In 1994, members of the Taiwan Environmental Protection Union (台灣環保聯盟) compiled a series of articles criticizing Taiwan's existing energy policies in a book titled Nuclear Power Nightmares (核電夢魘), to highlight the dangers of nuclear power plants.
Few would have believed that just six years later, one of the contributing authors would become the most influential governmental official in charge of protecting the environment.
Lin Jun-yi (
The 1994 article written by Lin was called "Incompetent [government] Wants Nuclear Energy -- a comparison between Taiwan's AEC [Atomic Energy Council] and the US' NRC [Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
In the piece, Lin argued the AEC should set stricter regulations than those in the US because of Taiwan's fragile ecological environment, unstable geological structure, high density of population distribution, and dramatic climatic changes.
Regarded by local environmentalists as the "environmental godfather of Taiwan (台灣環境教父)," Lin has been admired both here and abroad for his decade-long contribution toward disseminating ideas on environmental protection and ecological conservation, having served as a research fellow in Asia, US, Europe and Africa.
PRO-ACTIVIST AGENDA
Predictably, some TEPU members welcomed the decision to appoint their long-term battle companion as head the EPA, and said they believe Lin will keep a close eye on the environmental impact of future controversial projects.
Other members, however, expressed doubts that Lin's position at the relatively low key EPA would make much of a difference to the progress of Taiwan's nascent environmental movement.
Moreover, some said they did not think the new DPP-led government would be able to take quick and affirmative action to put a stop to projects already underway, such as the fourth power plant in Kungliao, Taipei county.
"We have not won a final victory in the anti-nuclear battle, although we did help the DPP in winning the presidential election," said former TEPU head, Chang Kuo-lung (張國龍), at a meeting of the Taiwan Environmental Protection Union (台灣環保聯盟) last weekend.
"As anti-nuclear activists, we will fight for our goals in any case," Chang said, adding that it was largely irrelevant which government held power.
FRIENDS OR FOES?
In reaction to the uncertainties caused by the change in administration, the mood of nuclear campaigners has generally been somber and no clear consensus has emerged on the part of environmental organizations about what stand or actions they will take toward the issues of the day.
Members of other groups were pessimistic about maintaining the kinds of ties established during Lee Teng-hui's (李登輝) presidency and are preparing instead for battle.
Still others said the environmental movement would have to send emissaries to the team led by DPP president-elect Chen Shui-bian (
Practically alone among these groups is the TEPU -- formed in 1988, one year after the lifting of martial law -- which already has good relations with the DPP.
In the 1980's environmentalism was just one of many diverse and wide-ranging social reform movements, that were concerned with everything from political democratization to labor rights.
When TEPU activists carried out demonstrations against environmental pollution and on nuclear power issues in the 1980s, they often worked with DPP members, in a bid to spotlight the dysfunctional KMT-dominated government.
Just two decades later several TEPU members have joined government or political parties to pursue their career goals.
KEEPING A DISTANCE
The leaders of many environmental and social protest groups have however opted to stay out of the political limelight.
"I'm not saying the TEPU needs to redefine itself -- we had an ideal sentiment in the old days," said Lai Wei-chieh (
"If activists start to negotiate with the government, it could be harmful to the environmental movement," Lai said, referring to suspicions that some have used the movement as a strategy to build a personal reputation, in order to take up a position in politics.
Some environmentalists have argued that activism is about carrying on with grass-roots activities and continuing to apply pressure on the government.
"Although a diversity of environmental movements in Taiwan has emerged, the bottom line for environmentalists is to keep a proper distance from the government, in order to observe things objectively," said Joyce Fu (伏嘉捷), secretary-general of the Green Formosa Front (GFF 台灣綠色陣線) -- adding that real power comes from the people, rather than prominent positions in the government.
‘ABUSE OF POWER’: Lee Chun-yi allegedly used a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon and take his wife to restaurants, media reports said Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) resigned on Sunday night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by the media. Control Yuan Vice President Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞) yesterday apologized to the public over the issue. The watchdog body would follow up on similar accusations made by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and would investigate the alleged misuse of government vehicles by three other Control Yuan members: Su Li-chiung (蘇麗瓊), Lin Yu-jung (林郁容) and Wang Jung-chang (王榮璋), Lee Hung-chun said. Lee Chun-yi in a statement apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a
BEIJING’S ‘PAWN’: ‘We, as Chinese, should never forget our roots, history, culture,’ Want Want Holdings general manager Tsai Wang-ting said at a summit in China The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday condemned Want Want China Times Media Group (旺旺中時媒體集團) for making comments at the Cross-Strait Chinese Culture Summit that it said have damaged Taiwan’s sovereignty, adding that it would investigate if the group had colluded with China in the matter and contravened cross-strait regulations. The council issued a statement after Want Want Holdings (旺旺集團有限公司) general manager Tsai Wang-ting (蔡旺庭), the third son of the group’s founder, Tsai Eng-meng (蔡衍明), said at the summit last week that the group originated in “Chinese Taiwan,” and has developed and prospered in “the motherland.” “We, as Chinese, should never
‘A SURVIVAL QUESTION’: US officials have been urging the opposition KMT and TPP not to block defense spending, especially the special defense budget, an official said The US plans to ramp up weapons sales to Taiwan to a level exceeding US President Donald Trump’s first term as part of an effort to deter China as it intensifies military pressure on the nation, two US officials said on condition of anonymity. If US arms sales do accelerate, it could ease worries about the extent of Trump’s commitment to Taiwan. It would also add new friction to the tense US-China relationship. The officials said they expect US approvals for weapons sales to Taiwan over the next four years to surpass those in Trump’s first term, with one of them saying
INDO-PACIFIC REGION: Royal Navy ships exercise the right of freedom of navigation, including in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea, the UK’s Tony Radakin told a summit Freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region is as important as it is in the English Channel, British Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Tony Radakin said at a summit in Singapore on Saturday. The remark came as the British Royal Navy’s flagship aircraft carrier, the HMS Prince of Wales, is on an eight-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific region as head of an international carrier strike group. “Upholding the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and with it, the principles of the freedom of navigation, in this part of the world matters to us just as it matters in the
RSS