The Big Eco-Spiritual Challenge: Hindu Insights on the Global Environmental and Animal Crisis

A wide range of religious and ethical questions are raised by the variety of ways in which humans relate to nonhuman animals and the environment. More than 8.5 billion nonhuman animals are slaughtered annually in the United States. Environmental scientists today have identified animal factory farming as the single most detrimental practice for our forests, oceans, and climate. Furthermore, racial and ethnic minority communities, and other underserved populations, are particularly vulnerable to the greatest impacts of climate change. This session offers an understanding of Hindu thought and practice as it bears on several dimensions of animal-environment related ethical reflection and action. The session particularly explores resources in Hindu traditions that offer pathways and insights into how humans can minimally impact the animals and the environment.