Dr. Jane Goodall: Thank you very much. I feel greatly honored by Premier Chang's warm welcome. This is my fifth trip to Taiwan. Each time I am here, I experience the kind hospitality of the people, and I have made many good friends.
Since I gained experience through research on chimpanzees in my early years, I am able to share with you my findings. Forty years ago when I first arrived in Tanzania, I saw green forests and many chimpanzees. However, the increased population has disturbed the habitats of the animal; therefore, it has been difficult for chimpanzee conservation. The forests surrounding the Gombe Stream National Park have been completely cut and turned into deserts. Animals cannot survive, and the people there are rather poor.
In fact, what we can do for the chimpanzees there is to first solve the local people's living problems. When human beings themselves are in a difficult situation, it is impossible for them to think about animals. Therefore, we must first make the local people understand that it is important for them to maintain a balance with nature in the course of economic development.
Now in Africa, change of natural environment has created a difficult situation for local economies. Many African countries are close to desertification and are becoming concrete jungles. Man and nature are gradually being cut off from each other. Therefore, as a result of my own experience, I understand the problems those countries are facing. They are desperately in need of help from other countries.

Premier Chang: Dr. Goodall just mentioned a very important concept: maintaining a balanced relationship between economic development and nature. Since Taiwan lacks natural resources, we must overcome many difficulties to attain economic development.
Before Dr. Goodall arrived in Taipei, there were floods in Hsichih and mudslides in Juifang. This is an unbalance between economic development and nature, which causes nature to counterattack.
Dr. Goodall is successful in the area of conservation. She can share her experience and findings with us. In addition, her conservation research at the Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania has also been very successful and can be our reference.

Dr. Jane Goodall: In fact, I dare not say that my work at the Gombe Stream National Park is a success. Under the government policy, residents near the park were asked to move to other places. Forests there were excessively cut. That is against the law of nature. This is a particular problem in Africa. Flood disasters, such as those in Hsichih, have also happened in mainland China and the United States. Excessive cutting of trees then causes failure in water storage.
We know that the earth is damaged in two ways. One is the cutting of forests, because poor people must consider their livelihood. The other one is the damage to water and soil conservation resulting from excessive economic development, which leads to soil erosion.
There are two reasons for the preservation of the Gombe Stream National Park. One is that our research on chimpanzees has aroused people's concerns for the animal. The other reason, which is more important, is that first we work with the local people to improve their lives and then make them understand the final goal of our research. For conservation, we must first let local people voluntarily and spontaneously understand the importance of conservation. Without it, any effort at conservation will not last long. Therefore, we also improve local people's lives, in order to continue our research.
Equally important is children's education. We must try to understand the significance of education for the next generation. The government's position is another important factor. In developing the tourist industry, the government causes great damage. We all should pay attention to this.

Premier Chang: Dr. Goodall mentioned that education is very important. We know that she set up Roots & Shoots to educate the future generations about environmental protection. Two years ago, when Germany's former Chancellor Helmut Schmidt visited Taiwan, he was quite surprised that Taiwan has nuclear power plants but no methane plants. He thought that Taiwan should not have constructed nuclear power plants and wondered why methane, solar energy, and wind power generation are not seen in Taiwan.
The government had no idea how to save electricity. They paid too much attention to development and forgot that there are alternatives. We know that Roots & Shoots was very successful in Tanzania's Gombe Stream National Park, and we would like to hear Dr. Goodall's advice on how to promote relevant education in Taiwan.

Dr. Jane Goodall: In fact, participants in Roots & Shoots range from preschool children to university students. It is the program that I spent the most time and energy to promote. As I think of how the environment has been damaged in the past 66 years, I feel that it is a great shame for mankind.
Roots & Shoots teaches young people to show care and concern for the environment, animals, and human communities. With these three subjects in mind, we would like to educate the young people how to change the world and improve the environment.
The Roots & Shoots groups map out every activity plan in accordance with the age of participants and the cultural differences of every nation. Young people are full of energy. By participating in these educational activities, we can help them learn how to handle problems in their environment and turn power into actions, making the natural environment better and better with each passing day.
At present, there are more than 2,000 Roots & Shoots groups in 15 countries. These groups are very enthusiastic and inspiring. I have learned a lot from them. Their work has made our world better.
While I am traveling around the world, I collect items that represent hope. For example, I kept the feather of an endangered species of bird in my collection. When I arrived in Taiwan yesterday, a friend gave me a bottle of soil from Kungliao. Since the construction of the fourth nuclear power plant was canceled, I think this bottle of soil can serve as a symbol of hope as well.

Premier Chang: I recently announced the end of construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, so Taiwan can move toward a nuclear-free zone. During the announcement, I showed a photo of a little boy who lived 200 miles from the Chernobyl power plant. The boy was dying of leukemia from radiation of the Chernobyl accident, while his mother was giving him a last farewell kiss. We can see from this incident that, although we consider the boy to be living at a safe distance from the Chernobyl power plant, yet, the plant's radioactive rains resulted in the little boy's death. The construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in Kungliao is not just an issue for Kungliao residents, but an issue for all Taiwan and world ecology.
There was a great uproar when the government announced the termination of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant. We hope to let Dr. Jane Goodall know that even at this difficult time, we have the same hope for a clean global village. We hope in whatever environment there will be people like Dr. Goodall working for the earth, and Taiwan also has many such people.

Dr. Jane Goodall: When I first came to Taiwan, friends told me not to get involved in Taiwan's Fourth Nuclear Power Plant. However, I want to say to each of you: In the US, I was asked to sit on the Advisory Board for the Committee for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons. One of its very important restrictions is the ban on nuclear power generation. Nuclear material is very, very dangerous to the world. We will be very cautious in handling this problem. As a person deeply concerned about wildlife, the natural environment, and children's education, it is impossible for me not to be afraid of nuclear energy. In fact, after the Chernobyl and Three Mile Island nuclear power plant incidents, we have learned our lessons. The US no longer constructs nuclear power plants.

Premier Chang: I was very impressed, when I saw Dr. Goodall receiving the soil from Kungliao as symbol of hope.

Dr. Jane Goodall: This bottle of soil is not yet a true symbol of hope. Only when the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant has been completely halted and this bottle of soil remains in its original form will it truly become a symbol of hope.

Premier Chang: I now present Dr. Jane Goodall the gold pen that I used on October 27 to sign the order halting the construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant. I hope Dr. Goodall will work with us to establish a nuclear-free environment.