The "No Nuke Asia Forum 2005" continued yesterday in Taipei, with participants from around the world exchanging opinions on the development of renewable energy and the anti-nuclear campaigns in their countries.
The forum, which began last Thursday and will run until Wednesday and was organized by the Taiwan Environmental Protection Union (TEPU), has attracted representatives of environmental protection groups from Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Australia, Germany, Netherlands, Russia and the US.
The participants visited several nuclear plants Friday and had talks with residents near the plants.
TEPU Chairman Shih Shin-min (施信民) noted that the Cabinet convened a national energy conference in 1998, setting a goal that renewable energy should account for 1 percent to 3 percent of the country's total energy capacity. At that time, the government did not have the idea of promoting a nuclear-free country.
In 2003, the government began anti-nuclear campaigns, setting its new goal in which renewable energy should account for 10 percent of the total by 2010.
Expressing hope that the government can fulfill its promise, Shih complained that even the 10 percent goal will still lag behind that of advanced countries.
Citing the example of Denmark, which has efficiently developed renewable energy such as hydro, wind, geothermal and biomass power, Shih noted that the European country's renewable energy accounts for 40 percent of its total.
With the Kyoto Protocol taking effect in February, which aims to limit the global emission of greenhouse gases, the EU hopes that renewable energy can account for 22 percent of each country's total by 2020.
However, Taiwan can only reach 12 percent goal by that time, Shih added.
According to Shih, Taiwan has been promoting hydro, wind, solar, geothermal and biomass power, but with low efficiency.
He urged the government and the people to show more concern for the environment and to focus on renewable energy.
Yangmingshan National Park authorities yesterday urged visitors to respect public spaces and obey the law after a couple was caught on a camera livestream having sex at the park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) earlier in the day. The Shilin Police Precinct in Taipei said it has identified a suspect and his vehicle registration number, and would summon him for questioning. The case would be handled in accordance with public indecency charges, it added. The couple entered the park at about 11pm on Thursday and began fooling around by 1am yesterday, the police said, adding that the two were unaware of the park’s all-day live
Yangmingshan National Park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) nature area has gone viral after a park livestream camera observed a couple in the throes of intimate congress, which was broadcast live on YouTube, drawing large late-night crowds and sparking a backlash over noise, bright lights and disruption to wildlife habitat. The area’s livestream footage appeared to show a couple engaging in sexual activity on a picnic table in the park on Friday last week, with the uncensored footage streamed publicly online. The footage quickly spread across social media, prompting a tide of visitors to travel to the site to “check in” and recreate the
Fast food chain McDonald's is to raise prices by up to NT$5 on some products at its restaurants across Taiwan, starting on Wednesday next week, the company announced today. The prices of all extra value meals and sharing boxes are to increase by NT$5, while breakfast combos and creamy corn soup would go up by NT$3, the company said in a statement. The price of the main items of those meals, if ordered individually, would remain the same. Meanwhile, the price of a medium-sized lemon iced tea and hot cappuccino would rise by NT$3, extra dipping sauces for chicken nuggets would go up
Minister of Digital Affairs Lin Yi-ching (林宜敬) yesterday cited regulatory issues and national security concerns as an expert said that Taiwan is among the few Asian regions without Starlink. Lin made the remarks on Facebook after funP Innovation Group chief executive officer Nathan Chiu (邱繼弘) on Friday said Taiwan and four other countries in Asia — China, North Korea, Afghanistan and Syria — have no access to Starlink. Starlink has become available in 166 countries worldwide, including Ukraine, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, in the six years since it became commercial, he said. While China and North Korea block Starlink, Syria is not
RSS