Taiwan will not be absent from a massive worldwide cleanup of the environment to be held on Sept. 20, according to the Good Neighbor Foundation yesterday.
"We hope the community-based activity will bring together citizens and promote environmental awareness," Tomming Lai (
Lai said the simple activity will improve local environments.
According to the UN Environment Program (UNEP), the community "Clean Up" concept is simple yet effective. Volunteers work together in their own communities to carry out local clean-up activities, uniting with like-minded community groups throughout the globe in the "Clean Up the World" activity.
The clean-up activity was initiated in Australia by Ian Kiernan, who witnessed environmental problems resulting from irresponsible waste disposal during a sail-boat contest held in 1987. The UNEP broadened it into a global activity in 1993, naming it "Clean Up the World."
Today, more than 125 nations participate in the activity, tackling even more ambitious environmental problems. Local cleanups are now complemented by initiatives aimed at producing longer-term environmental solutions.
This is Taiwan's third time participating in the worldwide effort. Last year, 22,000 volunteers took part.
The foundation yesterday called for citizens' participation in their plan to bring together more than 50,000 volunteers to clean up about 800 locations in Taiwan and offshore islands.
So far, 22,000 volunteers from 183 private enterprises and schools have expressed their willingness to join forces to safely remove garbage from beaches, mountainous areas, train stations, parks and remote roads.
Environmental Protection Administrator Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) said at the press conference that environmental protection could not be achieved by the government alone.
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