Assoc. Prof. Dr. Colin Butler
Australia

Towards a Buddhist approach for living in harmony with the oceans and its life

Associate Professor Colin Butler graduated in medicine in 1987. He holds three additional degrees, all in research, including a PhD in epidemiology and population health awarded by the Australian National University, Canberra, Australia, where he now works full time as research academic at the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health. In 1989, he co-founded the Benevolent Organization for Development, Health and Insight (BODHI) one of the world's first Buddhist-influenced aid groups based outside Asia. BODHI supports health and development projects in seven Asian countries, mostly in India. In 2009, Dr. Butler was named as one of a hundred "Doctors for the Planet" by the French Environmental Health Association, for his work in raising awareness of the risks that global population health confronts. These risks arise from persistent global inequality, climate change and the rising cost of energy and food, symptoms of approaching "limits to growth". Colin is a member of or advisor to several international organizations which seek to address some of these issues. To date he has published about 85 articles and book chapters, including in leading journals such as Science and The Lancet. He has given many invited lectures in 13 countries. Since 2009 Dr. Butler has been scientific adviser to the International Association of Buddhist Universities.