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Please don't be surprised.
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00:05:49,125 --> 00:05:52,249
This is our home, Taiwan.
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00:05:52,875 --> 00:05:54,957
If you haven't seen it like this,
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00:05:54,958 --> 00:05:57,457
maybe it's because you've never been
this high above it.
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00:06:16,875 --> 00:06:22,165
Let us become a drifting cloud
or a flying bird.
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00:06:22,166 --> 00:06:24,374
Together, we see Taiwan.
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00:06:24,375 --> 00:06:28,290
Together, we witness the beauty
and sadness of this island.
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00:16:32,416 --> 00:16:34,957
Every boat loaded with a day's catch
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is a reward for the fishermen's hard work.
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00:17:05,375 --> 00:17:07,374
Every field full of crops
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is a prize for the farmers' effort.
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00:17:17,500 --> 00:17:20,374
Our ancestors,coming from different places,
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00:17:20,375 --> 00:17:24,915
sailed across the treacherous strait
in different times.
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00:17:30,041 --> 00:17:32,832
But they all had stood in the same fields,
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growing rice humbly,
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00:17:36,166 --> 00:17:39,957
nurturing the crops with their sweat.
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00:20:00,875 --> 00:20:02,499
They worked day in and day out
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00:20:02,500 --> 00:20:05,374
just to grow enough food to
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00:20:05,375 --> 00:20:08,790
build their homes and support their children.
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00:24:58,458 --> 00:25:01,290
No matter where the field is.
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00:25:01,291 --> 00:25:03,332
No matter how old we are.
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00:25:04,875 --> 00:25:07,999
People from all walks of life
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00:25:08,166 --> 00:25:12,999
have worked as hard as they can in this land.
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00:25:17,333 --> 00:25:19,290
We not only keep ourselves going
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00:25:19,291 --> 00:25:21,832
but promise ourselves that
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00:25:21,833 --> 00:25:25,249
we will create a better future
for our next generation.
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00:25:42,333 --> 00:25:45,999
This island has been quietly nurturing us
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00:25:46,166 --> 00:25:49,165
together with other living creatures.
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00:25:57,000 --> 00:26:02,624
They had lived in harmony
with this land for centuries.
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00:26:06,583 --> 00:26:10,915
But who disrupted the balance
between all living creatures
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00:26:10,916 --> 00:26:13,207
and sowed the seeds of disaster?
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00:27:34,458 --> 00:27:36,457
June 201 2.
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00:27:36,458 --> 00:27:39,832
We were flying along
the coast of Taitung County.
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00:27:39,833 --> 00:27:42,457
At the time, although it began to rain,
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00:27:42,458 --> 00:27:44,957
it wasn't too heavy.
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00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:56,832
But when the helicopter turned
towards Pingtung Plain,
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00:27:56,833 --> 00:27:58,915
it was hit by the southwest monsoon current.
38
00:27:58,916 --> 00:28:04,082
Heavy rain poured down
and hit the front window hard.
39
00:28:05,500 --> 00:28:08,999
Meanwhile,
currents started to emerge on the ground.
40
00:28:09,250 --> 00:28:11,832
Water flooded the fish farms
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00:28:11,833 --> 00:28:14,374
as well as the fruit orchards.
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00:28:34,875 --> 00:28:36,165
During the past two decades,
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00:28:36,166 --> 00:28:39,332
on average each year,
we have 93 days of heavy rain,
44
00:28:39,333 --> 00:28:41,374
42 days of very heavy rain,
45
00:28:41,375 --> 00:28:44,332
and 1 3 days of extreme rain.
46
00:28:44,500 --> 00:28:46,415
But during the past thirty years,
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00:28:46,416 --> 00:28:49,915
the days we have heavy rains
have clearly increased
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00:28:49,916 --> 00:28:53,040
while the days we have light rains
have clearly decreased.
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00:28:53,041 --> 00:28:54,165
In other words,
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00:28:54,166 --> 00:28:56,249
we either have no rain
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00:28:56,250 --> 00:28:58,790
or very heavy rain.
52
00:28:59,500 --> 00:29:02,582
The total rainfall in Taiwan
hasn't changed much,
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00:29:02,583 --> 00:29:06,207
but rain falls on fewer and fewer days.
54
00:29:06,208 --> 00:29:09,999
The rain concentrates to such an extent that
the land can no longer bear it.
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00:29:10,416 --> 00:29:12,415
Take Typhoon Morakot for example,
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00:29:12,416 --> 00:29:14,165
the rainfall in Mt. Ali alone
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00:29:14,166 --> 00:29:18,290
was a record-breaking 2855 mm
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00:29:18,291 --> 00:29:19,624
in just five days.
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00:29:19,625 --> 00:29:23,457
It was more than the yearly average
rainfall in Taiwan.
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00:29:24,333 --> 00:29:26,124
Before year 2000,
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00:29:26,125 --> 00:29:31,040
disasters on such a big scale happened
once every three or four years.
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00:29:31,333 --> 00:29:32,832
But in the past ten years,
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00:29:32,833 --> 00:29:34,374
we have had a super typhoon that
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00:29:34,375 --> 00:29:37,999
caused such serious floods almost every year.
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00:30:13,041 --> 00:30:14,790
Flying through layers of clouds,
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00:30:14,791 --> 00:30:17,040
we see Mt. Dawu from above.
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00:30:17,541 --> 00:30:19,290
The scars left by Typhoon Morakot
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00:30:19,291 --> 00:30:21,374
remain clearly visible.
