Retirement may mean a new beginning in life.

The Chinese-born Canadian Robert C. Lao and his wife Helen Wei have set a wonderful example.

Lao worked at Canada's environment ministry for about three decades, then moved to Beijing at the beginning of 1997 to take part in his government's aid work to help China fight pollution.

He said he firmly believed that the idea of cleaner production was crucial to preventing pollution in China.

The National People's Congress, China's top legislature, has passed the Law on Cleaner Production, which took effect at the beginning of this year.

Lao is currently resident project manager of the Canada-China Co-operation Project in Cleaner Production, which is part of the Canadian International Development Agency. He has been busy expanding the cleaner production project in China.

As a leading environmental expert and an adviser to China's State Council, Lao has been fully occupied by discussions, workshops, lectures, publications and other environmental activities, which have led the elderly couple to live in a variety of Chinese cities.

"Working itself is a pleasure, especially working for my motherland and for its sustainable development," said Lao.

Chinese bloodline

Lao's love for his homeland has never waned, even though he was away from China for such a long time.

Lao spent his childhood in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province. His late father Lao Kanru, a renowned chemical engineering professor, taught at Zhejiang University in the city. During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1937-45), the young Lao fled to a nearby village with his family.

"During those days in the village, I was buried in classic traditional Chinese literature and later I nearly became a literature major," said Lao.

After China defeated Japan, Lao's family moved to Taiwan, where Lao finished his high school and college education. He went to the United States in 1958, obtaining a master's degree in industrial chemistry from the University of Utah and a doctorate in quantum chemistry from the University of Colorado. Then he went to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, for his post-doctoral research.

Lao's wife Wei was born in east China's Shandong Province and she also moved to Taiwan.

She recalled: "In those early days, the traditional characteristics of diligence, struggle, dedication and perseverance prevailed, and the concept of Chinese culture and art was deeply rooted. All those factors became the cornerstone of our lives and our philosophy."

Wei then moved to Canada to work as a journalist for the Hong Kong-based Sing Tao Daily. She is now a member of Canada's Parliamentary Press Club and has worked as a freelance since retiring.

"Although, for a great many years, we have lived in different places with a number of jobs -Lao in environmental protection and myself in journalism - our aim of serving society has remained intact," said Wei.

In 1967, Lao went to Canada, beginning his three decades of service for the Canadian Government.

First he worked as a researcher of theoretical physics and chemistry in Canada's National Research Council. He moved to the federal department of national health and welfare in 1969 and then the environment ministry in 1971, where he researched air pollution and human health. Between 1974 and 1976, he represented the Canadian Government at the Geneva-based World Health Organization.

"My experience in Canada was quite valuable because it was there I met my wife," said Lao.

However, his Chinese roots have always inspired Lao to do something for his motherland. Lao chose to use his knowledge and experience to help China in environmental protection.

In 1997, he took early retirement from the Canadian Government, becoming a resident project manager for the Canadian International Development Agency's co-operation project on cleaner production in China.

In the following years, Lao has accompanied his Chinese counterparts and Canadian experts in traveling to many provinces visiting factories, schools and academic institutions.

Wei said: "I have been with him, sharing the joys, hardships and successful results. A great majority of the time in our lives has been occupied by this work."

The couple have been from the coast to inland China and the western desert regions, which has fulfilled not only their "China dream" but also provided them with valuable information on the environment.

Co-operation project

China and Canada began the cleaner production project in 1997. In the following five years, the Canadian Government donated about US$8 million to reduce pollution in old industrial centers in China.

The cleaner production co-operation project is now in its second phase, which will end by 2005. This phase involves US$3.4 million.

Lao said the project group has started cleaner production training and restructuring in northwest China's Gansu Province and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to cut pollution in oilfields and the non-ferrous metals sectors. They have been helped by the former State Economic and Trade Commission (now part of the National Development and Reform Commission) and by the State Environmental Protection Administration.

China's fast industrial development has inevitably led to increased discharges of pollutants.

"It will become increasingly serious if we do not take effective measures," said Lao.

China used to focus on pollution at the point of discharge control, neglecting overall control and prevention.

"If pollution control could start at production preparation and cleaner production be implemented, environmental pollution could be greatly reduced," said Lao.

Spreading knowledge

Spreading knowledge about environmental protection is another goal of the couple.

Liang Boping, a senior website editor with the China Economic Information Network, highly praised the couple's passion for promoting environmental protection.

"Lao is the firm backbone of the network, which has gained more recognition in environmental protection circles," said Liang, who herself has been active in the network's activities since it was set up in 1999.

Liang said that, with Lao's support, the network members are busy working on a book to disseminate knowledge of healthcare and diseases in rural areas in the wake of SARS.

(China Daily September 4, 2003)