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Pragmatic Conscience: Ecological Governance in Shangri-La

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Bionomics in the Dragon Kingdom

Part of the book series: Fascinating Life Sciences ((FLS))

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Abstract

Governing its rich and diverse natural resources is becoming an increasingly complex challenge for Bhutan due to transboundary air pollution, climate change impacts, and economic activities like road construction and other infrastructure development. Over the years, various conservation policies and laws have evolved in Bhutan to ensure conformity and continuity of strong Buddhist conservation ethics for the protection and sustainable use of biological resources. The conservation policies and laws are designed toward contributing to the achievement of GNH, environmental sustainability being one of the four building blocks of GNH. The Constitution of the Kingdom of Bhutan enshrines environmental conservation as a constitutional mandate, and Bhutan 2020, the country’s vision document, emphasizes the maximization and reinforcement of GNH. These apex policy documents serve as guiding policy instruments for other sector-specific and environment- and biodiversity-related policy and legal instruments.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    See “Food’s effect on the atmosphere,” by Kenneth R. Weiss, “Los Angeles Times,” April 22, 2008, p. A1 (Documentation from FAO).

  2. 2.

    See “The ecology of conscience: sustainability issues for New Zealand,” by Michael Tobias, Keynote Address for The New Zealand Planning Institute, Conference held in Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand in 2004.

  3. 3.

    See “Improving interactions between animal rights groups and conservation biologists,” by Dan Perry and Gad Perry, Conservation Biology, Volume 22, No. 1, pp. 27–35, 2008.

  4. 4.

    See “Nirvana Sutra,” Chapter 7, in Lord Buddha’s On the Four Aspects.

  5. 5.

    See “A history of Tibet and vegetarianism,” by Tenzin, Tibetans for a Vegetarian Society; see www.animalsavingtrust.org whose founder, Lama Kunzang Dorjee, has saved more than 1500 farm animals from slaughter.

  6. 6.

    See Mahatma Gandhi’s speech, “The moral basis of vegetarianism,” The London Vegetarian Society, November 20, 1931.

  7. 7.

    See “General status of the system of food and agriculture statistics in Bhutan,” Improvement of Agricultural Statistics in Asia and Pacific Countries, GCP/RAS/171/JPN, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Bangkok, 2001, p. 1.

  8. 8.

    See “Is eating meat un-Buddhist?” by Sonam Pelden, “Kuensel Online,” August 16, 2007.

  9. 9.

    The Livestock Act of 2001.

  10. 10.

    See “The rush for meat,” by Ugyen Penjore, “Kuensel Online,” May 7, 2005.

  11. 11.

    Personal communication with Michael Tobias, May 2008.

  12. 12.

    See LEX-FACOC012533. Bhutan: Slaughter and meat inspection 1981, By-law No. 5., The Livestock Act and By-laws, Ministry of Development, Animal Husbandry Department, November 1980, pp. 20–31.

  13. 13.

    See “Bhutan Aquaculture Development,” 1981, www.afo.org/docrep/field/003/P8793E/P879303.htm

  14. 14.

    “Bhutan Animal Husbandry,” The Library of Congress Country Studies; CIA World Factbook, September, 1991; www.photius.com/countries/bhutan/economy/bhutan_economy_animal_husbandry.html

  15. 15.

    See Kachondham Yongyout, “Report of a consultancy on existing nutritional problems in Bhutan and suggested plan of actions,” WHO-Bhutan, and SEARO, Project SE ICP NUT 604 RB, 1995.

  16. 16.

    E. Laureti, “Fish and fishery products: world apparent consumption statistics based on food balance sheets (1961–1993),” FAO Fisheries Circular No. 821, Rev. 3 Rome, FAO, 1996.

  17. 17.

    See http://www.fao.org/fishery/countrysector/FI-CP_BT/3

  18. 18.

    See Nutrition Country Profile – Bhutan, December 20, 1999, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, pp. 23–29 and pp. 37–38.

  19. 19.

    ibid., p.30.

  20. 20.

    See “Bhutan,” by Kinzang Wangdi, www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPC/doc/Counprof/Bhutan/Bhutan.htm

  21. 21.

    Approved by the Council of Ministers, No: PPD/3/GEN/745, October 27, 1999.

  22. 22.

    Figure proposed by Dr. Karma Rinzin, National Care for Animal Health at Serbithang.

  23. 23.

    This figure according to Hemraj Chhetri, Head of Solid Waste and Sanitation, Thimphu City Corporation.

  24. 24.

    According to Dr. Sona Pradhan of the JDW National Referral Hospital, the vast majority of bites are quite minor.

  25. 25.

    op.cit., Ugyen Penjore.

  26. 26.

    See “Global production and consumption of animal source foods,” by Andrew W. Speedy, Animal Production and Health Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy, in The Journal of Nutrition, 4048S, American Society for Nutritional Sciences, 2003.

  27. 27.

    Ibid., Table 1, “Global trends In animal source foods”; see also, FAOSTAT, Rome, 2004; http://apps.fao.org

  28. 28.

    Ibid., Table 1.

  29. 29.

    op.cit., Kinzang Wangdi, www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPC/doc/Counprof/Bhutan/Bhutan.htm

  30. 30.

    See “Chalingpas hang up the butcher’s knives,” by Kesang Dema, “Kuensel Online”, November 9, 2007.

  31. 31.

    See “Chalingpas hang up the butcher’s knives,” by Kesang Dema, “Kuensel Online”, November 9, 2007.

  32. 32.

    See “The anthropology of conscience,” by Michael Tobias, Journal of Society and Animals, Vol. 4, No. 1, Cambridge: The White Horse Press, 1996, p. 69.

  33. 33.

    See Dr. Michael Tobias and Jane Gray Morrison, Sanctuary: global oases of innocence, Foreword by Her Majesty Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck, Queen of the Fourth King of Bhutan, A Dancing Star Foundation Book, San Francisco and Tulsa: Council Oak Books, 2008.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Environment Commission, Royal Government of Bhutan, Thimphu, Bhutan

    Ugyen Tshewang

  2. Dancing Star Foundation, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Jane Gray Morrison & Michael Charles Tobias

Authors
  1. Ugyen Tshewang
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  2. Jane Gray Morrison
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  3. Michael Charles Tobias
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Tshewang, U., Morrison, J.G., Tobias, M.C. (2018). Pragmatic Conscience: Ecological Governance in Shangri-La. In: Bionomics in the Dragon Kingdom. Fascinating Life Sciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94655-9_6

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