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00:30:26,125 --> 00:30:27,415
In the past ten years,
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00:30:27,416 --> 00:30:29,832
every time heavy rain
poured down in the mountains,
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00:30:29,833 --> 00:30:32,915
similar disasters happened.
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00:30:38,333 --> 00:30:40,332
Hundreds of tons of
mudflow and fallen rocks
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00:30:40,333 --> 00:30:42,999
remind us
how scary a natural disaster can be.
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00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:38,957
Taiwan is a small mountainous island.
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00:31:38,958 --> 00:31:42,457
Mountains make up
almost three fourth of the surface.
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00:31:42,458 --> 00:31:45,999
Moreover, most of it is very steep.
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00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:50,999
Landslides, tremors,
and mudflows often happen.
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00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:52,290
Now after the 9/21 Earthquake
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00:31:52,291 --> 00:31:55,124
disasters take place even more frequently.
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00:32:03,333 --> 00:32:06,832
The driftwood washed down
from the mountains
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00:32:06,833 --> 00:32:10,415
were once the big tall trees in the forest.
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00:32:10,416 --> 00:32:14,832
Now, lying silently in a pile on the riverbank,
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00:32:14,833 --> 00:32:18,832
it looks like a jumble of
abandoned dead bodies.
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00:32:28,166 --> 00:32:29,790
Building a highway through the mountains
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00:32:29,791 --> 00:32:32,874
was once regarded as a symbol of
the iron will of mankind.
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00:32:32,875 --> 00:32:36,082
In fact,
it was the beginning of the end of the world.
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00:32:37,166 --> 00:32:41,874
Men arrogantly drew the shortest line
across the mountains and forests.
88
00:32:41,875 --> 00:32:47,332
By doing that, men destroyed
the natural structure of the land.
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00:32:47,916 --> 00:32:51,999
As a result,
the road slides every time it rains.
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00:32:52,500 --> 00:32:53,999
In order to keep it in position,
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00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:56,749
containers are used as the supports.
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00:32:56,750 --> 00:32:59,165
Cars keep running on the road day and night
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00:32:59,166 --> 00:33:02,332
just because no one
sees the terror right below.
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00:33:04,833 --> 00:33:07,832
Most people cannot see
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00:33:07,833 --> 00:33:11,207
the injuries we inflicted on our land.
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00:33:13,583 --> 00:33:17,124
One after another,
cars go up to the mountains.
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00:33:17,125 --> 00:33:19,207
People in the cars often have no idea that
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00:33:19,208 --> 00:33:20,832
the trip is more like
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00:33:20,833 --> 00:33:25,915
an adventure than a tour.
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00:33:28,916 --> 00:33:31,374
This is Zhushan Train Station in Mt. Ali.
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00:33:31,375 --> 00:33:33,832
A popular spot for watching the sunrise.
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00:33:33,833 --> 00:33:37,207
Every day it's crowded with tourists.
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00:33:37,208 --> 00:33:39,915
But most people are unaware that
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00:33:39,916 --> 00:33:42,915
what lies right underneath their feet is
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00:33:42,916 --> 00:33:45,832
a large area of landslides.
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00:34:11,875 --> 00:34:14,124
When a disaster strikes,
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00:34:14,125 --> 00:34:17,207
even gods cannot protect themselves,
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00:34:17,208 --> 00:34:19,832
let alone humble creatures like us.
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00:35:04,916 --> 00:35:06,415
Only when we see from above,
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00:35:06,416 --> 00:35:11,332
do we realize this mountain village
is sandwiched between collapsed slopes.
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00:35:11,333 --> 00:35:13,582
It looks like a lonely island.
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00:35:14,208 --> 00:35:18,957
The roads that could be blocked at any time
are its fragile lifelines.
113
00:35:19,875 --> 00:35:22,999
There are many mountain villages
like this in Taiwan.
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00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:26,124
People don't want to leave.
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00:35:26,875 --> 00:35:30,165
It's their wish to protect their homeland
and to stay with their ancestral spirits.
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00:35:30,166 --> 00:35:32,124
But the biggest problem is,
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00:35:32,125 --> 00:35:33,999
in fact, no one can
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00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:39,165
guarantee them resource and space
needed in life when they leave home.
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00:36:06,833 --> 00:36:09,999
This is a mountain in our land.
120
00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:12,499
It was the home of broad-leaved forests.
121
00:36:12,500 --> 00:36:17,207
Their deep roots held the soil
tight and keep the rainwater.
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00:36:17,208 --> 00:36:18,124
Nonetheless,
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00:36:18,125 --> 00:36:21,499
they grow so slowly that it takes them decades,
even centuries to become big trees.
124
00:36:21,500 --> 00:36:22,457
How can trees like this
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00:36:22,458 --> 00:36:26,415
compete with betel trees
that bring men tons of money every year?
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00:36:27,250 --> 00:36:29,874
As we now live in a time
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00:36:29,875 --> 00:36:33,040
when everything is valued by
how much profit it brings,
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00:36:33,041 --> 00:36:35,957
the trees grown in the forests for generations
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00:36:35,958 --> 00:36:39,874
have been mercilessly cut down.
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00:36:39,875 --> 00:36:43,415
What replaced them were the betel saplings
that grow money on them.
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00:36:47,208 --> 00:36:49,332
Now from above,
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00:36:49,333 --> 00:36:51,457
we see the excavator working on the ground.
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00:36:51,916 --> 00:36:56,165
It's making more space for another crop.
134
00:36:56,166 --> 00:36:59,082
Tea. High mountain tea.
135
00:36:59,791 --> 00:37:03,499
The trees here were mercilessly felled as well.
