The government is clinging obstinately to archaic development plans without keeping abreast of the latest developments in ecotourism, environmentalists said yesterday, demanding a public debate on a plan recently drafted by the Council for Economic Planning and Development to build cable cars on mountains.
At the Legislative Yuan yesterday, activists handed over invitations to a debate to representatives of the council, which finished drafting the plan last month.
"The government must not only clarify the goals of its policies, but also provide opportunities for the public to discuss means of implementing the policies," Chou Ju (
Chou said that people's intimacy with nature did not have to grow on the tops of high mountains.
"Being given correct ecological knowledge, people can access Mother Nature less intrusively and enjoy its beauty in diverse places, ranging from backyards to national parks," Chou said.
`ignorant'
The invitations came after a demonstration organized by the Anti-Cable Car Union (
The council's draft calls for cable car projects -- together projected to cost about NT$3 billion (US$91 million) -- on mountains higher than 3,000m, including Jade Mountain, Snow Mountain, Hohuan Mountain and Nanhu Mountain. They would make it easier for tourists to visit sensitive areas in three national parks. The number of visitors traveling to those parks each year is projected to rise from 5 million to 8 million. The draft has been forwarded to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, which is expected to make a final decision soon to act on it or not.
After the demonstration, council Vice Chairman Chang Ching-sen (張景森) published articles in several Chinese-language newspapers, saying that the activists "are ignorant and immature."
no proof
Chang also said that cable cars had been described by the UN Mountain Agenda as one of the most environment-friendly approaches to mountain traffic, and many countries use them.
Some activists said that Chang, a promising political star working for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), had let his power go to his head and had become too arrogant.
Chen Huei-tsyr (
"Unfortunately, we don't see solid proof supporting the safety the government claimed in the draft," Chen said.
Lee Yung-jaan (李永展), professor at Chinese Culture University's department of architecture and urban planning, said a public debate on the plan might save ecologically fragile national parks from being damaged by the establishment of a total of 114 giant pylons for four cable-car projects.
Chen Ming-chuan (
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
TAKING STOCK: The USMC is rebuilding a once-abandoned airfield in Palau to support large-scale ground operations as China’s missile range grows, Naval News reported The US Marine Corps (USMC) is considering new sites for stockpiling equipment in the West Pacific to harden military supply chains and enhance mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, US-based Naval News reported on Saturday. The proposed sites in Palau — one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — and Australia would enable a “rapid standup of stored equipment within a year” of the program’s approval, the report said, citing documents published by the USMC last month. In Palau, the service is rebuilding a formerly abandoned World War II-era airfield and establishing ancillary structures to support large-scale ground operations “as China’s missile range and magazine
A 72-year-old man in Kaohsiung was sentenced to 40 days in jail after he was found having sex with a 67-year-old woman under a slide in a public park on Sunday afternoon. At 3pm on Sunday, a mother surnamed Liang (梁) was with her child at a neighborhood park when they found the man, surnamed Tsai (蔡), and woman, surnamed Huang (黃), underneath the slide. Liang took her child away from the scene, took photographs of the two and called the police, who arrived and arrested the couple. During questioning, Tsai told police that he had met Huang that day and offered to
A British man was arrested for attempting to smuggle 14.37kg of marijuana into Taiwan through Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei Customs said late yesterday. The man, who arrived from Bangkok at 9pm on Friday, was asked by customs officers to open his luggage during a random inspection, Taipei Customs said in a news release. The passenger, whose identity was not disclosed, refused to open his suitcase and tried to flee the restricted area. He was eventually subdued by three customs officials and an Aviation Police Bureau officer. A later search of his checked luggage uncovered 14.37kg of marijuana buds. The case was handed over
RSS