Dalai Lama and Steven Seagal

Animal rights work
Seagal has been an outspoken opponent of animal cruelty which can be seen in a scene in the movie Out for Justice. This is consistent with his views on spirituality, as well as his environmentalist views (as showcased in On Deadly Ground). Seagal is also a vegetarian. Seagal believes in reincarnation: "When I walk into a room some people see a dog, some people see a cow. I am all of what they see. It is their perception.

Steven has described his activism method as "shaming companies into changing," a theme that is visible in such films as On Deadly Ground and Fire Down Below. He has worked with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to discourage the fur trade, and has written to the Prime Minister of India to seek increased legal protection for cows. Seagal worked effectively towards saving dogs destined to drown in Taiwan; he successfully sought the Premier of Taiwan to sign legislation limiting animal cruelty.

Baby elephants
This activism has not diminished in recent years. Seagal prevented the export of baby elephants from South Africa to Japan. For these and other efforts, Seagal was awarded a PETA Humanitarian Award in 1999.
In 2003, Seagal wrote an open letter to the leadership of Thailand, urging them to enact law to prevent the torture of baby elephants.
　
Mystical dog incident
While being interviewed by PETA, Seagal was asked to provide an example of a special interaction with an animal. To lend context and meaning to his animal rights work, Seagal offered the story about a dog which approached him during his early aikido years in Japan. Seagal described feeling as if he had known this white dog forever. After keeping the dog for a few days, the dog (by barking) warned Seagal that his dojo was on fire. Seagal quickly summoned help to put out the conflagration. Seagal never saw the dog again.

Solar power
Seagal is an advocate for solar power, consistent with his views on oil, as showcased in 1994's On Deadly Ground. Upon spotting another Caucasian in Thailand in 2004, Seagal was pleased to find this man was a manufacturer of solar powered bicycles. Seagal promptly purchased a number of solar electric utility and transport vehicles to bring feed to his animal partners at his ranch in California. A future Under Siege sequel may feature terror aboard a solar powered ship.