136
00:37:03,500 --> 00:37:06,582
Oh, no, you can't say "mercilessly".
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00:37:06,583 --> 00:37:08,457
In a time like this, we should say,
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00:37:08,458 --> 00:37:11,082
they were felled "effectively".
139
00:37:11,500 --> 00:37:14,290
It's the same with the cabbage fields.
140
00:37:14,291 --> 00:37:16,457
Cabbage has always been grown in the plains.
141
00:37:16,458 --> 00:37:18,290
Just because some gourmet said,
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00:37:18,291 --> 00:37:22,165
"The higher it's grown, the better it tastes."
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00:37:22,166 --> 00:37:25,415
People began to grow cabbage on hills
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00:37:25,416 --> 00:37:28,540
and turn forests into farmland.
145
00:38:07,291 --> 00:38:08,332
What we can see is a process of
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00:38:08,333 --> 00:38:11,124
how beautiful mountains turned ugly.
147
00:38:11,458 --> 00:38:15,040
But what we cannot see is even more terrifying.
148
00:38:15,041 --> 00:38:18,332
When the trees
whose deep roots held soil and water
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00:38:18,333 --> 00:38:22,540
were pulled out of the ground
and replaced by crops with shallow roots,
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00:38:22,541 --> 00:38:23,457
it was,
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00:38:23,458 --> 00:38:26,374
in fact, the beginning of a tragedy.
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00:38:49,125 --> 00:38:51,082
Roads are built higher and higher
up in the mountains.
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00:38:51,083 --> 00:38:53,832
Our footprints go deeper and deeper
into the forests.
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00:38:58,916 --> 00:39:02,040
Bungalows with corrugated iron roofs
are built in the woods.
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00:39:02,041 --> 00:39:05,290
Baths made of cement are added
next to the valleys.
156
00:39:05,291 --> 00:39:08,165
Wires and water pipes not only
cut across the rivers
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00:39:08,166 --> 00:39:10,624
but divide the sky in an arrogant manner.
158
00:39:33,833 --> 00:39:36,874
Tall buildings rise up in conservation areas.
159
00:39:36,875 --> 00:39:39,999
Hot spring hotels stop the flow of rivers.
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00:39:40,000 --> 00:39:44,249
What is left in the valley is a narrow stream.
161
00:39:57,083 --> 00:39:58,415
When it pours down with rain,
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the water has nowhere to flow.
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00:40:00,833 --> 00:40:03,457
But when our lives and properties
are threatened,
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we always blame Nature
instead of ourselves.
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00:40:27,375 --> 00:40:30,749
We keep building fancy castles on the hills.
166
00:40:31,333 --> 00:40:34,499
We refuse to admit
the pseudo European architecture
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doesn't go well with the surroundings.
168
00:40:48,416 --> 00:40:49,999
Furthermore, we refuse to admit
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00:40:50,000 --> 00:40:52,082
the land cannot bear
the strong impact brought upon
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00:40:52,083 --> 00:40:55,499
by a development on such a large scale.
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00:41:00,125 --> 00:41:03,165
But until disaster strikes
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00:41:03,166 --> 00:41:06,290
luxurious B&Bs continue to be built.
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00:41:06,291 --> 00:41:09,332
All due to the unstoppable flows of tourists
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00:41:09,333 --> 00:41:13,165
as vacationing, eating vegetable
and drinking tea grown in the mountains
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00:41:13,166 --> 00:41:14,832
have become trendy things to do.
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00:41:16,208 --> 00:41:17,874
No one realizes that he himself
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00:41:17,875 --> 00:41:20,874
is an accomplice in causing disasters.
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00:41:34,166 --> 00:41:36,165
The forests and mountains are hurt.
179
00:41:36,166 --> 00:41:39,874
Again and again, heavy rain washes
the flesh and blood from their bodies.
180
00:41:39,875 --> 00:41:42,124
In the end, they dropped into the valley.
181
00:41:43,333 --> 00:41:48,332
When the river flows through the valley,
the mud is deposited and becomes sediment.
182
00:41:48,333 --> 00:41:49,165
Therefore,
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a reservoir becomes
a deposit of mud and stones.
184
00:41:54,416 --> 00:41:58,999
Wanda Reservoir was also known as
Green Lake for its beautiful bluish green water.
185
00:41:59,000 --> 00:42:02,415
Today the deposit of mud and rocks
in the reservoir is up to 80 million tons
186
00:42:02,416 --> 00:42:05,457
which takes up almost 70% of
the capacity of the reservoir.
187
00:42:06,000 --> 00:42:08,874
The beautiful bluish green water
is no longer seen.
188
00:42:08,875 --> 00:42:11,915
What we see now is a pool of muddy water.
189
00:42:26,541 --> 00:42:28,499
Most of the reservoirs in Taiwan
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00:42:28,500 --> 00:42:31,165
are facing the crisis of deposits.
191
00:42:31,166 --> 00:42:35,499
Almost one third of the capacity
is eaten up by mud.
192
00:42:36,541 --> 00:42:43,082
The total volume of the 1 7 major reservoirs in Taiwan
was 2.65 billion cubic meters.
193
00:42:43,083 --> 00:42:48,332
By 201 0, only 1 .93 billion cubic meters was left.
194
00:42:48,833 --> 00:42:54,082
The volume of deposits has already
reached 71 0 million cubic meters.
195
00:42:54,083 --> 00:42:55,249
However,
196
00:42:55,250 --> 00:43:01,332
the volume of the deposits is increasing at
a rate of 22 million cubic meters every year.
