In President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) inaugural address on May 20, she outlined the direction of her government’s environmental policies, saying they would “strictly monitor and control all sources of pollution” and “gradually adjust our energy options based on the concepts of sustainability.”
To implement these policies, the government needs to overcome some difficulties. Let us take a look at whether the public would feel the effects of these new policies and come up with some suggestions in the hope that the government can live up to the public’s expectation.
In the five months since the government took office it has implemented various transitional justice-related reforms. These include pension, ill-gotten party assets, labor welfare and historical and judicial reforms in order to build a sound state apparatus.
On environmental issues, Taiwanese hope the government can seize this opportunity to provide environmental transitional justice and change the outdated approach of sacrificing the environment for the economy.
However, looking at how the government has handled pollution from the Mailiao naphtha cracker and Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corp, there is no sign of Tsai’s policies being implemented or any bold attempts to push for a transition — all we have seen is compromise, avoidance and empty promises.
The government has failed to understand public opinion and is acting against it, as can be seen in the Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corp case. The central government should support the Changhua County Government’s decision not to renew an operating license. That would implement the president’s policy to strictly monitor and control all sources of pollution and demand that companies take action to reduce pollution.
As for air pollution in central Taiwan, Taichung, as well as Yunlin and Changhua counties have reached a consensus that coal-fired power generation is the main reason air quality in these areas often falls to “purple” — the worst level in the government’s five-level air quality index — which is hazardous to health and leads to a higher risk of disease and illness.
These local governments have passed regulations to limit the use of bituminous coal, demanding that enterprises reduce air pollution by replacing it with natural gas. For example, the Taichung City Government has demanded that Taiwan Power Co’s coal-fired power plant in the city reduce the use of bituminous coal by 40 percent within four years.
The central government has not supported these demands and the Ministry of Economic Affairs slapped the three local governments in the face by rejecting their consensus on restricting the use of bituminous coal.
The central government should cooperate with local governments to accelerate the preparations for an increase in the use of natural gas-fired power generation.
In Chapter 19 of his book Energy for Future Presidents: The Science Behind the Headlines, Richard Muller says that coal is the dirtiest energy source and that there is a trend toward replacing it with natural gas. What is needed is environmental transitional justice, as Taiwan gradually adjusts its energy options based on concepts of sustainability.
The central government should push for both nuclear and coal-free policies, replacing these energy sources with “green” energy in the long term. It should also aim to partially substitute natural gas for coal-fired power generation in the short term.
The public have lost confidence in the government due to its mishandling of the Formosa Chemicals & Fibre Corp case. Hopefully, it will be able to make a quick U-turn and stand on the side of the majority. It should maintain its stance on being an environmentally friendly “green” administration in order to meet public expectations and hasten the push for Tsai’s environmental policies.
Hung Cheng-chung is convener of the Taiwan Environmental Righteousness Alliance and a former director of Taichung’s Environmental Protection Bureau.
Translated by Eddy Chang
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
The past few months have seen tremendous strides in India’s journey to develop a vibrant semiconductor and electronics ecosystem. The nation’s established prowess in information technology (IT) has earned it much-needed revenue and prestige across the globe. Now, through the convergence of engineering talent, supportive government policies, an expanding market and technologically adaptive entrepreneurship, India is striving to become part of global electronics and semiconductor supply chains. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vision of “Make in India” and “Design in India” has been the guiding force behind the government’s incentive schemes that span skilling, design, fabrication, assembly, testing and packaging, and
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.