Local governments are preparing for a variety of green activities to replace the traditional barbecue during the Mid-Autumn Festival as an effort to reduce the festival’s carbon footprint.
For many families, the Mid--Autumn Festival, which falls today this year, would not be complete without the barbecues that accompany the traditional family gatherings during the holiday.
However, to raise public awareness about carbon emissions created by firing up the grills, some local governments have decided they will provide alternative family activities that are green, but just as entertaining.
In Kinmen County, a 13-day Mid-Autumn Mooncake Gambling Game encourages tens of thousands of residents to gamble in a green and educational way, tourism official Lin Ching-i said last week.
Adapted from the ancient imperial exams, the simple dice game names different combinations of six dice based on the six ranks in the examination system.
Those who get the higher rank by throwing as many “fours” as possible will be the winners of the game and treated with mooncakes.
Part of Kinmen’s ongoing efforts to bill itself as a low-carbon island, Lin said, more people have been choosing gambling over barbecuing during the Mid-Autumn Festival over the years.
“What’s special this year is that we are offering a cow as a second prize to encourage people to be environmentally friendly,” she said. “Unlike a car, cattle will not create as much carbon emissions.”
In Greater Taichung, after three years of encouraging citizens to abandon grilling, the government is trying to refocus celebrations around its cherished tea industry.
A total of 1,000 free servings of bubble milk tea, along with live concerts, will be provided at the city hall plaza on the holiday, Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強) said.
“The world’s best tea is in Taichung,” Hu said. “We want more tea and less barbecue on the festival.”
The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said such green initiatives by local governments could cut several thousand tonnes of carbon dioxide if implemented every year.
“Compared with industrial carbon emissions, the carbon dioxide we will cut is relatively small,” EPA official Chen Hung-ta said. “However, it is one of the best opportunities for environmental awareness to take root in a fun and positive way.”
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