Consumerisim leads to air and water pollution, depletion of species, destructive forestry and poor land management practices. The environmental crisis is not merely a symbol of the spiritual decay but as a direct result of it.
Buddhism is an offspring of Hinduism and magnifies traditional Asian cultural values which "include respects for animals and plants as well as human life; personal achievement may be sought but not at another's expense, and always "exploitation, confrontation, and competition are to avoided" . He also states that the temple and its grounds are "not only the center of social and spiritual life" but perfect ecological models as well . However, over the years, the ideals of Buddhism have grown distant to the realities of Asian culture (from which it was developed). Sivaraska cites many of the same problems that plague Western culture and are responsible for the constant decay of the environment: Food is produced no longer driven by the need of the local people yet by market need. Fishing and agriculture is more dependent on machinery and chemicals, which deplete natural recources and pollute the ecosystem, then the efforts of an individual farmer. .
Yet, the problem that arises now is that with time comes technology whose aim is to create productivity and efficiency. Buddhism acknowledges that turning back the clock to a largely rural, agrarian setting is neither possible nor especially desirable. The Dalai Lama addresses the matter of balance in the environment. Practically speaking, the Dalai Lama looks to science and education to make mankind aware of safe and unsafe environmental processes; we should make a special effort "to introduce ecology into the school curriculum" . But the primary factor in the resolution is our human compassion, love laced with responsibility and care. The Dalai Lama's reminds humanity that everyone is an individual, naturally a part of humanity.