 Formosa
Haciéndose Ecológico para Revertir
Compiled Report by Formosa News Groups
[Taipei] A few days before World Earth Day, on April 22, Golden Year 5 (2008), The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association co-founded the Union of No Meat No Heat with more than 50 organizations dedicated to environmental protection, animal protection, vegetarianism as well as religion. The Union launched a petition “Go Veg for a Cooler Earth,” pledging to collect a million signatures starting on Earth Day 2008. This appeal to the public to stop climate change by adopting an energy-saving, carbon-reducing and vegetarian lifestyle received widespread response from government offices, academics, research institutes and people throughout the country. On April 18, No Meat No Heat representatives visited the city’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to present the No Meat No Heat Declaration and act out a play advocating their ideal. Their action was covered by Chinese Television System, Formosa Television, Public Television Service, DaAi TV and the China Times. The following day, residents in southern Taipei held the Happy Living Green Day activity in front of Taipei City Zoo, where they signed a long-term pact to observe a lifestyle of reduced carbon use, energy conservation and more vegetarian intake. The Association also participated in this activity. Taipei Mayor Dr. Hao Long-bin, DEP Director Stephen Shen, and City Councilors Chou Po-ya and Lee Ching-yuan attended the event and signed the petition. Councilor Chou especially chose to sign the petition at our stand, saying that he deeply related to Master’s appeal to adopt a vegetarian diet, plant more trees, save energy and opt for sustainable energy to save the planet. He readily supported this public-benefit activity because it is the responsibility of every citizen of the planet.
On April 20, the Association was invited to participate in a fair held at the zoo to push for better treatment of the Earth. It promoted the No Meat No Heat appeal and passed out beverages to more than 5,000 guests. Zoo Director Jason Yeh led the visitors in pledging to save energy and use cars less, opting to walk instead of drive. DEP Director Shen urged people to go green and follow a happy lifestyle in order to fight global warming and heal Earth’s wounds. An Association representative explained the benefits that a vegetarian diet could bring to our body and the environment in a speech delivered before hundreds of guests. Directors Shen and Yeh and Association representatives presented awards to 108 students who won the Green for Earth coloring contest. The awards were sponsored by the Association as an encouragement to young pioneers of environmental protection.
On April 21, Association members were invited by Legislator Lin Hung-chih to a public hearing at the Legislative Yuan on how to create a safe vegetarian environment, given that the vegetarian diet could reverse global warming. Among the guests were notable scholars, including Professor Chai Sung-lin, Wu Bo-bin (Ph.D.) and Chou Chia-fu (Ph.D.), who have conducted long-term research on global warming and vegetarianism. Citing UN research data in his PowerPoint presentation, Dr. Chou from Academia Sinica’s Institute of Physics said that almost all greenhouse gas emissions could be traced to animal husbandry. About 65 percent of nitrous oxide, an often overlooked greenhouse gas produced by animal husbandry, causes a global warming effect 298 times that of carbon dioxide. Therefore, it is imperative that people eat vegetarian to ensure due protection of the planet.
On April 22, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) announced the launch of the Formosa Carbon Reducing Year under a program entitled World Earth Day 2008: Live and Breathe with Earth. In addition to honoring local government offices that have efficiently reduced carbon use, the EPA held a number of related seminars and activities, and asked all government offices to turn off the lights and stop the use of elevators during their hour-long lunch break. The Association participated in this event and provided vegetarian sampling at the Legislative Yuan with assistance from Legislator Lin Hung-chih and City Councilor Lee Hsin. The dishes were highly praised by almost 400 guests. Association representatives cited scientific evidence in stressing the urgency and importance of the vegetarian diet. Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng, Minister of Health Hou Sheng-mao, EPA Chief Secretary Tung Te-po and many legislators, city councilors and prominent figures in different fields signed the petition “Go Veg for a Cooler Earth.” They expressed deep admiration for Supreme Master Ching Hai’s dedication and effort in leading Her disciples worldwide to protect the Earth.
