An interdisciplinary exploration of the tension between traditional and modern approaches to the environment in Pacific Rim countries.

The most vigorously developing economies and largest markets today are located on the Pacific Rim, suggesting that the economic "center of gravity" is shifting from the shores of the North Atlantic. Yet the Pacific Rim is also the location of much of the earth's natural beauty as well as the home of still thriving traditional aboriginal societies. The Pacific Basin's environmental assets and its aboriginal peoples are confronted by the forces of development. The resulting tension between traditional and modern approaches to the environment are addressed in this book by an interdisciplinary team of scientists, social scientists, and humanists.

Part I introduces the tensions between traditional and modern values; Part II examines the problem in more detail with regard to the relationships that exist between some belief systems, institutions, and the environment; while Part III presents case studies from Canada, the United States, Russia, and China where attempts have been made to reconcile the tension between traditional and modern approaches to the environment.

Harold Coward is a scholar of international reputation with distinguished contributions to both the University of Victoria and University of Calgary throughout his extensive career. After retiring from the University of Victoria as director of the Centre for Studies in Religion and Society, he continues to be involved as a research fellow. He is currently a member of the Genome BC Board of Directors, where he serves as a specialist on ethics and biotechnology. In June 2002, Dr. Coward was also selected as one of the twenty-five power thinkers in British Columbia by BC Business Magazine.

Leslie S. Kawamura is an Assistant Professor, Department of Religious Studies, University of Calgary, Alberta. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, in Far Eastern Studies (1974). He has studied at the Kyoto University (Japan) and has taught at the Nyingma Institute (Berkeley), Institute of Buddhist Studies (Berkeley), and the University of Saskatchewan (Saskatoon). His publications include Mind in Buddhist Psychology (with H.V. Guenther, Dharma Press, 1975) and Golden Zephyr (Dharma Press, 1975). He was a founding member of the Honpa Buddhist Church of Alberta and the Canada-Mongolia Society.

Harold Coward's profile page

Maurice Strong's profile page

"?a volume that furthers the conversation around environment and development, while at the same time focusing on a fast-developing large region of the planet, the Pacific Rim — this book makes at least two much-needed contributions to the literature on the environment: (1) it reinforces the crucial religious/culture component of any viable solutions to the environmental crisis and (2) it does so in a manner that shows the effective functionality of meanings and values in the construction of society, in particular a society that takes the natural world seriously." — Studies in Religion

"In this book the thematic surveys of the Pacific region range from case studies of the Colorado River, the forests of Western Canada, to energy in Siberia, and urban growth in the Pearl River Delta of southern China. These chapters offer fresh insights into the various tensions between traditional and modern environment and development values in the Pacific. The broad interdisciplinary nature of this study makes it a unique and important contribution to both scholars and those who make policy decisions in both government and the private sector." — Maurice Strong, from the Foreword