197
00:43:15,375 --> 00:43:18,124
The life expectancy of the reservoirs
is getting shorter and shorter,
198
00:43:18,125 --> 00:43:21,832
so the amount of water we can keep
is getting smaller and smaller.
199
00:43:26,250 --> 00:43:29,374
We fail to keep the rain that
Nature bestows on us.
200
00:43:29,375 --> 00:43:33,290
We helplessly watch it flow towards the sea.
201
00:44:00,958 --> 00:44:04,332
From the sky above
the southwest coast of Taiwan,
202
00:44:04,875 --> 00:44:08,165
endless fish farms come into sight.
203
00:44:08,375 --> 00:44:11,915
Forty thousand hectares of the surface of
the island are fish farms.
204
00:44:11,916 --> 00:44:14,915
Various species of fish are farmed
205
00:44:14,916 --> 00:44:18,207
for a total value of
30.7 billion Taiwanese dollars
206
00:44:18,208 --> 00:44:21,499
which makes up one third of
the whole fishing industry in Taiwan.
207
00:44:22,291 --> 00:44:25,290
Fish farming needs
large quantities of clean water.
208
00:44:25,291 --> 00:44:28,374
As a result, a large amount of
groundwater has to be extracted.
209
00:44:28,375 --> 00:44:29,165
Hence
210
00:44:29,166 --> 00:44:35,165
countless water pipes are laid across the
embankments and used to extract groundwater.
211
00:45:11,916 --> 00:45:13,249
According to the statistics,
212
00:45:13,250 --> 00:45:14,582
including the industrial use,
213
00:45:14,583 --> 00:45:18,915
more than 5 billion tons of groundwater
are extracted every year.
214
00:45:19,291 --> 00:45:22,332
This is an amount far more than
the land can bear.
215
00:45:36,833 --> 00:45:40,040
When the amount of groundwater
extracted exceeds the limit,
216
00:45:40,041 --> 00:45:42,499
the land begins to sink.
217
00:45:46,375 --> 00:45:49,832
At the moment, the land that
sinks fastest is in Yunlin County.
218
00:45:49,833 --> 00:45:52,999
On average,
the land sinks more than 7 cm each year.
219
00:45:53,000 --> 00:45:56,999
So far, the land has sunk
more than two meters deep.
220
00:45:57,291 --> 00:46:00,207
Taiwan is gradually sinking.
221
00:46:00,916 --> 00:46:02,582
In the plains on the west coast,
222
00:46:02,583 --> 00:46:05,499
more than 1 ,000 square kilometres
of the surface has sunk below the sea level.
223
00:46:05,500 --> 00:46:08,249
Therefore, when the seawater intrusion occurs,
224
00:46:08,250 --> 00:46:12,040
the fields and houses all go underwater.
225
00:46:12,500 --> 00:46:17,540
The high-water marks on the walls
are vivid records of each visit by the sea.
226
00:46:20,000 --> 00:46:24,874
The ancestors who have long rested
underground have also fallen victim to it.
227
00:46:27,250 --> 00:46:33,457
The beautiful land they chose to settle
in a century ago is flooded with salt water.
228
00:46:33,458 --> 00:46:36,165
Their burial ground has turned into the sea.
229
00:47:37,291 --> 00:47:42,999
The straight artificial harbours
replaced the beautiful zigzag coastline.
230
00:47:43,000 --> 00:47:45,457
Every seven kilometres along
the west coast of Taiwan
231
00:47:45,458 --> 00:47:48,540
lies an artificial harbour built of concrete.
232
00:47:50,458 --> 00:47:54,415
Abalone farms had once dominated
the northeast coast of Taiwan.
233
00:47:54,416 --> 00:47:58,249
The beautiful rocky coastline
was cut and divided by concrete.
234
00:47:58,250 --> 00:47:59,915
With profit in sight,
235
00:47:59,916 --> 00:48:04,874
no one had ever thought
the damage was irreversible.
236
00:48:08,416 --> 00:48:10,040
The protruding breakwater
237
00:48:10,041 --> 00:48:14,999
causes changes in sand distribution
and results in the so-called "groin effect".
238
00:48:21,958 --> 00:48:24,374
It means sand accumulates
in large quantities on the side facing the current.
239
00:48:24,375 --> 00:48:29,540
On the other side, sand is lost to the sea
and this means the shore is receding.
240
00:48:30,000 --> 00:48:34,332
As a result, we put even more tetrapods
to stop the erosion by the sea.
241
00:48:34,541 --> 00:48:37,540
So more and more concrete
is accumulated at the seaside.
242
00:48:38,000 --> 00:48:44,040
The artificial tetrapods replace the natural rocks
where sea creatures gather and hunt for food.
243
00:48:46,500 --> 00:48:53,540
Taiwan has a coastline of 1 322 km
of which 55.56% has concrete built upon it.
244
00:48:54,333 --> 00:48:59,457
We built a wall
separating ourselves from the sea.
245
00:48:59,458 --> 00:49:03,874
Moreover,
it stops our children getting close to the sea.
246
00:49:03,875 --> 00:49:09,165
Isn't it such an irony
for an island country like Taiwan?
247
00:53:09,500 --> 00:53:12,874
The sea is where life originated.
248
00:53:12,875 --> 00:53:15,457
The sea is not a barrier.
249
00:53:15,458 --> 00:53:18,499
It's the route from
this island to the rest of the world.
250
00:53:18,500 --> 00:53:22,499
We should never see
it as a barrier or let it stop us.
251
00:53:22,500 --> 00:53:24,457
More importantly,
we should never change its colour
252
00:53:24,458 --> 00:53:26,957
or destroy its natural purity.