Following these concerted efforts, people in Formosa are beginning to choose the vegetarian diet as a mean to fight global warming, and are finding ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. EPA Minister Chen Chung-shin, Minister of Foreign Affairs Huang Chih-fang, and Deputy Minister Chang Jing-sen of the Council for Economic Planning and Development played a leading role by choosing to eat “A Vegetarian Meal a Day” to cool down the earth. The EPA also called for eating less meat for a cooler earth in its Earth Day program. This activity was highly supported by the Taipei City Government, which asked all its office to promote this concept. More and more people are signing the petition “Go Veg for a Cooler Earth” in Taipei City and County. The result to be announced on June 5 will provide a strong base for demanding that a government policy be made to fight global warming with vegetarianism. We believe that more environmental protection groups and loving individuals will join this nationwide movement to save our mother Earth.  [Yilan] In supporting the 2008 Earth Day campaign to collect a million signatures to save the Earth, fellow initiates from Yilan held a “Care about Earth—Vegetarian Food-tasting” event at the Yat-Sen Activity Center in Yuanshan Township on April 19. Many locals signed the petition. On April 25, the county’s Education Bureau and Environmental Protection Bureau held a seminar on Earth preservation and environmental protection at the Wuwei Port Ecological Community. Attendees included officials from the Environmental Protection Bureau and about 120 teachers, principals and deans from elementary and junior high schools in the county. A fellow initiate teaching in elementary school briefly shared the latest information on global warming and suggested solutions to this problem. The attendees were then treated to a sumptuous and eco-friendly vegetarian lunch
 [Hsinchu] The Light and Sound Vegetarian Club from National Tsing Hua University, the National Chiao Tung University (NCTU) Library and the NCTU’s Institute of Music jointly held a concert and global warming alert activity on April 15 and 16 at the NCTU Library, to disseminate the urgent messages of “Go Veg, Be Green, Save the Earth” to the public. Upon learning from our fellow initiates that the vegetarian diet can save the Earth, Hsinchu County Magistrate Cheng Yung-chin immediately pledged that he and his staff would go vegetarian on Earth Day. He also requested all county junior high schools and elementary schools to support the movement. Touched by Magistrate Cheng’s wise decision, the initiates then prepared 600 healthy and delicious vegetarian lunch boxes on Earth Day for all the employees of the county government offices to enjoy. After the meal, Magistrate Cheng signed the No Meat No Heat Declaration and appealed to everyone to regard every day as Earth Day and to help mitigate global warming.  [Nantou] National Chi Nan University (NCNU) invited The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association to hold a global warming seminar on their campus on April 22. About 300 dignitaries attended, including Director Yan Jia-xian of Nantou’s Environmental Protection Bureau (EPB), dietitians from the Health Bureau, educational inspectors, Nantou County Councilors Huang Xiu-nu, Liao Zhi-cheng and Xu A-gan, the NCNU’s students and faculty members, Puli Lions Club Regional Director and representatives, and schoolteachers from around the county. The EPB attached great importance to this event, with its director making an appearance. On Earth Day, all the employees in more than 100 county government offices wore casual clothes, while a carbon reduction committee was set up to propagate environmental concepts. Beginning in April, the county government has encouraged the public to eat less meat while its employees ate vegetarian meals on the first and 15th day of each month. The Health Bureau also took this opportunity to promote the nutritional idea of “five fruits and vegetables each day.” At the seminar, fellow initiates also held a signature drive, which received extensive support from students and guests. About 500 vegan lunch boxes were also prepared for all attendees to enjoy.
 [Changhua] Beginning on April 11, the Changhua Center launched a series of actions to fight climate change. In addition to distributing flyers, they put up huge posters and signboards at government offices and crowded places, and set up points to collect signatures to support the save our Earth campaign. Our Association members drove publicity cars around the county to remind people of the severity of global warming and ways to counter the crisis.  [Tainan] Fellow initiates from Tainan launched the 2008 Earth Day million-signature petition drive at the local railway station and department stores. They also participated in beach-cleaning activities set up by The Wilderness Society. Several hundred environmental protection volunteers signed the petition to show their support. On April 21, the local initiates participated in the 2008 True Love for Earth event held by the Tainan City Environmental Protection Bureau at National Cheng Kung University. On April 22, Earth Day, they explained the need to fight climate change at the Tainan City Government offices. The response was great; almost all government employees signed in support of anti-global warming efforts. From April 23 to 26, the fellow initiates then shared the No Meat No Heat concept with students at Tianren Vocational School in Syuejia Township and the elderly at the Cultural and Recreational Center for Senior Citizens in Yanshuei Townhsip. In Yanshuei, they prepared informative talks, recreational programs as well as vegetarian delicacies for the senior citizens. About two hundred locals attending the event signed the Declaration and pledged to do their best to fight global warming. Director Chen Qi-rui of the Social Welfare Society for Senior Citizens in Yanshuei presented a letter of appreciation to The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association, expressing gratitude for the fellow initiates’ endeavors in bringing positive information about environmental protection to society.  [Kaohsiung] In support of Earth Day, our Kaohsiung Center invited City Councilor Huang Bo-lin to the Wenzao Ursuline College of Languages, an international academic institute in southern Formosa, to sign the No Meat No Heat Declaration together with the college’s President Li Wen-rui. With support from the President and Dean of Studies, more than 30 department heads had a vegetarian lunch on Earth Day, setting an example for their students. They also signed the petition as a token of their determination to fight global warming. Besides signing the Declaration, the President also placed the No Meat No Heat Declaration on the college’s Internet homepage, encouraging all teachers and students to sign it and do their part in saving the planet. During the noon break that day, the college administration made an announcement over the PA system encouraging all students and teachers to offer their support and sign the petition. All elevators and air-conditioners were shut down temporarily for an hour at noon. The response from the Wenzao Ursuline College of Languages was overwhelming as almost 5,000 people signed the Declaration.
