Pastors sound alarm on environmental degradation and our responsibility

["Taiwan Church News" <enews@pctpress.org>]

      Taiwan Church News

      3053 Edition

      August 30~September 5, 2010

       

       

      Pastors sound alarm on environmental degradation and our 
responsibility

       

      Reported by Chen Wei-chien, Chen Yi-hsuan

      Written by Lydia Ma

      Photo by Chen Yi-hsuan

       

       



      “You’ve got to learn to care for the water you drink!” said 
Taiwan Water Protection 

      Alliance south region spokesperson Chen Shu-hua, who also 
happened to be a 

      member of Fu-Chiang Presbyterian Church in Tainan.

       



      She urged Taiwanese people to do their part as citizens of 
Taiwan by keeping an 

      eye on elected officials so that none of them would compromise 
the environment for 

      the sake of securing votes from big corporations, resulting in 
unethical and 

      unsuitable land development ventures.

       



      “A rainstorm is enough to uncover any inappropriate use of land 
or shady land 

      development project,” she said, referring to over-logging and 
razing land to make 

      way for cash crops or dump sites near three major reservoirs in 
Taiwan

      .



      Faced with the upcoming building of a petrochemical plant just 
6 km from his church, 

      Rev. Chen Che-yin began raising awareness beyond church walls 
on the 

      environmental impact of this project while calling for 
discussion and review of this 

      matter during Changhua Presbytery meetings.

       



      “I only became aware of the repercussions of this project after 
I began pastoring at 

      this church,” he said, adding that there is lots of information 
available to the public for 

      people able to tackle some of the more technical reports.

       



      Chen underscored that water shortage and over-usage are serious 
problems in 

      Taiwan. Many farmers without access to water from reservoirs 
often resort to using 

      underground water to irrigate their crops. 

       



      As result, the landscape in Er-Lin Agricultural Zone is has 
been flattened little by little 

      and is showing signs of caving in. If a strong typhoon were to 
strike the area in a 

      decade, the area would be especially vulnerable. But what 
worries him most is that 

      Er-Lin also provides 30% of the nation’s food crops.

       



      For now, Chen knows that his congregation is divided over how 
to deal with an 

      environmental and water crisis. He can only raise awareness 
from the pulpit during 

      Sundays PCT has set aside to focus on the environment for the 
time being and raise 

      awareness among youths through Facebook or blogs.

       



      However, he also makes a point to raise awareness on this issue 
among visitors 

      and youths who visit him during mission trips in the area, 
hoping that younger 

      generations will look at this issue from God’s point of view.

       



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