Dozens of environmental activists gathered in front of the Commercial Office of Brazil yesterday, urging the Brazilian government to put a stop to the recently approved construction of the Belo Monte Hydroelectric Dam, which they say will destroy much of the Amazon rainforest.
The demonstration was part of a series of simultaneous protests worldwide targeting Brazilian embassies or consulates.
A short play by people wearing hand-painted Aboriginal masks trying to save the earth by fighting off another person wearing a blue monster mask and wielding an ax — symbolizing the construction of the dam — was performed on the sidewalk, while protesters shouted: “Stop the dam construction and protect the rainforest.”
Photo: Lee I-chia, Taipei Times
The project on the Xingu River, one of the Amazon’s main tributaries, was approved by the Brazilian government and passed by the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Resources on June 1. The dam will be the world’s third-largest hydroelectric project.
The construction plan triggered several protests from environmental and human rights activists in Brazil, with protest leaders asking for global support through the Internet.
“I started the online petition in Taiwan because I saw a global petition asking for support on Facebook,” said Shamba (Lin Su-ling, 林素綾), who organized the rally.
The dam will divert more than 80 percent of the water from the Xingu, leaving downstream areas short of water, Shamba said, adding that the water supply and power generation efficiency of the dam could be as low as 40 percent because of the three-to-five month annual dry season.
Shamba said that if the “disastrous” dam were built, it would destroy at least 1,500km2 of rainforest land, resulting in the forced displacement of between 20,000 and 40,000 indigenous people and the loss of countless numbers of invaluable animal and plant species.
Green Party Taiwan spokesperson Pan Han-shen (潘翰聲) said that while many people regard hydropower as a renewable and environmentally friendly energy source, it often results in the destruction of the natural environment.
The only way to protect the earth is by saving energy and Taiwanese should take an interest in such issues as similar cases are occurring here.
Yapit-Tali, an Aboriginal representative from the Against Kaotai Reservoir Self-Help Association in Hsinchu City, said many Aboriginal villages in Taiwan were facing similar threats of forced displacement.
Their traditional culture will disappear, as their homeland and natural environment may be sacrificed for economic development, she said.
Taiwan is to commence mass production of the Tien Kung (天弓, “Sky Bow”) III, IV and V missiles by the second quarter of this year if the legislature approves the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.78 billion) special defense budget, an official said yesterday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said that the advanced systems are expected to provide crucial capabilities against ballistic and cruise missiles for the proposed “T-Dome,” an advanced, multi-layered air defense network. The Tien Kung III is an air defense missile with a maximum interception altitude of 35km. The Tien Kung IV and V
The disruption of 941 flights in and out of Taiwan due to China’s large-scale military exercises was no accident, but rather the result of a “quasi-blockade” used to simulate creating the air and sea routes needed for an amphibious landing, a military expert said. The disruptions occurred on Tuesday and lasted about 10 hours as China conducted live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait. The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said the exercises affected 857 international flights and 84 domestic flights, affecting more than 100,000 travelers. Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the government-sponsored Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the air
Taiwan lacks effective and cost-efficient armaments to intercept rockets, making the planned “T-Dome” interception system necessary, two experts said on Tuesday. The concerns were raised after China’s military fired two waves of rockets during live-fire drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, part of two-day exercises code-named “Justice Mission 2025.” The first wave involved 17 rockets launched at 9am from Pingtan in China’s Fujian Province, according to Lieutenant General Hsieh Jih-sheng (謝日升) of the Office of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Intelligence at the Ministry of National Defense. Those rockets landed 70 nautical miles (129.6km) northeast of Keelung without flying over Taiwan,
A strong continental cold air mass is to bring pollutants to Taiwan from tomorrow, the Ministry of Environment said today, as it issued an “orange” air quality alert for most of the country. All of Taiwan except for Hualien and Taitung counties is to be under an “orange” air quality alert tomorrow, indicating air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. In China, areas from Shandong to Shanghai have been enveloped in haze since Saturday, the ministry said in a news release. Yesterday, hourly concentrations of PM2.5 in these areas ranged from 65 to 160 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m³), and pollutants were
RSS