 [Hualien] On April 19 and 20, fellow initiates from Hualien held a No Meat No Heat campaign at crowded places and collected signatures from the public who earnestly showed their support. Local reporters covered our activity, asking many questions and taking informative materials. On Earth Day, the Forestry Bureau, Hualien City Government, Syuetian Elementary School and Mingli Elementary School endorsed the campaign and graciously accepted vegetarian lunch boxes prepared by our Hualien Center. Obviously, the idea of No Meat No Heat has already taken root in the hearts of the public.
 [Penghu] On the first day of the Earth Day activities, local fellow initiates went to the most crowded Beichen Market to collect signatures for the No Meat No Heat Declaration. Supporting Earth Day, Penghu County Magistrate Wang Chien-fa and his wife walked to work and signed the Declaration in cordial support. In return, they were given the Fight Global Warming Handbook and the Magistrate requested to make use of his position as a leader to influence the local people to take action in an effort to reverse global warming. A fellow initiate, who is also a teacher, found that, after many discussions on how our food affects global warming, many of her students have changed their diet and often help with the distribution of the relevant informative material. On Earth Day, these children came in the evening to help promote the vegetarian diet and advise people to save energy. Their endeavors were commended by the local media.
 [Keelung] At the most crowded places in the city, local fellow initiates conducted the No Meat No Heat publicity campaign and showed the SOS Climate Change video to help the public understand the critical global warming situation and ways to solve the crisis. After discovering that the vegetarian diet can save the planet, many people gladly signed the Declaration. Even the elderly, some in their seventies and eighties, came to show their support.
To view the No Meat No Heat campaign throughout Formosa, please visit:
Indigenous Forum Addresses
por el Grupo de Noticias de Taipei (originalemente en chino)
[Taipei] On April 12, Golden Year 5 (2008), the Taiwan Indigenous Cultural Enterprise Development Association (TICEDA) and the Taipei County Government co-hosted the 2008 World Summit of Indigenous Cultures, inviting nearly 300 indigenous delegates from 13 countries. The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association was invited to coordinate the event. During the summit, our Association representatives introduced Master’s latest publication Los Nobles Animales Silvestres and the noble ideals embedded in the book. They also showed a special program on global warming produced by Supreme Master Television, hoping to awaken the world to take immediate actions to save the planet. Moreover, fellow initiates prepared pure, organic, vegetarian Chinese and Western delicacies for guests, encouraging them to choose a diet that lowers temperatures and reduces carbon dioxide. Discussions focused on how to resolve global warming. A recorded interview of Master praising the indigenous people for their love for the environment and protection of water resources was shown to the conference delegates. The interview took place during the release of Los Nobles Animales Silvestres on February 17 during the Taipei International Book Exhibition, when Master answered several questions from Indigenous TV reporter Chen Wen-hu. Mr. Chen, who then mentioned that indigenous people live in nature and know how to protect the Earth, received a letter of appreciation from our Association during a dinner banquet at the world summit, thanking him for his positive news coverage of Master’s book launch. TICEDA President Alice Takiwatan appealed to indigenous communities and modern societies to work together to save the planet. Formosa’s indigenous Legislator Kung Wen-chi said that as global warming increases, indigenous groups, who live in mountainous and coastal regions, would be the first to suffer. Therefore, Formosa’s indigenous people clearly realize the importance of trying to find positive solutions to resolve global warming issues.
