EPA urges eco-friendly tomb-sweeping

This article was published by the Taiwan Headlines on April 3, 2006. It reports that the Environmental Protection Administration in Taiwan recently urged the public not to burn too much paper "ghost money" or incense, and to set off as few firecrackers as possible, while honoring ancestors. It would be all for the sake of environmental protection.

With the forthcoming of the traditional Tomb-Sweeping Day on April 5, the Environmental Protection Administration announced that burning "ghost money", incense sticks and firecrackers would cause significant air and noise pollution. The public was urged to change the way in which they remember their ancestors, either by not using "ghost money", incense sticks and firecrackers altogether, or by calling in garbage collectors to burn them at incinerators. Statistics showed that in 2005, local garbage collectors around Taiwan had burned more than 1,500 tons of paper "ghost money" on behalf of temples and individuals.

According to the Environmental Protection Administration, what matters in worshipping ancestors is sincerity. The public was urged to burn virtual spirit money, incense and firecrackers online, which does not cause any air or noise pollution.