When the Earth Summit opened in Johannesburg on Monday, South African President Thabo Mbeki made a very thought-provoking remark: "Islands of wealth are surrounded by a sea of poverty." His comment highlights the widening rich-poor gap between the northern and southern hemispheres, which is one of the biggest problems in sustainable development.
From the perspective of the overall global environment, the rich-poor gap between the northern and southern hemispheres has long been a cause for concern. However, in East Asia, where material conditions are relatively more prosperous, the situation is quite different -- environmental pollution and destruction caused by industrialization are the most urgent problems. Being an island nation and one of the four Asian dragons, Taiwan should put special effort into stopping the deterioration of its environment as it considers the nation's survival and sustainable development. Otherwise, Taiwan will become unsuitable for human habitation, forcing future generations to move into the sea or live in other countries.
Taiwan can no longer use -- as it has done for decades -- methods that pollute and destroy the environment for the sake of wealth for a handful of capitalists. According to estimates by renowned ecologist Chen Yu-feng (
Taiwan's water resources are limited and every year there are water shortages. A root cause of these shortages may be the government allowing inappropriate development on mountain slopes. Temples, golf courses, resorts and ossuaries clutter water resource areas. Such rampant hillside development causes reservoirs to silt up quicker, shortening the reservoirs' lifespan by as much as a decade. This is why southern Taiwan faces water shortages for residential use every year despite the large number of reservoirs in the region. The people of Taiwan should clearly understand that soil, water and forest preservation are the real keys to having adequate water resources.
Waste disposal is one long-standing problem. The government allows landfills to be created on high mountains. Many unscrupulous businesses bury their wastes on abandoned farmland or remote river banks, thereby polluting groundwater and destroying the means of survival for future generations.
Industrial pollution is another major problem. In Taiwan, people think nothing of the air pollution caused by the burning of fossil fuels. However, air pollution caused by fossil fuels and industrial emissions have long caused places such as Taipei and Kaohsiung to be enveloped in layers of thick smog. Cases of chemicals being dumped at night into rivers and of beaches being polluted by medical waste occur again and again. All these need deep reflection by the people of Taiwan. We are not just polluting our environment, but our minds as well.
Some people say Taiwan has never had a culture of environmental protection. Whether this is true or not, Taiwan is facing pressing environmental problems just like other developed countries. To resolve these difficulties, the people of Taiwan should listen to suggestions from the summit underway in South Africa and learn from others' experiences.
A foreign colleague of mine asked me recently, “What is a safe distance from potential People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force’s (PLARF) Taiwan targets?” This article will answer this question and help people living in Taiwan have a deeper understanding of the threat. Why is it important to understand PLA/PLARF targeting strategy? According to RAND analysis, the PLA’s “systems destruction warfare” focuses on crippling an adversary’s operational system by targeting its networks, especially leadership, command and control (C2) nodes, sensors, and information hubs. Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, noted in his 15 May 2025 Sedona Forum keynote speech that, as
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) last week announced that the KMT was launching “Operation Patriot” in response to an unprecedented massive campaign to recall 31 KMT legislators. However, his action has also raised questions and doubts: Are these so-called “patriots” pledging allegiance to the country or to the party? While all KMT-proposed campaigns to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers have failed, and a growing number of local KMT chapter personnel have been indicted for allegedly forging petition signatures, media reports said that at least 26 recall motions against KMT legislators have passed the second signature threshold
The Central Election Commission (CEC) on Friday announced that recall motions targeting 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) have been approved, and that a recall vote would take place on July 26. Of the recall motions against 35 KMT legislators, 31 were reviewed by the CEC after they exceeded the second-phase signature thresholds. Twenty-four were approved, five were asked to submit additional signatures to make up for invalid ones and two are still being reviewed. The mass recall vote targeting so many lawmakers at once is unprecedented in Taiwan’s political history. If the KMT loses more
In a world increasingly defined by unpredictability, two actors stand out as islands of stability: Europe and Taiwan. One, a sprawling union of democracies, but under immense pressure, grappling with a geopolitical reality it was not originally designed for. The other, a vibrant, resilient democracy thriving as a technological global leader, but living under a growing existential threat. In response to rising uncertainties, they are both seeking resilience and learning to better position themselves. It is now time they recognize each other not just as partners of convenience, but as strategic and indispensable lifelines. The US, long seen as the anchor
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