Meat Free Days Campaign/「每週一日無肉」活動
Meat Free Days Campaign
◎English text by Peng Hsin-yi
◎Photos by Pao Chung-hui, Yang Chan-hua, Jhang Jian Ying-hao
Global warming is a reality with unfortunate consequences and no longer just a scientific concept. People are becoming more environmentally aware and educated about environmental issues than ever before. Last year, the Legislative Yuan passed the "Meat Free Days" initiative, encouraging citizens to refrain from consuming meat at least one day per week. This initiative was created in response to an energy saving and carbon reduction campaign, Which Kaohsiung City Government had recently proposed. In March, Kaohsiung City encouraged local schools to participate in Meat Free Days campaign. Kaohsiung City regards energy saving and carbon reduction as its highest priority. The Meat Free Monday campaign is only one of its various action plans. Mayor Chen Chu feels people from all over the world are becoming more aware that more veggies and less meat can greatly reduce greenhouse gases. Mayor Chen is committed to bettering our planet for the next generation. This includes energy and carbon reduction initiatives, carried out by Kaohsiung City Government.
Kaohsiung City's Environmental Protection Bureau Director, Mr. Lee Mu-sheng pointed out, every kilo of beef contributes 7.64 kilos of carbon dioxide. He added this average was only based on raising a cow to the point of sale and did not include the CO2 produced in the slaughtering, transportation, and processes involved in bringing the beef to market. Another fact worth noting is the pasture and feed required to sustain livestock often leads to the reduction of prime forests. This sadly speeds up the effects of global warming. Statistics show livestock and related industries are responsible for about 20% of CO2 emissions. Therefore, by not eating meat one day a week, each person can help reduce 7 kilos of CO2 emissions.
Kaohsiung City Government is also embracing many other energy and carbon reduction policies. Some of these initiatives include encouraging people to refrain from burning traditional ghost money, recycling two-stroke motorcycles, cash rebates for solar water heater installation, 200 kilometers of new bike paths, a public bike rental system and construction of green buildings. Kaohsiung City has also pledged to decrease carbon emissions to less than 2005 levels and reduce emissions by 30% by 2020. Kaohsiung transferring into a low emission, clean energy community.
On March 18th, Taiwan's climate change documentary "±2℃" premiered in Kaohsiung. The screening was held at Kaohsiung's premier green building, The World Games Main Stadium. Both film and venue served as a strong reminder about global warming. Another green building worth noting is the headquarters of Ching Fu Enterprise Center. Located in Kaohsiung's Software Park it is designed primarily on the concept of energy conservation. The environmental design and slick, modern facade is truly a building-sized public art piece. The CFS headquarters is becoming another monumental green building in Kaohsiung.
「每週一日無肉」活動
◎文／冠涵 ◎攝影／鮑忠暉、楊蟬華、張簡英豪
隨著地球暖化，環保議題備受矚目 ，立法院去年底通過「每週一日無肉」提案。高雄市政府3月起積極響應這項節能減碳運動，特別在市政會議通過「每週一日無肉」活動，並鼓勵學校參與，藉以達到溫室氣體減量目標。
各項節能減碳政策的推動刻不容緩，市政府積極推動「每週一日無肉」活動。陳菊市長表示：「多吃蔬食少吃肉」，有助於溫室氣體減量，已成為全球共識，因此，持續透過各種管道向市民宣導該活動的意義，更盼將節能減碳的理念往下一代紮根。
環保局長李穆生指出，每生產一公斤牛肉，從飼養到販賣過程，將產生七點六四公斤二氧化碳，這還不包括屠宰、運輸、販售，將肉品送到消費者手上所耗費的能源。
更值得注意的是，養殖畜牧業所需的牧草、飼料，排擠了原始森林的面積，使暖化速度加快，據統計，養殖畜牧業所造成的二氧化碳，佔全球總排放量的五分之一，每個人若一天不吃肉，將可減少七公斤的二氧化碳排放量。
此外，高雄市政府近年來不斷積極推動節能減碳的重要施政，包括鼓勵全民拜拜不燒紙錢、二行程機車回收、加碼補助民眾申請太陽能熱水系統、自行車道闢建兩百公里、提供公共自行車租賃系統及興建代表性綠能建築等措施，顯示市政府推動環保的努力與用心。
而第一部描述台灣氣候變遷的紀錄片「正負2度Ｃ」，也於3月18日在高雄市最具代表性的綠能建築－世運主場館播映，藉由環保訴求的影片和場地相呼應，更深切地提醒人們正視地球暖化的問題。
另一個位在高雄軟體科學園區內的慶富造船廠集團總部，以綠建築及智慧建築節省能源的概念設計，外型有如一件大型的公共藝術，也是高雄市綠能建築的代表作品之一。
高雄市以2005年碳排放量為標準，訂下「2020年，打造減碳30％的低碳城市與節能社區」之目標，期盼高雄成為綠能之都。