Meredith Jagger and Thomas Wilson

There is a widespread perception among the environmentally conscious in the West that Eastern religions are more environmentally protective than Western ones. This concept of Eastern eco-friendliness can, in part, be attributed to Lynn White’s 1967 article “The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis” which critiques Christianity’s eco-recklessness. While White ultimately advocates a reformulation of Christianity, numerous attempts have been made by supporters of Eastern faiths to demonstrate that their traditions are environmentally sensitive. These endorsements of Eastern eco-friendliness require more careful scrutiny than they have widely received thus far. If one asserts that Eastern religions are more environmentally protective, in theory, there should be a correlation between the stated eco-ethic and practice. In order to test Asian eco-ethics in practice, we are examining secondary data pertaining to the “Asian turtle crisis.” Recent studies highlighting the decline in numbers of Asian turtles outline major human factors influencing this decline (consumption, medical uses and the pet trade), but this information often lacks a deeper understanding of the religious, ethical, historical and cultural context in which this exploration is taking place. We are, therefore, investigating the societies in which this turtle crisis is occurring by using scientific data in conjunction with religious texts to determine if Eastern traditions are resulting in conservation of biodiversity. Also, if there is a disconnect between religious mandates and action in regards to turtle exploitation, there is a need to determine what ethical mechanisms could possibly be used to promote conservation in the future.
General Session Poster

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