The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) celebrated its 20th anniversary yesterday, and received a "tumor cake" as a gift from environmental protection groups keen to highlight what they see as the deterioration of the nation's environment.
The cake was made using polluted duck eggs, rice and oysters, which were then mixed with mud from the Central Cross-Island Highway (中橫公路). The oil used to blend the ingredients contained polychlorinated biphenyls.
Meanwhile, 20 candles were placed on top of the "cake." Each representing a controversial development, such as the Formosa Plastics Corp steel plant, the CPC Corp, Taiwan petrochemical plant and the planned Suhua Freeway (蘇花高速公路).
PHOTO: WANG MIN-WEI, TAIPEI TIMES
Environmentalists said that like the candles, the pollution these projects would generate would spread like a tumor does in the body.
About 20 activists gathered in front of the EPA building yesterday morning to present the cake to administration officials, but no official came out to accept it.
Green Party Taiwan Secretary-General Pan Han-shen (潘翰聲) said the EPA has degenerated from a guardian of the environment into an endorser of all development projects.
"The Suhua Freeway project may soon be launched because the premier has said it will, [while] the Formosa petrochemical plant will not be penalized for overuse of water on President Chen's [Shui-bian (陳水扁)] instructions," he said.
Pan said if the environmental impact review committee granted approval to all these projects, the nation's carbon dioxide emissions would increase by 40 percent.
Secretary-General of the Green Consumers' Foundation Jay Fang (方儉) said that late premier Yu Kuo-hua (俞國華) had once said "protecting the environment is superior to developing the economy."
Fang also said 20 years ago the press was allowed to attend all EPA events, except for major bid cases, but now the press has only restricted access to information from the agency.
"This shows that the administration is trying to control what information is disseminated and likes to work things out behind closed doors," he said.
Chairman of the Environmental Quality Protection Foundation Liou Ming-long (劉銘龍) said the foundation had applied to stage a "memorial service" on Chunghwa Rd, Taipei City, for all those who have died because of pollution.
"The EPA, like a reversing high speed train, is moving backwards," he said.
In response, EPA Deputy Director Chang Tzi-chin (張子敬) said the accusations regarding the projects being railroaded through were pure speculation. He said the environmental review impact committee had not yet reviewed any of the cases mentioned and that press participation at the meetings was the same as last year.
Chang said the administration would continue to communicate with environmentalists about their concerns.
Beijing could eventually see a full amphibious invasion of Taiwan as the only "prudent" way to bring about unification, the US Department of Defense said in a newly released annual report to Congress. The Pentagon's "Annual Report to Congress: Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2025," was in many ways similar to last year’s report but reorganized the analysis of the options China has to take over Taiwan. Generally, according to the report, Chinese leaders view the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) capabilities for a Taiwan campaign as improving, but they remain uncertain about its readiness to successfully seize
HORROR STORIES: One victim recounted not realizing they had been stabbed and seeing people bleeding, while another recalled breaking down in tears after fleeing A man on Friday died after he tried to fight the knife-wielding suspect who went on a stabbing spree near two of Taipei’s busiest metro stations, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. The 57-year-old man, identified by his family name, Yu (余), encountered the suspect at Exit M7 of Taipei Main Station and immediately tried to stop him, but was fatally wounded and later died, Chiang said, calling the incident “heartbreaking.” Yu’s family would receive at least NT$5 million (US$158,584) in compensation through the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp’s (TRTC) insurance coverage, he said after convening an emergency security response meeting yesterday morning. National
Taiwan is getting a day off on Christmas for the first time in 25 years. The change comes after opposition parties passed a law earlier this year to add or restore five public holidays, including Constitution Day, which falls on today, Dec. 25. The day marks the 1947 adoption of the constitution of the Republic of China, as the government in Taipei is formally known. Back then the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) governed China from Nanjing. When the KMT, now an opposition party in Taiwan, passed the legislation on holidays, it said that they would help “commemorate the history of national development.” That
Taiwan has overtaken South Korea this year in per capita income for the first time in 23 years, IMF data showed. Per capita income is a nation’s GDP divided by the total population, used to compare average wealth levels across countries. Taiwan also beat Japan this year on per capita income, after surpassing it for the first time last year, US magazine Newsweek reported yesterday. Across Asia, Taiwan ranked fourth for per capita income at US$37,827 this year due to sustained economic growth, the report said. In the top three spots were Singapore, Macau and Hong Kong, it said. South
RSS