253
00:53:32,041 --> 00:53:35,290
The wetlands are natural water purifiers.
254
00:53:35,291 --> 00:53:39,165
Toxins are depleted here
before flowing into the sea.
255
00:53:39,166 --> 00:53:42,332
Therefore they gained
the reputation as "the kidney of the Earth".
256
00:53:42,833 --> 00:53:46,207
However, due to overdevelopment
and environmental pollution,
257
00:53:46,208 --> 00:53:49,790
the wetlands are shrinking.
258
00:53:49,791 --> 00:53:52,082
If we carry on what we have been doing,
259
00:53:52,083 --> 00:53:57,457
more than half of the wetlands in Taiwan
will disappear in front of our eyes.
260
00:54:09,416 --> 00:54:11,249
The over-fertilized farmland,
261
00:54:11,250 --> 00:54:17,457
over-use of detergents and sewage
all are causes of eutrophication.
262
00:54:17,958 --> 00:54:20,332
Together with the untreated water
from factories,
263
00:54:20,333 --> 00:54:24,499
they turn clear running water
into a pool of stagnant water.
264
00:55:50,875 --> 00:55:54,957
Due to untreated water from factories
and garbage pollution,
265
00:55:54,958 --> 00:55:59,165
the Guanyin Coast of Taoyuan has lost
the beautiful turquoise colour it once had.
266
00:55:59,541 --> 00:56:05,957
The polluted and pristine waters
separate from each other like Yin and Yang.
267
00:56:18,083 --> 00:56:22,415
We follow the black current,
tracing it back to the estuary.
268
00:56:25,541 --> 00:56:26,832
From the polluted river,
269
00:56:26,833 --> 00:56:32,957
the black current of untreated water
keeps flowing into the sea.
270
00:56:57,833 --> 00:56:59,124
In Taiwan,
271
00:56:59,125 --> 00:57:02,999
there are countless seriously
polluted rivers like this one.
272
00:57:03,250 --> 00:57:06,207
An image like this frightens us,
273
00:57:06,208 --> 00:57:11,499
but we either feel helpless
or pretend we cannot see it.
274
00:57:13,291 --> 00:57:15,999
The untreated water not only pollutes the sea
275
00:57:16,000 --> 00:57:18,374
but contains toxic substances.
276
00:57:18,375 --> 00:57:21,499
Once they have soaked into the soil,
it will be even more difficult to get rid of them.
277
00:57:22,166 --> 00:57:25,165
However, we drink water from here
278
00:57:25,166 --> 00:57:27,874
and eat the crops grown here.
279
00:57:27,875 --> 00:57:32,832
As we cannot see it,
we never feel threatened.
280
00:57:33,333 --> 00:57:38,332
We have gotten used to blaming
Nature, the Earth and the government
281
00:57:38,333 --> 00:57:40,165
when things go wrong.
282
00:57:47,416 --> 00:57:50,040
These factories with corrugated iron roofs
283
00:57:50,041 --> 00:57:52,915
once contributed to Taiwan's economic miracle.
284
00:57:52,916 --> 00:57:57,915
They improved our lives
but also produced serious pollution.
285
00:58:03,166 --> 00:58:05,124
By the time we had risen above the poverty line,
286
00:58:05,125 --> 00:58:10,040
become better-off and started to pay attention,
287
00:58:10,041 --> 00:58:15,999
the water pollution was unfortunately
growing at a faster rate than we could clean it.
288
00:58:18,916 --> 00:58:21,457
Although we have
implemented environmental laws,
289
00:58:21,458 --> 00:58:27,582
there are still factories which surreptitiously
pump out untreated water at night.
290
00:58:28,166 --> 00:58:32,999
It adds a layer of black oil
to the polluted yellow water in the river.
291
00:58:33,000 --> 00:58:36,999
All the living creatures in the river
were completely wiped out. None survived.
292
00:58:40,333 --> 00:58:42,082
What is more shocking is that
293
00:58:42,083 --> 00:58:45,415
such polluted water is allowed to
flow across residential areas.
294
00:58:45,958 --> 00:58:49,499
So this is the environment we live in.
295
00:58:50,041 --> 00:58:58,374
In the end, we could only imagine
the original colours of mountains and the sky.
296
01:01:06,333 --> 01:01:09,957
This is a cement mine
on the east coast of Taiwan.
297
01:01:09,958 --> 01:01:13,332
The cement industry has
huge impact on the environment.
298
01:01:14,125 --> 01:01:18,915
A ton of cement
is made from 1 .4 tons of limestone,
299
01:01:18,916 --> 01:01:23,249
300 kilos of clay and 60 kilos of silica sand.
300
01:01:24,375 --> 01:01:26,249
In order to get these raw materials,
301
01:01:26,250 --> 01:01:30,332
we cut the beautiful forests into pieces.
302
01:01:39,833 --> 01:01:42,832
But we cannot see such destruction,
303
01:01:42,833 --> 01:01:46,332
because we never go into the mountains.
304
01:01:52,500 --> 01:01:56,499
Furthermore, mining cement
is a highly energy-consuming business.
305
01:01:56,500 --> 01:01:58,207
To produce a ton of cement,
306
01:01:58,208 --> 01:02:03,499
you need 112.9 kWh of electricity
and 132.7 kilos of coal.
307
01:02:03,500 --> 01:02:06,540
It also emits large amounts of CO2.
308
01:02:07,333 --> 01:02:09,957
But cement is needed in our lives.
309
01:02:09,958 --> 01:02:12,957
Mining seems to be a necessary evil.
