governmental branches require professional knowledge. For instance, to
comprehend the EIA report, you need to have professional training to understand
the tricks and traps set by the developers and development agencies. However,
grassroots support is always important. Politics and environmental protection are
mingled together. ENGOs should not neglect grassroots support. If the Binnan
Project is restarted, the Tainan Chapter will mobilize the masses at the grassroots
level again.’^11In addition to confrontation and mass movements, ENGOs also engage in
environmental education and socialization. Qiu Yiren, the President of the
Tainan Chapter of Wetlands Taiwan, is an elementary school teacher. He
believes that helping children understand the importance of grassroots
environmental protection will have long-term impacts on their socialization.
The most successful cases of environmental work at his school are resource
recycling and the classification of wastes.^12
Other ENGOs such as the Wilderness Society (WS) also promote
environmental education. Chang Hung-lin, the WS Secretary General,
mentioned his interest in a division of labor with other ENGOs. Instead of
joining large-scale mass movements, the WS provides a platform for the
general public to learn from Mother Nature, with an emphasis on educating the
middle class. It uses multiple channels to engage the middle class, such as the
Internet, electronic newsletters and broadcasting programs. By these means,
WS hopes to broaden its social bases, which is critical to its goals of
monitoring government policies and educating the general public.^13
Political Connections: ENGO Interactions with the DPP and
other Political Parties
We noted that ENGOs and the DPP had developed mutually beneficial
relationships to consolidate grassroots support and achieve environmental
goals. However, once the DPP became the ruling party in 2000, alliances
between ENGOs and the DPP have begun to fracture.
Several respondents expressed their disappointment with the DPP. For
example, an academic stated that while Taiwan deepens its democracy, the
environmental movement still faces large obstacles. Democracy and
environmental protection are two parallel lines that do not intersect.^14 Other
respondents were aggrieved that when the DPP became the ruling party in
2000, it established closer connections with the business community. This
made it necessary for ENGOs to continue to mobilize local supporters and
focus on local environmental concerns. Only if the ENGOs win grassroots
support would the ruling party listen.^15 The close connection with the business
community is the main reason that ENGOs kept a distance from the KMT, said
Huang Fuxin:
ENGOs, civil society and biodiversity conservation 165