“Water the roots of the tree, not the leaves—if you want the tree to become healthy.”
This page presents the worldview and professional frameworks I work with. It does not offer instant solutions, but instead guides you back to the roots. Its aim to inspire reflection and responsible action.
“Water the roots of the tree, not the leaves—if you want the tree to become healthy.”
This page presents the worldview and professional frameworks I work with. It does not offer instant solutions, but instead guides you back to the roots. Its aim to inspire reflection and responsible action.
Attunement
Many of us feel that the environmental crisis is not just a legal or technical issue. While there are more and more rules, strategies, and “green solutions,” something profound is still lacking. We also rarely speak about the personal burden that arises from living in a system whose very operation is problematic.
If you feel that sometimes a good question is more important than ready-made answers—and that at times we might need to approach the issue from a different perspective, asking how we can be present in this world in a sober and responsible way—then this page is for you.
About me
For me, the questions above are not theoretical—they have shaped both my private and professional life for many years. As someone who is sensitive to and deeply concerned about the condition of the natural environment, I have long been bewildered by the still-dominant worldview in which force and disrespect toward nature, animals, and plants are treated as self-evident and almost unquestionable. This self- and nature-destructive worldview has legitimized countless rules and regulations over the years.
When I was a law student, this was the reason I began to immerse myself in environmental legislation: I felt it was one of the few fields capable of setting meaningful limits to this prevailing attitude.
After completing my legal studies, I continued my academic path. In 2009, I obtained my PhD, and for the past 20 years I have taught environmental law to both Hungarian and international students. At the same time, as a researcher, my work has focused on sustainable energy law, the environmental regulation of local municipalities, and the broader social and spiritual dimensions of ecological sustainability.
In the spring of 2025, I shifted toward a renewed direction. While I continue to participate in university-level education, I also began organizing courses grounded in real-world needs, aiming to support adaptation and to deepen understanding of the connections between social and environmental issues.
Message
As I have already mentioned, it was an important realization for me that law is only a tool in the hands of those currently in power, and that its capacity to ensure the rights of nature is therefore limited. Although there are occasional smaller and larger successes, planetary-scale renewal and the regeneration of the natural environment are still waiting to be achieved. I became dissatisfied with remaining passive and chose to look for ways out of this situation.
Along this path, I realized that environmental challenges do not require only technological solutions, but also a profound shift in our worldview. According to sustainability researchers, worldview is a deep leverage point that enables long-term societal transformation. Social and environmental problems are therefore deeply interconnected, and while I acknowledge the value of short-term technical solutions, I believe that relying on them alone—without reshaping our worldview—is ultimately doomed. Both are necessary.
What might this renewed worldview look like? One that does not measure the world solely in relation to ourselves; one that recognizes the need to find our place within it and to learn how to cooperate with it in a natural way—thus serving the well-being and fulfillment of all.
Law and worldview
Environmental law now exists throughout the world. One of the keys to the effectiveness of this specialized field of legal regulation is that it recognizes the environmental ecosystem as a complex and dynamic system. But what does this mean in practice? Just as it is not sufficient for legislation to treat human beings merely as biological and intellectual entities, understanding environmental and social systems also requires a broader perspective.
What might a legal system and worldview look like that simultaneously take into account biological, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual dimensions? Such a holistic approach makes it possible to recognize that all living and non-living entities are interconnected, and that every action we take has an impact on the greater whole. Within this framework, responsibility would not arise primarily from fear of sanctions, but from awareness of interconnectedness. A renewed law would therefore be adaptive, relational, and life-supporting—capable of responding to complexity and change, while creating space for cooperation, creativity, and self-reflection. In such a system, living responsibly would not stand in opposition to personal or collective well-being, but would become one of its deepest sources.
This website is not intended to provide in-depth scholarly analysis. Its aim is to offer a philosophical and value-driven perspective, inspiring reflection and responsible action. To explore the topic in more depth, see: Bányai Orsolya (Jog) (MTMT) Részletekért, aki mélyebben szeretne olvasni a témában: Bányai Orsolya (Jog) (MTMT)
Workshops
Soon I will provide a brief overview of the workshops I organize. According to my plans, these trainings will differ in atmosphere from the usual format. I primarily support in-person sessions, while also offering opportunities for online meetings in order to stay connected. The in-person workshops operate with an alternative perspective and methodology. Instead of the closed walls of a classroom, the location is a forest park or clearing, where we can explore individual topics together through interactive, question-and-answer-based dialogue. I trust that each of these gatherings will become a source of inspiration for every participant, and that we may rediscover the beauty of responsible, critical thinking.
Blog
Sustainable development and spirituality
May 21, 2024 Recently, I gave a lecture at the Sustainable Economy – Sustainable Society conference organized by the University of Debrecen and the Hungarian National Bank. My topic was 'Sustainable Development and Spirituality.' To briefly summarize, I spoke about how in major academic databases such as Web of Science or Scopus, in recent...
About the six principles of healthy relationships
November 9, 2023 Recently, I listened to a presentation by therapist Martha Kauppi, where she discussed six principles that summarize everything necessary for healthy relationships (including all types of relationships, from romantic relationships to friendships, work relationships, etc.). I would like to share these with you now. Admittedly, it may seem a bit like a template contract, but nonetheless, there is truth in it.
Can one be environmentally conscious, or simply put, a good person, out of guilt?
February 2, 2021 The question posed in the title was motivated by the observation that I see many people around me, with good intentions, watching environmental documentaries, such as the recently released David Attenborough film, and being shocked by the state of the Earth. They recognize that they themselves have contributed to this condition, and perhaps still contribute, yet they have not given up or would not be able to willingly give up their potentially overly comfortable, consumer-driven lifestyles.
A renewed system
June 5, 2021 Recently, there has been repeated mention of the need to express that the current system is unsustainable and that a new one is required. Okay, okay, but what exactly do we mean by "system," and what should the new system look like? When someone refers to a system, they may be referring to it in general or to specific areas: social, legal, political, educational, healthcare, etc.
We need those who are constantly able to see the good and lovable in us
May 20, 2021 Fear is so dangerous because when it takes over us, it seeps into our very bones and convinces us that we live in a cruel, tyrannical world to which we must adapt. We must shake off our shivering, harden our hearts, and forcefully take what we want. All of this paralyzes the soul. In this environment, there is little or no room for love. And because we live without love, we are unable (or only to a very limited extent) to connect with others, leading to deep isolation within.
Magyar