Taipei Times
Vincent Chao (STAFF REPORTER)
Sunday, Oct 25, 2009, Page 2

Scores of people gathered in Taipei's Xinyi District (信義) yesterday afternoon to take part in an international campaign aimed at raising public awareness of global warming.

The campaign, called “350,” was held to mark International Day of Climate Action, an international event organized by a group called 350. The campaign, which took place in 4,000 cities in 181 countries yesterday, aims to keep carbon dioxide emissions below a level of 350 parts per million, which the organization said was the upper safety limit for carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere.

“We want to raise awareness for a serious problem that is not going away unless we all come together,” said Alec Salter, who organized the activity in Taipei. “If we can educate everyone about this problem, I'm sure we can find a solution.”

Many of the participants learned of the activity through Facebook, gathering under cloudy skies yesterday to make their voices heard. They were joined by student groups from Shih Hsin University and National Tsing Hua University who came to support what they say was a worthy cause.

“I think global warming is probably the foremost problem in the world,” said a participant from Canada. “By having this [event] in the media for people to see ... it makes people more interested and willing to help.”

Although it later started to rain during the rally, it did little to dampen the spirits of the participants.

Taiwan Environmental Action Network said Taiwan accounts for about 1 percent of global carbon emissions.

The government has set aggressive targets for reducing emissions, with President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) telling a National Energy Conference in April that it would seek to reduce carbon emissions to last year's levels by 2020, to 2000 levels by 2025 and to 50 percent of 2025's levels by 2050.

With the Kyoto Protocol set to expire in 2012, organizers said the 350 campaign also aimed to increase the pressure on global leaders meeting in Copenhagen this year to hammer out a new climate deal and tougher emission targets.

“[This rally] is to encourage them to sign a strong, effective and fair climate change agreement,” said Lynn Conant, co-organizer of the rally. “People across the world, really care about global warming.”

Participants at an environmental rally form the number 350, which the organizers said was the upper safety limit for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, at Taipei’s Xinyi District to mark International Day of Climate Action yesterday.
PHOTO: FANG PIN-CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES