A Hindu theologian, living in Brecon, Wales, has discovered possibly one of the simplest ways to carve our domestic carbon footprint down to its bare essentials. Akhandadhi Das, through his study of Hinduism and the religion’s focus on the symbiotic relationship between mankind and the cow, has began to advocate a life without meat as a cause to help decrease the carbon emissions created by UK markets driving intense beef farming.
Mr Das, who found Hinduism in his adult life, has taken an economic edge to his new found enlightenment: “I’ve been following Hinduism all my adult life and over the years have got very much involved in environmental projects, both here in the UK and in India. My big interest at the moment is the Food Chain. As far as I can see, there is one single thing that each one of us can do that would make a huge impact to our planet, to our carbon footprint, to changing Climate Change, and that is go vegetarian.”
One of several religious representatives who attended the Faith in the Environment conference hosted by BBC Wales in November 2009, Mr Das is firm in his belief that vegetarianism is the right step but not for ethical reasons:
“The reason is that the meat industry is responsible for more green house gases than all of the transport systems of the planet. It’s destroying the rain forest – two acres disappear every second – given over to temporary grazing and production of soya to feed animals fattening them for beef. This can’t be sustained, even for the handful of people on the planet eating that never mind the rest of the population properly.”
He continues. “What we need is a holistic approach to the food chain. That, I think, is summarised in the Hindu which really incorporates the symbiotic relationship that humans have with cows. The cow produces the miracle food milk, eats grass that grows freely all over the place; the bull ploughs the land, provides draft, and is the power and the bread-winner. If humans concentrated on their relationship with the cow and the bull, they would enrich the earth with manure; improving the soil, improving productivity and, actually, we could happily feed the planet in a way that is not exploitative either of the earth and the animals.”
Mr Das’ studies are rooted in the Hindu concept ‘Ahimsa’ which translates to ‘non-violence’. The concept itself goes beyond the obvious state of not being violent to each other, it practises a reciprocal relationship with man and his surroundings in an attempt to achieve Harmony with his Environment.
According to reports in 2006 by the Livestock, Environment and Development Initiative, the livestock industry is currently one of the largest contributors to environmental degradation worldwide. Its impact on the planet includes; air and water pollution, land degradation, climate change, and an increasing loss of biodiversity. Mr Das’ approach to vegetarianism is one that should be expanded on with regards to the ineffective and inefficient infrastructures that today hold our meat markets in place.
For more information on this subject and to see Mr Das’ interview in full, click here or visit the BBC website.
