Friends of Nature, an environmental protection organization, plans to create "green maps" of several sections of Shanghai that include the locations of cycling lanes and grade water quality in different parts of the city.

The project hasn't been approved yet by the city government, but does have the support of Wendy Brawer, the founding director of American-based Green Map System, who gave a lecture to organization members yesterday.

"We will do anything we can to support the project," Brawer told journalists following her speech.

Managers from Friends of Nature plan to spend the next few days discussing details of the project and recruiting volunteers to help with the mapping. While they wouldn't say what parts of the city the maps will include, one map is expected to cover the site of the 2010 World Expo.

If the government approves the project, it will receive financial support from the Taiwan-based Delta Environment and Education Fund.

Brawer said green maps can promote people's awareness of the importance of protecting the environment and can encourage them to make environmentally friendly decisions, such as riding a bike to work instead of driving or taking a cab.

The maps are also expected to list the variety of plants in different parts of the city, location of solar energy sites, drinking water sources and major pollutants.

Brawer and members of Friends of Nature will hold talks with officials from the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination on Thursday to discuss cooperating on creating green maps for the event.

Brawer said her organization helped create a green map for the Aichi World Expo 2005 in Japan as well as dozens of other countries.

If the project is approved, the maps will be distributed free.

(Shanghai Daily June 12, 2007)