Peace

Dharma (Righteousness): Following one’s dharma, or duty, is seen as a way to maintain social order and harmony. This includes ethical behaviour, truthfulness and justice.

Meditation and Yoga: The Vedas emphasize the importance of meditation and yoga for inner peace. These practices calm the mind, reduce stress and foster a sense of unity with the universe.

Prayers and Rituals: Regular prayers and rituals are believed to bring peace and prosperity. The Vedas contain numerous hymns and mantras that are recited to invoke peace and harmony.

Social Harmony: The Vedas advocate for social harmony and understanding among different communities and nations. They emphasize the importance of coexistence, mutual respect and brotherhood.

These principles collectively guide individuals and societies towards a peaceful and harmonious existence.

Dialogue and Diplomacy: The Vedas advocate for resolving disputes through dialogue and understanding rather than through violence. This principle can be applied to international relations to avoid conflicts and promote peace.

Righteous Leadership (Rajadharma): The concept of Rajadharma, or the duty of rulers, stresses that leaders should govern with justice, fairness, and compassion. Ethical leadership is seen as crucial for maintaining peace and preventing conflicts.

Sacrifices and Rituals for Peace: The Vedas include various rituals and sacrifices intended to bring peace and prosperity to the land. These rituals are symbolic of the collective effort needed to maintain harmony.

These teachings, while ancient, offer timeless wisdom that can be applied to modern efforts for global peace and conflict resolution.

Western Approach to Global Peace

• International Diplomacy: Engaging in negotiations and treaties to resolve conflicts and promote cooperation.

• Economic Development: Addressing poverty and inequality as root causes of conflict.

• Peacebuilding Initiatives: Programs and policies aimed at rebuilding war-torn societies and preventing future conflicts.

• Global Peace Index: Measuring and promoting peace through data-driven analysis and policy recommendations.

Both approaches aim for global peace but differ in their methods and underlying philosophies. The Vedic approach is more spiritually oriented, while the Western approach is more pragmatic and policy-driven.

2. How natural-resource depletion could lead to inter-state conflicts:

Resource competition: As resources such as oil, minerals and water become scarce, states may compete for control of these valuable assets.

Economic dependence: Countries heavily dependent on specific resources can face economic instability if these resources are depleted, leading to conflicts with resource-rich neighbours.

Territorial disputes: Disagreements over resource-rich areas can escalate into territorial disputes and, potentially, armed conflicts.

Environmental damage: over-exploitation of resources can lead to environmental damage, which can further damage relations between states.

Political instability: resource depletion can undermine political stability, making states more vulnerable to internal and external conflicts.

The global-peace risk level is currently very high, as confirmed by the Doomsday Clock, compiled by scientists.

Regarding environmental degradation, we identify seven critical issues:

1. Irreversible climate-change tipping points have already been crossed, with more expected as threshold temperatures are passed.
2. Forecasts for the 2050 global energy mix suggest a significant increase in renewables, but fossil fuels and nuclear energy will still play a major role.
3. Matter energy (fossil fuels and nuclear) is predicted to remain a significant part of the global energy mix until at least 2050.
4. Renewables are likely to grow but may face challenges in achieving timely and effective penetration of the energy mix before 2050.
5. No currently known energy source can achieve net-negative emissions by 2050 without significant advancements and relying more on matter energy.
6. No known energy resource can slow or reverse environmental degradation without increased reliance on matter energy.
7. Fusion is not expected to be commercially viable before 2050, and it may face challenges in meeting the energy needs of the 21st century and equitable access.

Regarding natural-resource depletion, we identify two main issues:

1. Increased costs: The depletion of natural resources leads to higher extraction and production costs, impacting economies and consumers.
2. Nations competing for resources: Countries engage in long-term strategic planning to secure resources for their prosperity, often at the expense of others. This competition can manifest overtly through confrontational strategies or covertly through economic measures.

These factors suggest that the dire predictions of the Thermodynamic perspective of life, attributed to nature by science, cannot be overcome by human measures alone.

This failure of human endeavours is evident in the inability of science and politics to reconcile the Growth-Energy Trilemma, where each nation must grow by trading off the global pressures and risks of Environmental Preservation, Energy Affordability, and Energy Security.

Our thought experiments aim to reveal that nature has made ample provisions for humanity’s developmental needs. Incomplete scientific knowledge on energy has prompted human development on sub-optimal development paths since the industrial revolution. We aim to reveal that contrary to scientific claims, nature has ensured that the Earth is neither energy-limited nor entropic, making lasting global peace achievable.