You’ve got to hand it to the Taiwanese, they’re on an environmental kick. Taiwan now has recycle bins everywhere, garbage is separated at fast food outlets, the plastic bags that used to be given out everywhere are now limited and must be purchased and the general amount of garbage produced has really gone down. On the bad side, they don’t want to give up their precious cars and other things that cause the terrible pollution.Cities and citizens are planting trees and flowers and making parks and generally beautifying grungy old and run-down neighborhoods. People’s hearts seem to be in the right place if not somewhat let down sometimes, as the next story will show.
A teacher at a primary elementary school in Taipei found a natural spring on their school’s property. A environmentally minded teacher decided to take action:
“Taking it as an opportunity to teach students about nature and ecology, Chen in 2000 turned the "wetland" into an ecological park complete with a pond, a pavilion with solar-powered lamps, frogs, butterflies and egrets…. The school last year [2003] applied for and received from the Ministry of Education NT$8 million [roughly CAD $325 000] to expand the park.”
Unfortunately, and I don’t know whether to laugh or cry, the ‘spring’ turned out to be a leaky water pipe that had wasted 45 000 tonnes of water over 27 years!
Read it here:
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2004/03/06/2003101333
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