A Taichung power plant's excessive carbon emissions have put Taiwan in the international spotlight, the Taiwan Environmental Protection Union (TEPU) said on Wednesday, citing this month's issue of Nature magazine that said the Longjing Township (
The magazine used data provided by Carbon Monitoring for Action (CARMA), a database that lists carbon dioxide emissions for 50,000 power plants globally.
CARMA is funded by the Center for Global Development, a US nonprofit organization.
MAILIAO PLANT
"In addition to the Taichung power plant, southern Taiwan also has to put up with Mailiao's (
The Mailiao power plant was sixth in CARMA's carbon emission top 10, she said.
"With such high existing emission rates it is unthinkable that the government is still pushing for the construction of [CPC Corp, Taiwan's] Eighth Naphtha Cracker and [Formosa Plastic Group's] steel plant," she said.
"Although we are not part of the United Nations, such emissions will eventually draw international sanctions," she said. "It is time we started to contemplate how to live low-carbon lifestyles."
EPA RESPONSE
Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) Deputy Minister Chang Tzi-chin (
In response to the TEPU allegations, Taipower published a statement saying that instead of looking at the total emissions figure per single plant, emission intensity should be considered.
"Taiwan is a small place, therefore we need to utilize our space efficiently," the statement said. "The Taichung power plant is the largest in the world and provides 20 percent of the nation's electricity, so it emits a large amount of carbon."
"However, according to data published by CARMA, the plant in Taichung is doing well; it is emitting 0.92 kilograms of carbon dioxide per unit of electricity, much lower than the number for the rest of the nine power plants on the top-10 list," it said.
A preclearance service to facilitate entry for people traveling to select airports in Japan would be available from Thursday next week to Feb. 25 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said on Tuesday. The service was first made available to Taiwanese travelers throughout the winter vacation of 2024 and during the Lunar New Year holiday. In addition to flights to the Japanese cities of Hakodate, Asahikawa, Akita, Sendai, Niigata, Okayama, Takamatsu, Kumamoto and Kagoshima, the service would be available to travelers to Kobe and Oita. The service can be accessed by passengers of 15 flight routes operated by
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of eastern Taiwan yesterday was an independent event and part of a stress-adjustment process. The earthquake occurred at 4:47pm, with its epicenter at sea about 45.4km south of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 5.9km, the CWA said. The quake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in several townships in Yilan and neighboring Hualien County, where it measured 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the CWA said. Lin Po-yu (林柏佑), a division chief at the CWA's Seismological Center, told a news conference
RSS