Large-scale demonstrations and parades aimed at raising public awareness of the pollution crisis threatening the survival of the next generation will be held on Dec. 8 in eight cities and counties around the country, organizers said yesterday.
The "Anti-Global Warming" demonstrations are being organized by individual members of the intelligentsia and more than 150 environmental protection groups including the Taiwan Environmental Protection Union (TEPU), the Society of Wilderness, the Homemaker's Union and Foundation, and Taiwan Academy of Ecology, TEPU Secretary-General Ho Tsung-hsun (何宗勳) said.
Ho said the event is organized out of concern with Taiwan's lack of progress in cutting domestic emissions of carbon dioxide, as proven by failed efforts to push for the first-reading of a draft law on greenhouse gas reduction in the legislature.
The event is also aimed at discouraging the private Formosa Plastics Group (
If the project is given the green light by the government, it will lead to an increase in Taiwan's carbon dioxide emissions by 15 million tonnes per year, Ho said, adding that such an amount would drive Taiwan up the global ranking of per capita carbon dioxide emissions from its current position at 22nd.
Citing the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change resolution, Ho said countries around the world are being reminded that global greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced significantly by the year 2015 because a global temperature rise of 2oC could cause disasters threatening the survival of all creatures on the planet.
Starting Saturday, "anti-global warming" rallies will be held in eight cities and counties -- Kaohsiung, Pingtung, Tainan, Chiayi, Yunlin, Changhua, Taichung and Hualien before the large-scale march on Dec. 8.
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