Plea for sustainable growth
Blink, and you might have missed the good news. Taiwan’s private investments grew at a slower-than-expected annual pace of 2.82 percent last year, mainly due to less investment in the petrochemical industry (“Private investments disappoint,” Jan. 27, page 13). Yes, that is indeed very good news.
Not only is infinite growth impossible on a finite planet but, more importantly, growth of destructive industries must become negative if we want to continue to live on a habitable planet. Almost no other industry is as destructive to the health of the planet and its inhabitants as the petrochemical industry (“Insidious abuse unchecked,” Jan. 1, page 8; “Air pollution a global public health emergency: WHO,” Jan. 21, page 9).
Climate change means that the weather is becoming weirder which was evident with record high temperatures at the North Pole and record low temperatures in Taiwan at about the same time (“Cold weather brings snow to nation,” Jan. 25, page 1). This record cold spell brought disaster to fish and agricultural farms. Taiwan’s farmers should sue the oil companies.
What more proof is needed that we need to fight climate change in order to be able to have food on the table? A scientific paper recently connected the civil war in Syria with climate change which it said caused a famine that triggered the beginning of the civil war.
What is the brainwave of the outgoing Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government to reduce air pollution and climate change on a massive scale? Thinking about maybe having a trial project that would encourage scooter riders to turn off their engines when waiting at traffic lights.
Let us all pray and hope that the incoming Democratic Progressive Party government is more enlightened when it comes to environmental policies and replaces fig-leaf environmentalism with true systemic change. Please, Madam President, we need less economic growth that makes us sick and more economic growth that makes us healthy.Now that would be building a legacy for future generations to appreciate.
Flora Faun
Taipei
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