Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je says he is hoping to turn Taiwan’s capital into an eco city. He was speaking on Sunday at an event highlighting the city’s efforts to repopulate and conserve its firefly population.
Ko said it’s encouraging that the city has successfully found new homes for fireflies in a number of places, including Daan Forest Park in the heart of the city. The mayor said the success should serve as an ecological lesson for Taipei residents.
The mayor also said he is pleased that Taipei has won its bid to host the 2017 International Firefly Festival. He said that ecology is a barometer of a civilized society.
Since taking office in December, 2014, Ko said the city government has been sincere in its efforts to designate and take care of protected areas. He said that’s because once those areas are paved over, it’s almost impossible to return them to nature.
The mayor called on the private sector to work with the city government to protect the habitats of fireflies. He said the city is also planning to introduce other green projects such as solar power and cut down on PM2.5 emissions. PM2.5 refers to particulate matter in the air which is hazardous to humans when inhaled.