When ecological conservationists and officials in Taiwan campaigned for the 31st anniversary of Earth Day yesterday, some environmentalists called on citizens to live simple and economical lives.
Activists from the Homemakers' Union and Foundation (主婦聯盟) yesterday sold cloth lunch bags in Taipei to promote reusing recyclable materials rather than plastic bags.
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
The lunch bags are made by housewives living in central Taiwan in areas heavily affected by the 921 earthquake.
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
Activists from the foundation said that selling the bags promotes a more environmentally and economically conscious lifestyle and helps victims of the earthquake.
Chan Man-li (陳曼麗), board chairwoman of the foundation, told the Taipei Times that Earth Day was not the only chance for people to treasure natural resources.
"If people's environmental awareness is raised, they can fulfill their ideas of environmental protection every day," Chan said.
In Taipei's Ta-an Forest Park (大安森林公園) yesterday, officials and conservationists held an activity called the "2001 Earth Day, Embracing the Earth" (二OO一世界地球日，擁抱地球), to encourage members of the public to experience nature.
At the opening ceremony environment, agriculture and education officials held a forum to where they called on people to treasure the planet.
Environmental Protection Administration head Hau Lung-bin (
Chang Hung-lin (張宏林), an activist with the Taiwan-based Society of Wilderness (荒野保護協會), said that the diverse activities designed for the Earth Day event were intended to help participants experience nature and learn to treasure it.
The society displayed rock samples collected by its members from remote mountain areas in Taiwan to offer children living in cities a chance to observe geologic textures.
With the assistance of record companies, they also played music accompanied by calls of diverse animals in Taiwan and the sound of waves and tides recorded on the eastern coast to illustrate the beauty of Taiwan.
The idea for Earth Day evolved over a period of seven years starting in 1962 in the US. At that time, a group of concerned senators felt that the state of the environment was simply a non-issue in the country's politics.
On April 22, 1970, a nationwide grassroots demonstration was held on behalf of the environment. Demonstrators lobbied senators to draft laws pertaining to clean air, clean water and endangered animals.
Since then, concepts that emerged from the first Earth Day have influenced environmentalists, conservationists, politicians and businessmen all over the world, including Taiwan.
In the industrial sector, Applied Materials Taiwan yesterday took children to visit the Taipei Astronomy Museum.
Applied Material said that its environmentally friendly machines for producing semi-conductor materials efficiently reduce the emission of perfluorocarbons (PFCs), into the atmosphere. Semiconductor manufacturing is a large source of PFC emission.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS