that the world teach children about caring for their
faces. A United Nations report has environment.
cautioned that greenhouse gas
emissions due to human activity Environmental attitudes in
are at a record high, “with no signs Taiwan
of slowing down.” Many nations By the early 1990s, rapid
are recording weather extremes, economic development had led
higher average temperatures to environmental degradation in
and rising seas. Meanwhile, the Taiwan, an island in the China Sea
first wave of increasing numbers and home to nearly 24 million
Natasha Heller studies Chinese of climate refugees points to how a people. The air quality in the cities
Buddhism in the context of changing environment will reshape was hazardous, a third of rivers
cultural and intellectual history. human life. were polluted and garbage often
Her research includes both the didn’t make it to landfills.
pre-modern period (10th through The changes in climate may have Today, however, the Taiwanese
14th c.) and the contemporary been caused by previous and take pride in their island’s natural
era. Heller received her MA current generations of adults, but beauty – from coastal wetlands
in Buddhist Studies from the it is the future generations that will to lush green mountains – and
University of Michigan, and her have to deal with its worst effects. in their success in protecting the
PhD in East Asian Languages Today’s children will play a critical environment.
and Civilizations from Harvard role in protecting the environment.
Taiwan is especially known for
University. Before coming to
Confronting the crisis will require its high rates of recycling and
University of Virginia, she was
much change – and education is an elaborate sorting systems that even
an associate professor in the
urgent first step. include a category for food waste
department of Asian Languages
destined for pig slop. According
and Cultures at UCLA. As experts have said, this education to self-reported figures, Taiwan now
will need to start early, so that recycles 20% more than the U.S.
environmentally friendly practices – and any visitor can attest to the
become habits at a young age. seriousness of recycling efforts.
