Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) yesterday instructed the Public Construction Commission (PPC) to implement eco-friendly standards in carrying out the government’s proposed record NT$599.6 billion (US$17.378 billion) in construction projects this year.
Liu made the remarks at a meeting with Cabinet officials on carrying out President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) plan to promote six emerging industries — tourism, healthcare, biotechnology, green energy, culture and creativity, and agriculture.
Later yesterday, Liu reiterated his concern on the possible impact of construction works on the environment at a conference organized by the PCC to solicit public opinions on the projects covered by the funding.
Chen Chang-po (陳章波), a research fellow at Academia Sinica’s Biodiversity Research Center, told the conference that the projects reflected the government’s focus on economic growth while ignoring environmental sustainability.
Chen said the government should promote eco-friendly measures by installing at least one official with an environmental background to supervise each project.
Chiu Chin-sung (邱錦松), chief of the Industrial Technology Research Institute’s Energy and Environment Laboratories, questioned a program to renovate the country’s 61 aged industrial parks — 90 percent of which were built 15 years ago — saying the program might be a waste of resources.
“Lots of businesses have moved abroad and many are planning to do so. Renovating industrial parks will not change their mind. Do we really need that many industrial parks in an economic recession?” Chiu asked.
Chiu also criticized the government for allocating a large part of its transportation budget in building roads rather than electric-powered public transportation, which he said was inconsistent with the government’s call to save energy and reduce carbon emissions.
Taiwan would benefit from more integrated military strategies and deployments if the US and its allies treat the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea as a “single theater of operations,” a Taiwanese military expert said yesterday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said he made the assessment after two Japanese military experts warned of emerging threats from China based on a drill conducted this month by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theater Command. Japan Institute for National Fundamentals researcher Maki Nakagawa said the drill differed from the
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A 79-year-old woman died today after being struck by a train at a level crossing in Taoyuan, police said. The woman, identified by her surname Wang (王), crossed the tracks even though the barriers were down in Jhongli District’s (中壢) Neili (內壢) area, the Taoyuan Branch of the Railway Police Bureau said. Surveillance footage showed that the railway barriers were lowered when Wang entered the crossing, but why she ventured onto the track remains under investigation, the police said. Police said they received a report of an incident at 6:41am involving local train No. 2133 that was heading from Keelung to Chiayi City. Investigators
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