(W.E.Talk) Donald Worster: To Build Eco-civilization, China and the West Need Each Other(3)

CNS: What's your opinion of changing people's thinking on environmental problems when building the eco-civilization?

Donald Worster: It means nothing when the thought of building the eco-civilization is a rule or law passed by somebody. I believe that it has to come from all the people talking and thinking. It is like we get around the table and everybody talks about it, for nobody knows what all that means.

However, it doesn't mean that we have to do it in a compulsory way. I do believe that it should be available everywhere and it should be learned and studied everywhere as part of a scientific education, but it should be done in an open way so that everybody realizes that science is something that is always changing, creating itself. We cannot make all these happen by forcing people to do.

CNS: We are facing a very complicated world, for there are full of complicated relations between all the countries on politics and economy. Nevertheless, the consensus of working together on climate issues is accepted by most of the countries. What is the reason of it?

Donald Worster: To make the cooperation happen, it will require some changes in people's attitudes. I think this can be something that we can solve, but is not going to be solved by on or two countries. Some cultures will probably do it one way, some another way. But certainly respect for differences is going to be part of this.

I think the leader of the future may become the spokesperson for new ideas and promotes them. We don't know what the future will be, because the answers could be anywhere. In this way, we have to just keep moving forward and finding new technologies. Let's just be open-minded and tolerant, then we’ll hear everybod's voice.

Back to the definition of "sustainable", I have mentioned that everybody would have a slightly different meaning and perception. It doesn’t mean anything but an "empty box". And when we get together and talk, we come up with some ideas that we can agree on. And we promote we’re going to have to do the same with sustainability, but they're both worth doing. This is a conversation we need to have adjust sustainable world.

It has to be global. No nation can create the future by itself. This is my own reason why I keep traveling around the world, because I think the future lies in a more global interaction and conversation.

Edited by Wang Zonghan

2024.5.28