Though written in English for foreigners, except point 1 it also useful for Taiwanese!
1. Learn Chinese:
There is an incredible wealth of local wisdom that can
only be accessed by the inevitable: learning Chinese. To
live sustainably it is important to meet our needs locally,
which will be enriched exponentially by being able to
communicate with the locals.
2. Grow your own:
You may have noticed: there’s no place too urban to
grow food in Taipei. Whether it’s ginger and [edible]
bird’s nest ferns spilling out of window cages or foam
boxes of greens lining an alley, the Taiwanese lead the
way as urban gardeners. Try growing herbs, sweet
potatoes (for leaves and tubers), edible amaranth, and
bok choy in limited spaces. Another fun project is potato
towers: plant sprouted potatoes in a rolled-down burlap
sack, and add rich soil and roll the bag up as it grows.
Keep moist but not soggy, and harvest a few months later
when the leaves have turned yellow. Then brag to your
friends how you grew potatoes on your balcony!
3. Bring your own:
B.B.C….
“B” for bags. bring your own every time. Just
remember to wash them fairly often!
“B” for bottles. Stainless steel and aluminum bottles
are good, as well as the new BPA-free plastic bottles
which can handle both hot and cold liquids.
“C” for chopsticks. Did you know that in 2008
about 1.3 million pairs of disposable chopsticks were
thrown away every day in Taiwan? Get yourself a pair
of portable reusable chopsticks (or spork if you prefer…)
and simply wash them as you wash your hands.
4. Own Less, Share More:
Many things we own spend most of their life unused.
If you have a car or bicycle that is not being used all
the time, why not share? Talk with friends in your
community and work out an arrangement that works for
both of you.
Another way to share is to give away things that you
will probably never use. Check out the local Taipei City
Freecycle group: www.groups.freecycle.org/taipeifreecycle.
Also, go check out Taipei’s first Really Really Free Market:
a new monthly outdoor event in Da An Park where
everyone brings their unwanted goods to share. No selling,
no barter: everything will be free. For more details, see
www.reallyreallyfreeTPE.wordpress.com.
5. Get invoLved:
Organizations:
Taiwan Environmental Information Association,
www.e-info.org.tw Tel: (02)-29332233 No. 38
Wanlong St. Wen Shan District, Taipei City
Wild at Heart Legal Defense Associat ion
(an environmental justice NGO), comment@
wildatheart.org.tw Tel: (02)-2382-5789
Earth Passengers (a permaculture education
NGO), www.earthpassengers.org Tel: (02)2935-
0203 / (02)2935-6920
Taipei Botanical Garden, tpbg@tfri.gov.tw
Tel: (02) 2303-9978. No.53, Nan-Hai Road,
Taipei City
Taiwan Green Party, www.greenparty.org.tw
Homemaker’s Union Cooperat ive (HUCC),
www.hucc-coop.tw
Taiwan Butterly Conservation Association,
www.butterfly.org.tw
Plant markets and garden supply:
Jian Guo Hol iday Flower Ma rket, every
weekend, under the Jian Guo overpass.
Neihu Flower Auction, open 4am-noon.
321 Rui Guang Rd. Neihu District
Tianmu Plant Market, Wen Lin Rd. near Ming
De Rd. , Tianmu
B&Q (British equivalent of Home Depot):
Jihe Road, No. 258, Shilin District
http://www.communitycenter.org.tw/sites/default/files/documents/publications/article/Environment-EARTHDAYApril2011.pdf | 