310
01:02:13,250 --> 01:02:16,124
We produce more than
1 9M tons of cement every year.
311
01:02:16,125 --> 01:02:19,249
Nearly half of it is exported.
312
01:02:19,791 --> 01:02:24,957
We turn our beautiful mountains and forests
into cement and sell it to others.
313
01:02:24,958 --> 01:02:28,249
Then we leave the destroyed environment
to our next generation.
314
01:02:47,000 --> 01:02:48,332
In addition to cement,
315
01:02:48,333 --> 01:02:51,249
the amount of sand and gravel mined
is even more astonishing.
316
01:02:51,250 --> 01:02:54,290
More than 1 00 million tons of sand and gravel
is produced every year,
317
01:02:54,916 --> 01:02:58,207
of which around 60 % is mined illegally.
318
01:03:03,416 --> 01:03:07,332
After this illegal mining,
a huge crater is left in the ground.
319
01:03:07,833 --> 01:03:12,165
The more terrifying fact is that some
heartless businessmen will fill it with garbage,
320
01:03:12,166 --> 01:03:15,332
causing another environmental disaster.
321
01:03:26,416 --> 01:03:32,499
In fact, the amount of sand and gravel
washed down from the river is large enough.
322
01:03:32,500 --> 01:03:35,165
There is no need to mine illegally.
323
01:03:35,166 --> 01:03:37,790
It's just because the businessmen
want to lower the cost,
324
01:03:37,791 --> 01:03:40,499
so they don't want to do it legally.
325
01:03:41,166 --> 01:03:45,499
If profit tops the priorities, who would
care about the environmental damage?
326
01:04:10,500 --> 01:04:15,290
Under the banner of economic development,
industrial parks mushroomed in Taiwan.
327
01:04:15,833 --> 01:04:19,124
We see chimneys erected all over the place.
328
01:04:27,875 --> 01:04:30,040
When there is no space left in the land,
329
01:04:30,041 --> 01:04:32,374
we fight against the sea for more land.
330
01:04:32,375 --> 01:04:38,332
We turn the beautiful coast into
artificial islands like those in the fantasy world.
331
01:04:48,833 --> 01:04:51,957
This is a giant chimney of 250 meters in height.
332
01:04:51,958 --> 01:04:55,290
The Taichung Power Plant
333
01:04:55,291 --> 01:04:56,457
Taichung Power Plant
334
01:04:56,458 --> 01:04:59,957
is the largest coal-fired power station
in the world.
335
01:04:59,958 --> 01:05:00,957
Without it,
336
01:05:00,958 --> 01:05:05,165
we won't have enough electricity to meet
the industrial and domestic demands.
337
01:05:05,166 --> 01:05:09,999
However,
it's also the largest CO2 emitter in the world.
338
01:05:17,875 --> 01:05:20,499
In order to send electricity to every corner,
339
01:05:20,500 --> 01:05:28,332
we built countless pylons
which spread across rivers and mountains.
340
01:05:35,833 --> 01:05:39,999
The power company spends lots of money
on maintaining the network
341
01:05:40,000 --> 01:05:42,874
to ensure a steady supply of electricity.
342
01:05:48,875 --> 01:05:51,790
Nevertheless, amid the green in the mountains,
343
01:05:51,791 --> 01:05:55,124
the pylons with warning signs saying
"High voltage. Keep Out."
344
01:05:55,125 --> 01:05:57,540
are hardly in harmony with the surroundings.
345
01:05:57,541 --> 01:06:04,374
But these densely built pylons
play an important role in our comfortable lives.
346
01:06:04,375 --> 01:06:05,374
Right here,
347
01:06:05,375 --> 01:06:09,124
we see the contradictory nature and conflicts
348
01:06:09,125 --> 01:06:11,999
between industrial development
and environmental protection.
349
01:06:13,166 --> 01:06:16,124
For example, we enjoy the speed and
convenience of the Taiwan High Speed Railway.
350
01:06:16,125 --> 01:06:20,999
But all our daily activities are
supported by large amounts of electricity.
351
01:06:23,083 --> 01:06:26,290
We can communicate with
people in faraway places
352
01:06:26,291 --> 01:06:28,999
and build economic relations with
the rest of the world.
353
01:06:29,000 --> 01:06:31,832
But what is hidden in the figure of
our economic growth
354
01:06:31,833 --> 01:06:35,874
is the rapidly-increasing consumption of energy.
355
01:06:59,875 --> 01:07:01,540
In recent years, the high-tech industry
356
01:07:01,541 --> 01:07:04,457
has become the main player in Taiwan's exports.
357
01:07:04,458 --> 01:07:07,249
Moreover, it's become
the symbol of Taiwan's competitiveness.
358
01:07:07,250 --> 01:07:11,374
But this high-earning industry is also
a high-energy-consuming industry.
359
01:07:11,875 --> 01:07:12,957
According to the statistics,
360
01:07:12,958 --> 01:07:17,457
the lT industry's need makes up 1 6% of
the total electricity consumption in Taiwan.
361
01:07:25,041 --> 01:07:29,874
To resolve the conflicts between
energy demand and environmental protection
362
01:07:29,875 --> 01:07:34,832
is definitely not a question of
who is wrong and who is right.
363
01:07:35,125 --> 01:07:37,290
More importantly,
it's not a fight between different ideologies.
364
01:07:37,958 --> 01:07:42,082
It's a serious issue everyone
has to face rationally.
365
01:07:48,500 --> 01:07:51,540
In fact,
the contradiction and conflicts we're facing
366
01:07:51,541 --> 01:07:54,874
aren't only between
energy demand and environmental protection.
