The state of the environment in Taiwan has been sliding downhill, Winkler said.
“It’s becoming an environmental disaster,” he said. “One of the prime indicators is that we are consuming like Americans ... We are a superpower when it comes to waste and overconsumption.”
Winkler strives for simplicity and zero negative impact, seeking to reduce and eventually eliminate all purchases of new materials and equipment for himself and his office.
“I haven’t used an air conditioner for years in my home; I’m trying to never buy anything new again and I don’t own a car,” he said.
Outside of his daily work at the office, Winkler gives lectures at schools, meets with individuals and groups interested in his message and publishes books on environmental protection.
WaH also promotes education and public discussion on the environment, in addition to producing research and translations of important works in a variety of related fields. Winkler Partners, meanwhile, donates 3 percent of its earnings to environmental and social organizations.
Winkler and WaH are also working on a long list of projects. They are opposed to the Central Taiwan Science Park and WaH is in the middle of biodiversity research to combat a Yunlin County decision to flood Youcing Valley (幽情谷) to alleviate a water shortage in the area.
Does the work ever pay off? Yes, Winkler says. The organization’s efforts have, for example, led Taipei County to fine a construction company that began building a road between Wulai (烏來) and Sansia (三峽) before its EIA had been passed.
But the green movement is more than just seeking a balance in our use of the environment, Winkler says: Society has a lot to learn.
“The greening process include[s] paying colleagues as much as we can afford, being completely open about firm finances and providing opportunities to develop or move to different positions within the office,” he said.
In the right environment, most people can do some very interesting and outstanding things, he says — and that in turn benefits the organization as a whole.
Above all, Winkler says, people need to learn to “really see” their surroundings.
“You ask me why I care about the environment so much, but I’m surprised whenever I talk to people outside the environmental field,” he said. “Why isn’t [the issue of the environment] obvious to everyone?”
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