Saturday, June 02, 2007

'CAR-FREE' TOUR LAUNCHED TO RAISE ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS

Taipei, June 2 (CNA) To promote the idea of a "Car-free Asia" and environmental awareness, 20 people from around the world, including eight from Taiwan, will launch a four-month "car-free" tour from Beijing to Paris, traveling on bicycle most of the way, on June 10 at Beijing's Tiananman Square.

The "Beijing to Paris (B2P) Car-free" tour is about "celebrating better mobility, " said Wu Yi-ting, one of the participants in the event, along with New Zealander Olly Powell, at a press conference. As the first group of participants have already started their tour, in April, Wu said, the second group will start the 100,000-kilometer expedition June 10, adding that they expect to arrive in Paris in October.

In 1907, three Italians completed the first Beijing-Paris trip by automobile. Wu and Powell came up with the idea of traveling the same route because "automobile transportation has changed the world in many ways and changed people's way of life, led to over-consumption of energy, and destroyed the environment, " said Wu, who has been living a carefree life and who has cycled across South America.

"This event will draw attention to one of the most important issues today. Nothing is more important than the issue of global warming. If we don't change the way we live, we'll have to build a memorial hall for the life we lost, " said Canadian composer Matthew Lien, who has been vocal on environmental issues and who has voiced support for the event.

The goal of this activity is to travel without cars or "support vehicles, " but it's up to the individual participants to make their travel plans and choose their routes. Most participants have indicated they will cycle all the way. Others will take trains and ferries on some sections of the journey.

Thus far, there are three likely three routes that will be traveled. Some participants are planning to go via the "middle route" -- through China, Kyrgystan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Poland. Wu and the other participants from Taiwan will take a more northern route to avoid visa complications in Eastern Europe and will enter Europe via Finland. Some participants have suggested that they will take the classic Silk Road route, via Central Asia, Iran and Turkey.

"This event gives me the opportunity to fulfill my lifelong dream of cycling from Asia to Europe and to raise environmental awareness among Taiwanese, " said 32-year-old Aaron Huang, who quit his job of 15 years as an Air Force mechanic to take part in the activity.

"Hopefully, I can arrive in Paris on September 22 -- which is World Car-free Day, " Huang said.

A number of representatives of environmental groups, as well as the chairman of Mongolia's Green Party Erdenechuluun Zorigt, also attended the press conference to show their support for the event.

"This initiative by a Taiwanese girl gives us a perfect example of Taiwan's meaningful participation in international affairs, " said Pan Hen-sheng, secretary-general of the Green Party Taiwan.