Free One-Day Workshop: East Asian Buddhism and China's Environmental Challenges

Lori Meeks - Buddhism's East Asian Evolution

 

Buddhism is one of the world's oldest faiths and one of the most diverse. The story of Buddhism, especially of its transmission to quite different cultures, is a fascinating one. In this workshop, Professor Lori Meeks, chair of the USC Department of Religion and an award-winning scholar, will examine the rise and spread of Buddhism, with particular attention to history in Japan. Prof. Meeks is particularly known for her books on women and Buddhism and monastic traditions. 

Barbara Finamore - Meeting China's Environmental Challenges

With the United States backing away from commitments to address climate change, will China take the lead in saving our planet from environmental catastrophe? Many signs point to yes. China, the world's largest carbon emitter, is leading a global clean energy revolution, phasing out coal consumption and leading the development of a global system of green finance. But as leading China environmental expert Barbara Finamore explains, it is anything but easy. The fundamental economic and political challenges that China faces in addressing its domestic environmental crisis threaten to derail its low-carbon energy transition. Yet there is reason for hope. China's leaders understand that transforming the world's second largest economy from one dependent on highly polluting heavy industry to one focused on clean energy, services and innovation is essential, not only to the future of the planet, but to China's own prosperity.