On the second day of the conference, Vice President Lu Hsiu-lien addressed the delegates, pointing out that God has endowed Earth with a rich ecology and people should learn from the indigenous people who have shown wisdom in their care for the environment. In a congratulatory letter, Mr. Ma Ying-jeou promised to promote balanced and sustainable development, curb carbon dioxide emissions and alleviate climate change once he is sworn into office as president in May. Mr. Ma supported the meaningful call for “No Meat, More Bikes, Less Consumption,” which was proposed by Dr. R.K. Pachauri, Chairman of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Our Association members prepared 300 delicious vegetarian meals of the “Earth Diet: Lower Temperatures and Carbon Dioxide,” which won compliments from the guests. On April 14, the conference was open to free discussion and the guests exchanged views on a wide range of issues. The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association’s Global Warming Team hosted a seminar, entitled “Vegetarian Diet, Environmental Protection, Save Earth,” which attracted nearly 30 guests. Darrick Baxter from Canada, who keeps a four-days–a-week vegetarian diet, said that he would urge his government to take air pollution more seriously as well as encourage the public to be vegetarian so that the planet could be saved. Four artists from the Philippines stated that government encouragement of bio-energy crop cultivation has taken its toll on vegetable farming. The result was that not many people could afford rice, and the poor could barely have a meal of rice, let alone vegetables, each day. After returning home, they would encourage people to grow vegetables in their backyard instead of breeding livestock that pollutes the air and earth. On behalf of our Association, the fellow initiates offered their best wishes as well as vegetable seeds that were much welcomed. A proposal was raised to encourage people to have one vegetarian meal a day, at least four days a week. These four days would be considered freedom days for animals, which could then breathe and live freely. Our Association representatives also recounted Master’s methods of dealing with global warming, among which is an immediately effective and individual approach--to be vegetarian. After the conference, these friends from 13 different countries visited the Love Ocean Art Center and were deeply touched by Master’s loving stories and actions. They also watched the Supreme Master TV program on climate change. Michial Greywolf Garvin, a native Indian from the USA, said that for more than 20 years, he has been fasting and meditating four days a month in the mountains. From the voices of the trees and animals, he knows that the planet is sick. If people could hear these voices, he said, they would act immediately to save the earth.
 To watch the beauty of Formosan aboriginal culture online on Supreme Master Television,
Our Hopemap
por el Grupo de Noticias de Taipei (originalemente en chino)
[Formosa] In March Golden Year 5 (2008), a group of highly esteemed and influential people in Formosa initiated a project called “Our Hopemap” just days before the presidential election. Any individual or group was welcomed to express their hopes on this specially established website. These hopes would be compiled into a “Book of Hope” by specialists and scholars of different fields and presented to the new president. After more than a month, a total of 6,943 hopes had been expressed. The number one wish with the highest number of votes - “Urgent Appeal: Go Veg, Be Green!” – was proposed by Taipei’s Love Ocean Art Center. This shows that Master’s ideal of promoting vegetarianism to protect the Earth is highly valued by the Formosan people. Due to heavy carbon dioxide emissions, many people have proposed the “green hope” of cutting back carbon use and saving energy, and urged the government to carefully assess the need for major construction projects so that Formosa could have a happy, beautiful and sustainable future.
Many Thanks to Local Media  [Formosa] More and more media are providing constructive and positive news coverage in Formosa, spreading messages of truth, goodness and beauty, and bringing light and hope to the society. In April and May of Golden Year 5 (2008), representatives of The Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association awarded certificates of merit to a number of people in recognition of their contributions: Mr. Zhang Zheng (photo 1), editor-in-chief of Bao Bon Phuong, for spreading news of Supreme Master Television to the Aulaucese in Formosa; Ms. Chen Ya-lin (photo 2), producer and anchor of Sahlih E-television, for producing a special program on Supreme Master Ching Hai; and Mr. Huang Zhao-yi (photo 3), general manager of Dong Ya Cable Television in Hualien, for broadcasting Supreme Master Television programs. The recipients also received Master’s publications as well as brochures about global warming as gifts. With God’s blessings, we hope that more and more media will show a high level of constructive journalism so that more people will be encouraged to adopt a noble lifestyle, creating a brighter future for all beings.
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