The Jogye Order is Researching New Renewable Energy to Resolve Global Warming

Using fossil fuel has caused climate change and other global problems resulting in global warming. The Jogye Order is now researching using new renewable energy in temples to help the global warming trend. Jogye Order’s Department of Social Affairs is working together with researchers to improve energy usage and renewable energy usage in temples. The Jogye Order will assess energy usage in temples. With this assessment, they will prepare measures to use energy more efficiently. They will research ways to use renewable energy. Ten temples have been selected for the assessments. Mountain temples, city temples, and some of the main temples have been selected including temples like Tongdosa (solar energy, geothermal energy), Cheongoksa (solar energy, geothermal energy), and Geumsansa (biomass) that are already using renewable energy. The assessments are to be completed by October. From then, there will be research on policies in cooperation with the advisory council. With the research completed, the final report is to be submitted by January.

The Director of the Department of Social Affairs Ven. Seyoung said, “This research is to prepare measures from the Buddhist community to deal with climate change and environmental problems stemming from the use of fossil fuel.” He also said, “In accordance with Buddhist principles on life, we are committed to find a way to resolve environmental issues and realize a way for the survival of society.”

—From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Renewable energy

Renewable energy is energy generated from natural resources—such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat—which are renewable (naturally replenished). In 2006, about 18% of global final energy consumption came from renewables, with 13% coming from traditional biomass, such as wood-burning. Hydroelectricity was the next largest renewable source, providing 3% of global energy consumption and 15% of global electricity generation.