367
01:07:54,875 --> 01:07:58,999
We face a similar problem
in the basic need for housing.
368
01:07:59,375 --> 01:08:02,165
When the land in the plains is in shortage,
369
01:08:02,166 --> 01:08:06,249
we fight against the hills for more land.
370
01:08:06,250 --> 01:08:07,040
However,
371
01:08:07,041 --> 01:08:12,374
the houses always increase at
a rate faster than the revision of the regulations.
372
01:08:13,291 --> 01:08:15,999
In the old days, people said
"Houses rise from the ground".
373
01:08:16,000 --> 01:08:18,832
Now, we say "Houses rise from the hills".
374
01:08:19,416 --> 01:08:23,165
An old nursery goes like this.
375
01:08:23,166 --> 01:08:26,832
"A brook runs in front of my home.
A hill stands at the back."
376
01:08:27,333 --> 01:08:30,332
Now what lies in front of our houses
is not a brook,
377
01:08:30,333 --> 01:08:34,165
but a collapsed slope full of danger.
378
01:08:37,833 --> 01:08:43,332
What we care about a house is
how much it costs each square meter
379
01:08:43,333 --> 01:08:48,332
rather than if it will still
be safe for us to live in tomorrow.
380
01:09:11,375 --> 01:09:14,415
The contradictory nature and conflicts between
material comforts and environmental protection
381
01:09:14,416 --> 01:09:18,249
have actually existed in our lives for a long time.
382
01:09:19,208 --> 01:09:22,499
We say
we want to save energy and protect the Earth
383
01:09:22,500 --> 01:09:24,957
but produce large amounts of garbage
at the same time.
384
01:09:25,500 --> 01:09:27,249
Maybe you've no idea that
385
01:09:27,250 --> 01:09:32,124
the amount of garbage we produce in Taiwan
is one of the largest in the world.
386
01:09:32,416 --> 01:09:36,582
We have to deal with
7.4 million tons of garbage each year.
387
01:09:37,041 --> 01:09:38,499
Most of the landfill sites are
388
01:09:38,500 --> 01:09:42,249
situated near the sea
where no one pays attention or protests against.
389
01:10:11,875 --> 01:10:15,332
On many of these sites,
the precautions aren't taken carefully,
390
01:10:15,333 --> 01:10:18,290
so when the waves lap against the shore,
391
01:10:18,291 --> 01:10:20,540
they take the garbage back to the sea.
392
01:10:20,541 --> 01:10:24,124
Drifting with the currents,
the garbage spreads along the coast.
393
01:10:28,875 --> 01:10:31,332
In the past, due to a lack of funding,
394
01:10:31,333 --> 01:10:33,082
some city councils buried
the garbage near the cities.
395
01:10:33,291 --> 01:10:36,040
Now they pose such a threat to public health that
396
01:10:36,041 --> 01:10:42,207
we have to spend more time and money
digging it out and treating it properly.
397
01:10:42,208 --> 01:10:46,249
But the irony is
when we're dealing with the old garbage,
398
01:10:46,250 --> 01:10:49,499
we keep producing even more
399
01:10:49,500 --> 01:10:54,082
as if as long as we couldn't see it,
the problem of garbage didn't exist.
400
01:10:55,750 --> 01:10:58,915
This is our island, our home.
401
01:10:59,166 --> 01:11:00,415
For several generations,
402
01:11:00,416 --> 01:11:02,582
we have lived
in this land poor in natural resources
403
01:11:02,583 --> 01:11:05,165
but rich in natural disasters.
404
01:11:05,166 --> 01:11:10,832
Nevertheless, we've worked so hard to
create an unprecedentedly flourishing economy.
405
01:11:11,125 --> 01:11:16,332
Meanwhile, this island has been nurturing
generations of people with her flesh and blood.
406
01:12:06,958 --> 01:12:09,207
Like a mother who has borne too many children,
407
01:12:09,208 --> 01:12:12,457
gradually,
her body is exhausted and in great pain.
408
01:12:13,000 --> 01:12:18,540
But she never complains and remains silent,
offering her children whatever they ask for.
409
01:12:19,208 --> 01:12:24,832
Only when her children greedily squeeze
the last drop of milk out of her,
410
01:12:24,833 --> 01:12:27,832
can we hear her moan softly in agony.
411
01:12:29,125 --> 01:12:30,332
People often say that
412
01:12:30,333 --> 01:12:33,332
if it wasn't for the wealth and happiness
of our children,
413
01:12:33,333 --> 01:12:36,332
our hard work would be meaningless.
414
01:12:36,958 --> 01:12:38,332
Sometimes I feel that
415
01:12:38,333 --> 01:12:42,207
the so-called hard work is an excuse for pillage.
416
01:12:43,333 --> 01:12:48,207
We pillage large amounts of resources
from this land to satisfy our endless desire.
417
01:12:48,208 --> 01:12:52,332
But we never thought
and probably will never admit that
418
01:12:52,333 --> 01:12:56,082
what we leave our next generation
is the aftermath of looting.
419
01:13:44,333 --> 01:13:47,249
History has shown us that
420
01:13:47,250 --> 01:13:50,374
the peak of a boom is often
the beginning of the decline.
421
01:13:50,916 --> 01:13:52,915
Is the same worrying crisis looming
422
01:13:52,916 --> 01:13:56,832
behind the boom we're enjoying at the moment?
423
01:13:57,166 --> 01:13:58,915
Is it?
424
01:17:53,375 --> 01:17:55,999
This is Houlong Township in Miaoli County.
