Joss paper, sometimes called “ghost money” or “spirit money,” is paper burned during religious rites to honor ancestors and venerate deities. Throughout the country, pious Taiwanese can be seen burning sheets of joss paper at the climax of religious rituals.
Estimates of the amount of joss paper burned each year range from 90,000 tons to 220,000 tons. Whatever the true figure, it is a major cause of air pollution in urban areas, especially during the seventh month of the lunar calendar—so-called “ghost month”—when vast offerings of food and joss paper are made to keep troublesome spirits at bay.
Many business owners also burn ghost money outside their premises on the first and 15th day of each lunar month. Their smoldering braziers are a nuisance for pedestrians. Oftentimes they are placed in the road, presenting a hazard to cyclists and motorcyclists.
Foreign visitors and residents comment frequently and unfavorably on the consequences of burning ghost money. In 2008, The New York Times noted: “During major festivals ... smoke from burning paper chokes Taiwan streets.”
While many Taiwanese people say they do not object to the smell of burning joss paper, there is no doubt that the smoke and particulates generated by the custom are unhealthy.
According to the Cabinet-level Environmental Protection Administration, the burning of ghost money releases a host of hazardous pollutants, including oxysulfide and nitrogen oxide. At least 21 different polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have been detected in emissions from joss paper furnaces.
A 2005 study published by the Taipei-based Consumers’ Foundation, a major nongovernmental organization, found that burning ghost money releases dangerous quantities of benzene and toluene. In addition to being a carcinogen, benzene irritates the eyes, skin and respiratory system. More recently, the foundation discovered worrying amounts of lead in several brands of joss paper.
Conventional environmental measures, such as using recycled paper and applying anti-pollution technologies to burners, appear to be useless. The government’s goal, therefore, should be nothing other than a significant reduction in the total amount of spirit money burned.
But many attempts to ameliorate the effects of burning ghost money have failed to make an impact.
Most of Taiwan’s local governments offer centralized incineration services that aim to reduce roadside burning. These services have been promoted for several years, but the amount of joss paper handled this way has yet to reach 5 percent of the total burned.
Some have suggested that joss paper be taxed, but this is not a good option. If the tax were set too high, the market would likely be flooded by contraband ghost money made of the cheapest, least eco-friendly materials.
Furthermore, demand for votive currency is probably price inelastic—that is to say, a sharp increase in price may not significantly reduce the amount being burned. While joss paper is not addictive in the way cigarettes are, the people who burn it consider it a necessity.
Government agencies should lead by example. There should be no burning of joss paper around public buildings or when the ground is broken on a new school or hospital. In this respect a start has been made: During ghost month this year, the Kaohsiung County Environmental Protection Bureau donated money to charity rather than burn the spiritual kind.
No government can afford to be seen attacking religious freedom. However, religious leaders should be urged to remind followers of their environmental and public health responsibilities. As with the campaign against smoking, this is an issue on which politicians of all stripes can cooperate.
Some notable figures have already spoken out against the practice. Master Cheng Yen, founder of the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation, said that ghost money is just paper and that developing sincerity and virtue are far more important. And rather than burn spirit money, rituals at Dharma Drum Mountain now feature large screens showing stock footage of joss paper being burnt. Taipei’s Xingtian and Longshan temples also discourage the burning of ghost money.
Two decades ago, smoking in public places was tolerated. It may be two decades before the roadside burning of joss paper becomes a thing of the past, but as with smoking, the goal justifies patience and determination.
—Steven Crook is a freelance writer based in Tainan. These views are the author’s and not necessarily those of “Taiwan Today.” Copyright © 2010 by Steven Crook
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