Taipei, April 22 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian exhorted the country Friday to "save a little more and waste a little less" in order to live up to the resolution to "love the Earth and cherish Taiwan."
Addressing the opening ceremony of the 2nd NGO National Environmental Policy Forum -- an event marking International Earth Day -- Chen called on his fellow compatriots to be more environmentally conscious so that people now and future generations can live in a better place.
Chen said that 2004 was an "environmentally turbulent year, " culminating with the Dec. 26 tsunami tragedy that claimed some 200,000 lives in South and Southeast Asia and caused extensive damage to the environment.
He noted that although Taiwan is not a signatory to the U.N.-initiated Kyoto Protocol, which came into force Feb. 16 this year, Taiwan will have to face the realities and global demands for greenhouse gas emission reduction.
It is hoped that by squarely implementing measures under new laws, including a statute governing recycled energy development and the greenhouse gas emission control law, Taiwan's industrial development will continue to flourish while the environment is not compromised.
On arguments and controversies surrounding the building of new nuclear power plants, cross-mountain highways and big steel-refinery plants, Chen said that the outdated "development leads the economy" view should be cast off and replaced with a new "support development with conservation" concept.