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Environmentalist heckles president

President Ma Ying-jeou listens as environmentalist Chan Hsi-lin says Taiwan needs to do more about the environment. PHOTO: CHIEN JUNG-FONG, TAIPEI TIMES

President Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) first visit with environmental activists since his inauguration on May 20 was marked by heckles yesterday.

Ma deliberately did not wear a suit upon his arrival at the 2008 National NGO’s Environmental Conference and opted to take the stairs to the third-floor conference venue. However, upon finishing his opening remarks, Ma was put in the hot seat when an environmentalist shouted: “Environmental protection is not just about taking off your suit — it’s more important for Taiwan to have a [comprehensive] environmental policy.”

A banner reading “Fourth Nuclear Power Plant referendum, bring it on!” was unfurled by other environmentalists during the ceremony.

The heckler was Chan Hsi-lin (粘錫麟), the recipient of yesterday’s Environmental Contribution Award given by the conference. The 70-year-old Chan has for many years been an important leader in environmental social movements. In 1987, Chan led fellow residents in Changhua’s Lukang Township (鹿港) in thwarting the construction of a Dupont titanium dioxide plant. The success of their protest boosted the morale of environmental groups and served as a model for the anti-pollution movements that followed.

Over the past 22 years, Chan has made the environment his full-time job and his devotion has earned him the nickname “Environmental Protection Preacher.”

Asked why he publicly challenged Ma, Chan said the fact that he still had to fight for the environment at 70 showed that there had not been much progress in the past decade on green awareness.

Citing Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶), who shouted: “You were raised by the people” to Chinese troops involved in rescue efforts in Sichuan following the May 12 earthquake, Chan said that as the Taiwanese government had similarly been groomed by the people, one had reason to ask: “What has the Ma government done for Taiwan’s land and people?”

The Ma government could not neglect the environment on its course to pursing economic prosperity, Chan said.

Environmental protection is not just a slogan — one cannot claim to treasure the environment while allowing the construction of new coal-burning power plants, he said.

The Ma government should re-evaluate the industrial structure and come up with environmental policies that fit the country’s requirements, Chan said.

Taiwan cannot be allowed to continue developing highly polluting industries and wasting natural resources, and should focus on creating sustainable high-tech green industries, he said.

Others were disappointed that Ma did not address measures to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

“I expected Ma to express his views on Formosa Plastics Group’s petrochemical factory. After all, how much greenhouse gas can we cut by taking off business suits?” said Gloria Hsu (徐光蓉), chairwoman of the Taiwan Environmental Protection Union.
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