| Research Abstract |
We conducted this research over a 3-year period to determine what should be done from within the Humanities domain to establish as ustainable society, while further considering what conditions are necessary for this to occur. The research comprised the following five sub-themes:
1. Study of the status of environmentally related institutions and social systems
We studied the circumstances concerning environmental institutions established in major cities in Germany, Holland, Sweden, England, China, and Japan, and investigated residents' actions in regard to the environment. We found that environmental awareness is strongest in Germany.
2. Study of environmental awareness and actions of students in various countries
We conducted a survey of students in the United States, Turkey, and South Korea, as well as in the six countries listed above. The survey targeted at least 100 students per country. With this group of nine countries comprising advanced, moderately developed, and developing nations
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, it was not surprising to find that students in Germany and Sweden exhibited higher awareness of environmental issues. However, the high level of environmental awareness among South Korean students was unexpected. Furthermore, as China had been excluded from previous surveys of this type, we believe the inclusion of Chinese students in this study to be highly significant.
3. Environmental preservation must always be the first consideration for any scientific technique used in establishing a sustainable society.
4. We read approximately 300 articles from various European journals concerning theories of sustainable societies.
We studied the environmental awareness of Dutch citizens and actual conditions related to sustainable societies, interviewing figures involved in environmental issues from government, non-governmental organizations, and academia. A "Dutch Environmental Report," based on the above research, was subsequently published in newspapers and governmental bulletins.
5. We continued with research into sustainable development on Indonesia's Lombok Island, and made preparations for the establishment of a research center to promote this same project at Mataram University.
This research led us to recognize the importance of considering issues from the standpoint of environmental philosophy and environmental ethics. In particular, cultivating a constant awareness of the Buddhist philosophy of "not pursuing wants beyond one's actual needs" is essential, and it is important to begin training and educating children in this concept from a very early age. Less
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