"It's really a dilemma," Liang says, "but to me it's a matter of time. If you destroy your resources now, your children will suffer. You will not be so poor, but your children will be even poorer. But I know it's difficult, so I always make sure I avoid empty 'Green' words -- slogans that have no practical value. We have to work very hard to solve problems pragmatically."

Convincing peasants in their township and village enterprises to give up new and prospering -- but equally polluting -- industries isn't easy. But Liang believes that through open dialogue rather than preaching, FON can change people's habits.

"We are advocates of controlled consumption, not suspension of development," he says, adding: "Pursuing the culture of waste is a dead end for China. If everyone tries to have a life like that, our future is bleak."

Although Liang is a self-declared moderate, the very nature of his cause - which is usually unpopular -- has earned him and other colleagues many enemies, even anonymous threats.

Still, Liang is optimistic that the tide will soon turn in favor of environmental causes. "I can see a real difference since we started our work, especially in public attitudes towards environmental issues. People are more sympathetic, more thoughtful, more understanding."

  Sowing green seeds

Although FON has directly taken part in several environmental efforts, Liang insists that the only way to create lasting environmental improvement is to raise awareness and educate people, particularly the youth, to "patiently sow green seeds in people's minds. We don't want to provide people just with some technical knowledge. Instead, we try to modify people's values and behavior".

FON seeks to raise awareness through education in the classrooms, colleges and via community events. Their primary target is the younger generation -- tomorrow's leaders and activists, as well as tomorrow's consumers and polluters.

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