Reverence for life is the idea that we should notice and respect all forms of life and take care to protect them. So how does this philosophy apply to life in the 21st century?

In many ways, the world appears to be going down the wrong path – wars, extinctions and global warming to name just a few examples of the terrifying things which we hear about daily.

Is it really as bad as it seems?

Humans have developed so many new technologies in the last few decades: from the internet to genetic modification and ever better cars to cloning, we seem to be inventing faster than we can control. The huge financial investment in research, driven by commercial interests, makes for a pressure to produce a profit which rides rough-shod over possible long-term side-effects, damage and pollution.