Just a few years after the poem was published, two accidents at chemical plants in Taichung County and Hsinchu led to local protests. The plants were shut down, and Taiwanese found the courage to stand up against polluters.
詩作發表後兩三年內，台灣就發生了台中大里三晃農藥公害事件、李長榮化工廠污染事件，兩起嚴重公害都在當地居民合作抗爭下，迫使業者停工，此舉鼓舞全台各地民眾，勇於向污染說「不」。