Three years ago, Tian Guirong was lecturing and distributing pamphlets in the city of Xinxiang, Central China's Henan Province, about used batteries and their impact on the environment if casually thrown away.
People in the province called her a "Farmer Environmentalist" and the active 51-year-old has now become a well-known figure both in the country and abroad, frequently being invited to give lectures in schools and at special events.
Born in a farmer's family in Xinxiang, Tian began selling batteries in 1992. By chance, she learnt that discarded batteries can greatly harm the environment. She was shocked by the fact that one mercury-based battery could contaminate 600,000 litres of water.
Tian made up her mind to leave her home in Xinxiang and collect used batteries to prevent them leaking toxins into the already polluted environment.
She bought books and made battery collection boxes with green environmental flags to put in various stores.
She spent the equivalent of US$3,000 buying 40 tons of used toxic mercury-based batteries that would otherwise have been thrown away - a huge amount of money in a province where the per capita annual income is just US$500. Before an environmentally safe disposal site could be found, Tian's house was stacked with batteries she had collected.
Since September, 1999, Tian has spent more than 80,000 yuan (US$9,639) on numerous public activities to promote awareness of environmental protection. Her efforts have led to 700 collecting spots for used batteries being set up in Xinxiang.
Tian has also turned to the Internet for more help. In September, she invested in www.greentian.org, the first website concerning environment protection registered by a farmer in the country. Tian has been active in organizing an environmental protection association among farmers in the country.
Last April, she was honoured with the Award of Achievement by Gleitsman Foundation. And in October, she won another award from the Ford Foundation for her outstanding efforts in environmental protection.
(China Daily May 17, 2002)
