The historic UN climate talks in Copenhagen have good intentions, yet set a perfect example of how an indecisive assembly can end up being eco-unfriendly.
Developed countries should feel duty-bound to ease concerns raised by developing countries at the summit and show a firm commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012. Otherwise the summit will collapse and the divide between developed and developing countries will grow even wider.
Unfortunately, it seems very unlikely that a new climate change deal enabling a concerted effort to fight global warming will be struck before the summit ends on Friday.
Nevertheless, the Copenhagen talks have shed some light on the urgency with which the world must deal with its inerasable carbon footprint. Alternative and clean energy sources will provide the best solution, and the world is already starting to feel the pinch, which should spur some delegates into action.
That bodes well for Taiwanese high-tech industries, some of which have invested in the solar energy sector — particularly solar panels and batteries — for more than a decade and the light-emitting-diode (LED) industry for almost three decades. Hit by the global recession, the local LED industry may suffer a 6 percent decline in total output value to NT$50.8 billion (US$1.6 billion) this year — still the world’s second-largest, after Japan — from NT$53.9 billion last year, according to the Industrial Technology Research Institute’s Industrial Economics and Knowledge Center.
As more countries, including Taiwan, start to replace traditional street lamps with energy-saving LEDs, a replacement wave may soon be triggered.
The nation’s solar energy industry is growing quickly and is expected to reach an output value of NT$450 billion in 2015 from NT$101.1 billion last year and NT$53.5 billion in 2007, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council has said.
The potential of solar batteries is burgeoning, and can only grow as breakthroughs are made in creating cheaper batteries with shorter charging times, increased capacity and longer life cycles.
Rechargeable lithium-iron batteries — a newer kind of battery used to harness solar energy — may be the answer for now, although further technological innovations are likely to follow.
As a local lithium-iron battery manufacturer put it: “With the revolutionary lithium-iron batteries, which are highly efficient in power storage, Taiwan can help replace existing power grids anywhere in the world.”
It is in such a world that business opportunities will emerge for local companies, enabling Taiwan to give something back to the international community. This is all the more important given that Taiwan’s progress in cutting emissions this year deteriorated to 47th among 57 countries with the world’s largest carbon dioxide emissions, the latest Climate Change Performance Index showed.
Cost will be another major concern. Unless consumers fully commit to energy-saving products to spur demand, it will be difficult to reduce manufacturing costs to make them more affordable.
So those shopping for electronic gadgets should pay extra attention to energy-saving features, for the sake of saving money and the environment.
In a summer of intense political maneuvering, Taiwanese, whose democratic vibrancy is a constant rebuke to Beijing’s authoritarianism, delivered a powerful verdict not on China, but on their own political leaders. Two high-profile recall campaigns, driven by the ruling party against its opposition, collapsed in failure. It was a clear signal that after months of bitter confrontation, the Taiwanese public is demanding a shift from perpetual campaign mode to the hard work of governing. For Washington and other world capitals, this is more than a distant political drama. The stability of Taiwan is vital, as it serves as a key player
Yesterday’s recall and referendum votes garnered mixed results for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). All seven of the KMT lawmakers up for a recall survived the vote, and by a convincing margin of, on average, 35 percent agreeing versus 65 percent disagreeing. However, the referendum sponsored by the KMT and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) on restarting the operation of the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County failed. Despite three times more “yes” votes than “no,” voter turnout fell short of the threshold. The nation needs energy stability, especially with the complex international security situation and significant challenges regarding
Much like the first round on July 26, Saturday’s second wave of recall elections — this time targeting seven Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers — also failed. With all 31 KMT legislators who faced recall this summer secure in their posts, the mass recall campaign has come to an end. The outcome was unsurprising. Last month’s across-the-board defeats had already dealt a heavy blow to the morale of recall advocates and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), while bolstering the confidence of the KMT and its ally the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP). It seemed a foregone conclusion that recalls would falter, as
The fallout from the mass recalls and the referendum on restarting the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant continues to monopolize the news. The general consensus is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has been bloodied and found wanting, and is in need of reflection and a course correction if it is to avoid electoral defeat. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has not emerged unscathed, either, but has the opportunity of making a relatively clean break. That depends on who the party on Oct. 18 picks to replace outgoing KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫). What is certain is that, with the dust settling
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