425
01:17:56,000 --> 01:17:58,124
Ms. Hung Hsiang together with
her fellow villagers
426
01:17:58,125 --> 01:18:02,165
had resisted
the temptation and pressure from the outside.
427
01:18:02,166 --> 01:18:05,374
They refused to turn their land into
an industrial park.
428
01:18:06,125 --> 01:18:09,040
They insist on organic farming.
429
01:18:09,041 --> 01:18:10,249
In her fields,
430
01:18:10,250 --> 01:18:13,624
weeds, insects and crops live in harmony.
431
01:18:14,208 --> 01:18:17,124
She says,
"We should have what is left by the insects".
432
01:18:17,583 --> 01:18:21,374
"What we need isn't much.
We just want too much."
433
01:18:22,416 --> 01:18:23,499
In recent years,
434
01:18:23,500 --> 01:18:27,332
the number of people
who share her thoughts has been increasing.
435
01:18:27,833 --> 01:18:31,290
They insist on organic
and environmentally friendly farming methods.
436
01:18:31,291 --> 01:18:35,165
The proportion of their effort to their gain
437
01:18:35,166 --> 01:18:40,832
may seem laughable to people
who are used to high returns and efficiency.
438
01:18:41,166 --> 01:18:43,957
But they firmly believe that
439
01:18:43,958 --> 01:18:50,290
only when we treat our land friendly
will it treat our offspring friendly in return.
440
01:18:57,083 --> 01:18:59,832
Here comes another example.
441
01:18:59,833 --> 01:19:01,832
His name is Lai Ching-song.
442
01:19:01,833 --> 01:19:07,332
He had studied in Japan and witnessed
the Japanese's attitude to their environment.
443
01:19:08,166 --> 01:19:09,540
Therefore when he returned to Taiwan,
444
01:19:09,541 --> 01:19:13,457
he gave up the comfortable life
and high-earning job in the city.
445
01:19:14,000 --> 01:19:16,207
He went back to the village in Yilan
to learn farming from scratch,
446
01:19:16,208 --> 01:19:19,499
to grow rice organically.
447
01:19:20,333 --> 01:19:27,124
Like Ms. Hung Hsiang, to grow rice in this way,
your gain is often not in proportion to your effort.
448
01:19:27,125 --> 01:19:30,165
Sometimes, you get even less than you put in.
449
01:19:30,500 --> 01:19:31,999
As a result, he came up with an idea.
450
01:19:32,000 --> 01:19:35,207
He set up a cooperative like a club.
451
01:19:35,583 --> 01:19:39,582
He invites people
who share his idea to join the cooperative.
452
01:19:39,583 --> 01:19:41,999
Lai is responsible for the work in the fields.
453
01:19:42,000 --> 01:19:47,499
He and his partners share
the risks of natural disasters and others.
454
01:19:47,500 --> 01:19:51,582
In return, they share the harvest.
455
01:19:52,875 --> 01:19:56,499
What Hung Hsiang and Lai Ching-song
has done is an attempt.
456
01:19:56,500 --> 01:19:59,499
But it is the beginning of something important.
457
01:19:59,500 --> 01:20:04,415
Their action demonstrates a simple idea -
458
01:20:04,416 --> 01:20:06,415
for the sake of our future generations,
459
01:20:06,416 --> 01:20:11,249
we have no rights
to indulge ourselves with our endless desire.
460
01:20:11,250 --> 01:20:12,332
Because
461
01:20:12,333 --> 01:20:14,957
we live here only temporarily.
462
01:20:14,958 --> 01:20:17,332
We're just migrants on the Earth.
463
01:21:38,000 --> 01:21:43,790
Close your eyes
464
01:21:45,500 --> 01:21:52,249
Breathe in deep
465
01:21:52,916 --> 01:21:58,832
Can you see
466
01:22:00,833 --> 01:22:06,124
what l see?
467
01:22:08,500 --> 01:22:22,999
Keeping us in constant awe
468
01:22:23,333 --> 01:22:37,249
This feeling captured in time
469
01:22:38,125 --> 01:22:44,332
Isn't there more to this?
470
01:22:45,000 --> 01:22:50,165
More than what we're told
471
01:22:52,916 --> 01:22:59,332
Isn't there hope in this?
472
01:23:00,125 --> 01:23:05,582
More than this world gives
473
01:23:08,500 --> 01:23:12,874
If we only realize the pain we've caused
474
01:23:12,875 --> 01:23:23,957
Know that there is still tomorrow
475
01:23:27,333 --> 01:23:36,207
Discover the light in this land
476
01:24:02,375 --> 01:24:08,290
How long more
477
01:24:10,166 --> 01:24:17,999
can we breathe?
478
01:24:18,000 --> 01:24:24,499
Can you see
479
01:24:25,500 --> 01:24:32,290
what l see?
480
01:24:33,166 --> 01:24:39,165
Fills us up
481
01:24:40,958 --> 01:24:47,874
Leaves us void
482
01:24:48,333 --> 01:25:02,165
Look into it and tell me
483
01:25:02,583 --> 01:25:09,332
Isn't there more to this?
484
01:25:09,333 --> 01:25:15,957
More than what we're told
485
01:25:17,833 --> 01:25:24,165
Isn't there hope in this?
486
01:25:24,833 --> 01:25:30,415
More than this world gives
487
01:25:33,208 --> 01:25:37,457
If we only realize the pain we've caused
488
01:25:37,458 --> 01:25:48,874
Know that there is still tomorrow
489
01:25:52,166 --> 01:26:02,874
Discover the light in this land
490
01:28:50,166 --> 01:28:57,124
Let us work together
to make home a better place.
42174
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