Ceremony held in Denpasar, Indonesia

“We human beings need to reclaim our sense of humility and work to attain a lifestyle that is in harmony with nature. This is what will protect us from the destruction of our environment,” said Mr Takeju Ogata, president of The Nippon Foundation.

He made these remarks at the conclusion of the recent award ceremony for the 2009-2010 winners of the UNEP (United Nations Environmental Programme) Sasakawa Prize on the island of Bali in Indonesia.

The winners were Nuru Design that developed a clean, affordable lighting solution for rural communities in Africa and India, and the Trees, Water & People (TWP) organization that distributes fuel efficient cooking stoves in Latin America which burn 70% less wood, thus cutting down on carbon emissions. Each organization received a $200,000 award for their innovations.

Mr Ogata told the award winners, UN officials, and other guests, “the environmental problems that we now face are global issues. They affect every life form on this planet. Over the 30 years that UNEP has been in operation, despite all efforts, environmental problems persist and are actually increasing in scale.”

Mr Takeju Ogata, President, The Nippon Foundation

Ogata believes that a resolution was not reached about greenhouse gas emissions at the Climate Change in Copenhagen last December “because the participating countries put national interest before collective environmental gain.”

Although countries have set reduction targets, he said “the fact remains that in every country, it is the national interest that receives priority.”

He pointed out an ugly aspect of “eco-business” -- the fact that the countries that have done a good job in keeping their emissions low are selling their emission rights to countries that have spent the past few years ignoring their targets.

Considering this, Ogata said, “I cannot help but feel that the current trends in environmental protection are building up a massive hornet’s nest. Our initiatives may be called environmentally friendly or ecological, but our motives all around the world are driven by profit.”

The question, he asked, is whether these activities truly benefit human beings and the earth?

“Today, there is a very real danger that, as we continue our technological advancements and pursue more comfortable and convenient life styles, we will inflict even further destruction on the earth,” he asserted.

Taking not only a global but universal perspective, he commented “when one looks at the earth from outer space, one realizes that human beings are merely one of the many life forms living on this planet and that our very existence is dependent on the earth itself.”

However, perhaps human beings have forgotten this vital connection between themselves and nature, Ogata surmised, and reluctantly he thought it would be difficult to solve all the environmental problems in the near future due to the wide gap of conflicting interests among different nations.

He appealed to people’s better nature to renew their appreciation for nature and life, and make an extra effort to suppress at least enough of our lust for conveniences that we don’t actually make the world worse than it already is. “We must do this for the betterment of ourselves, our families and our communities,” he said.

Ogata especially called for a change in each individual’s mindset and attitudes in order to deal effectively with earth’s environmental problems so that it won’t worsen. If we can do that, then perhaps, “negotiations between nations will find an effective solution,” he suggested.

He stressed the need for human beings to actively develop a balanced lifestyle that is in harmony with nature – “This is what will protect us from the destruction of our environment,” he concluded.

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