On the 17th of December, Kaohsiung and Taichung are holding two joint anti-air-pollution marches. Two of the key organizers, Air Clean Taiwan held a press conference this morning to announce information details of the event in front of the Taichung City Council Square, with the theme of “One sky but two Taiwan,” the march urges that everyone no matter where you are in Taiwan, you should save energy and save Taiwan.
Starting from 6 days before the mobilization, organizers and civil society in central part of taiwan circulated different acting drama to express “anger”, “sadness”, “sorrow”, “heart-breaking” and “fighting” feelings. Victims affected by air pollution are demanding the government to stop treating people as fools.
Air pollution is a key obstacle to our health and wellbeings caused by the national policy of industrial economic development. The quality of air in central and southern of Taiwan is getting serious and different from the north part of Taiwan. Therefore, the stage of the march has the design of appealing “relocation of the Executive Yuan to the south” directly to Chief of executive Yuan – Mr. Lai Chingde. People and the organizers want more sympathy from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Ministry of Health and Welfare with people in the south.
Today, there are 4 highlights of this parade, including: (1) NO COAL Human banners, to spread the world of our demand and ask, before our parade is kicking off, to address the unifying voice and solidarity. (2) Air Pollution tunnel, which will located at the beginning of the parade to visualize the impact of Coal. (3) “Everyone boat acting group”, to circulate around the parade to invite citizens on the street to join the act against fossil fuel and air pollution. (4) Thousands of people to light up the sky, after the parade, we will ask all of the citizens and volunteers to jointly raise up LED lights from the phones to the sky, showing the people’s power toward the sky and our future.
At the press conference, Dr. Yeh said: “One sky but two Taiwan” is a serious situation at the moment. From January to November this year, the national government is not shorten the coal fired plants situation, but getting worse. Professor Lin Hongzhi, from China Medical University and Dr. Jiang Sheng from Chiayi Christian Hospital, stressed that: Lung Cancer is causing Taiwan highest death and more deaths in women than men, with the number of tens thousands of new lung cancer deaths each year. Professor Lin also emphasized, as one of professional physician in pediatrics and psychiatry who directly witness that fetus in Taiwan are strongly suffering from allergies and respiratory diseases.