Taipei, Nov. 12 (CNA) Republic of China President Chen Shui-bian met Monday with renowned British primatologist Jane Goodall and at her urging pledged to refrain from releasing balloons at future celebratory events out of respect for other living things.
According to the Jane Goodall Institute, which established a local chapter in May 1998, fragments of balloons that fall into the sea often kill the whales and dolphins that mistakenly ingest them.
Chen also praised the meaningfulness and significance of the "Roots and Shoots" educational program that Goodall set up to teach children around the world the importance of nature conservation.
Goodall, who arrived in Taiwan last Friday for her sixth visit to the island, said that she could sense the increasing importance that the people of Taiwan place on environmental and nature conservation.
She added that although clashes between economic development and environmental conservation continue to crop up around the world, the efforts of more and more people in Taiwan have helped preserve many beautiful places and living things.
Earlier in the day, Goodall visited a junior high school in central Taiwan to inspect the operations of a "Roots and Shoots" center set up by the Jane Goodall Institute.
Goodall is also in Taiwan to work out the details for establishing various long-term cooperative projects with the Ecological Studies Institute at Providence University in central Taiwan.
Known for her work with chimpanzees and her efforts to ensure their survival in the wild, Goodall received an honorary doctorate from the university after her visit to the "Roots and Shoots" center.