Green activism in the 'Age of Stupid'

The documentary illustrates the bleak future that future generations of humans could face: An endless number of devastating typhoons, droughts, and other weather-related aberrations that could make our planet uninhabitable.

Many environmental organizations have come together to sponsor the event, including the Wild at Heart Foundation Legal Defense Association (台灣蠻野心足生態協會) from Taiwan. Admission to the film is free, though on-line registration for the film is now closed, with around 100 or so seats available on a first come first served basis starting on Tuesday at 1:50 p.m.

Amongst this crowd will be government officials representing the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), Central Weather Bureau, and other social welfare groups. Their attendance highlights the fact that, in the face of global climate change, Taiwan may fare worse than other countries, as demonstrated by Typhoon Morakot.

In an interview with The China Post on September 11, Christina MacFarquhar of Wild at Heart says climate change will lead to the loss of low-lying land (one prediction calls for a loss of about 272 kilometers squared), increase the problem of freshwater scarcity, and damage our ecosystems further.

She says we can also expect a repeat of Typhoon Morakot as Taiwan's rivers are located on steep terrain and have high discharge per unit drainage area, meaning that heavy rainfall will trigger mudslides.

And considering the government's slow response to this most recent disaster, there is little evidence to believe that Taiwan is prepared for even moderate climate change.

MacFarquhar remarks that more harm than good may have been done through reconstruction efforts associated with Typhoon Morakot such as doing away with Environmental Impact Assessment procedures for reconstruction projects. She points out that the government should be more prudent in working with these areas that have already proven themselves to be dangerous and volatile.

Another area of major concern is the world's water resources. Many predict some areas will experience severe droughts as the human population will continue to demand more water, especially on a subtropical island such as Taiwan.

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