The plastic straw dilemma
The Taipei Times reported that the Environmental Protection Administration on June 8 announced that plastic straws will be banned next year to protect the environment (“Straw dilemma grips the nation,” June 17, page 3).
It is a problem for people: How will they drink beverages? Taiwanese like drinking beverages, especially bubble tea, a signature drink of Taiwan. Foreign visitors also love it.
If the single-use plastic straw is banned, tea shops will encounter a big problem.
In my opinion, plastic straws can be banned, but it should be in stages.
The problem with the policy is that there is no clear and united explanation, methods of enforcement provided by the government, or a buffer period.
Therefore, people cannot accept the new policy under such an uncertain situation.
Moreover, the government should provide a more effective plan for people to pass through the transition period.
A politician said that people could use spoons to drink bubble tea. I think this is very irresponsible.
Indeed, there are some stores that provide recyclable straws for customers.
However, the problem with stainless steel straws is that they are harder than plastic straws, and it might cause serious harm to people.
For example, Taiwanese like drinking beverages when they are walking. If they fall, the straws will hurt their mouth and cause a hemorrhage. Also, Starbucks recycles stainless steel straws in the US, Canada and China, because four children got hurt.
Furthermore, some factories already have the techniques to produce eco-friendly straws with alternative materials.
However, eco-friendly straws mentioned in the news are not easily found on the market.
People cannot find stainless steel straws or glass straws in convenience stores.
They can be found in certain shops cooperating with the straw brand, and cost about NT$300 for a whole set with different sizes.
If people want to buy a famous brand, it costs about NT$1,000 for a set.
Following the global trend is a good thing, and it is undeniable that the environment should be protected.
However, the government also needs to think about how to promote its policy, make a clear and reasonable explanation to let people accept it and find a plan to implement it gradually.
Otherwise, the policy cannot be implemented well.
Chii Wang
New Taipei City
Taiwanese need to unite
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on June 13 met with US Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Marie Royce. The purpose was to open a dialogue on how Taiwan can work closer with the US.
During the meeting, Tsai complimented the US on its support in many aspects, especially during this difficult time in the face of Chinese aggression.
Also, the US said that it would unceasingly strive to guarantee Taiwan’s ability to have a voice in international contexts.
I have to say that Taiwanese are really in a difficult time, even with the guarantee from the US.
China in March announced 31 preferential policies for Taiwan to draw skilled Taiwanese. The announcement affected many industries in Taiwan and we could see China’s ambition to strengthen their international competitiveness as well as weaken Taiwan’s.
Also, two countries, the Dominican Republic and Burkina Faso last month severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan, which made Taiwan hopeless in terms of diplomacy.
However, it is during this difficult time that we Taiwanese have to stand up and unite. I do not mean that we cannot collaborate with the US or the US is unreliable. The point is that we cannot just rely on the US.
Instead of wasting money on useless diplomatic relations, why not invest the money on education to cultivate more intellectuals? Instead of building facilities that are doomed to be deserted, why not increase the budget on some young, but promising entrepreneurs or industries? Instead of being passive and intimidated, why not collaborate with more reliable allies and display more of our advantages that allow us to speak louder in front of other countries, including China?
Taiwanese must stand up and unite during this difficult time. I am happy to see Taiwan work closely with the US. But, we can do more meaningful and useful investment on education, entrepreneurship and industries to improve our competitiveness.
I cannot include them all, but the government can. If the government initiates making some difference, it would be more powerful and complete. In this way, we can definitely be more self-reliant and competitive.
Sampson Chiou
Taipei
As China steps up a campaign to diplomatically isolate and squeeze Taiwan, it has become more imperative than ever that Taipei play a greater role internationally with the support of the democratic world. To help safeguard its autonomous status, Taiwan needs to go beyond bolstering its defenses with weapons like anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles. With the help of its international backers, it must also expand its diplomatic footprint globally. But are Taiwan’s foreign friends willing to translate their rhetoric into action by helping Taipei carve out more international space for itself? Beating back China’s effort to turn Taiwan into an international pariah
Typhoon Krathon made landfall in southwestern Taiwan last week, bringing strong winds, heavy rain and flooding, cutting power to more than 170,000 homes and water supply to more than 400,000 homes, and leading to more than 600 injuries and four deaths. Due to the typhoon, schools and offices across the nation were ordered to close for two to four days, stirring up familiar controversies over whether local governments’ decisions to call typhoon days were appropriate. The typhoon’s center made landfall in Kaohsiung’s Siaogang District (小港) at noon on Thursday, but it weakened into a tropical depression early on Friday, and its structure
Since the end of the Cold War, the US-China espionage battle has arguably become the largest on Earth. Spying on China is vital for the US, as China’s growing military and technological capabilities pose direct challenges to its interests, especially in defending Taiwan and maintaining security in the Indo-Pacific. Intelligence gathering helps the US counter Chinese aggression, stay ahead of threats and safeguard not only its own security, but also the stability of global trade routes. Unchecked Chinese expansion could destabilize the region and have far-reaching global consequences. In recent years, spying on China has become increasingly difficult for the US
Lately, China has been inviting Taiwanese influencers to travel to China’s Xinjiang region to make films, weaving a “beautiful Xinjiang” narrative as an antidote to the international community’s criticisms by creating a Potemkin village where nothing is awry. Such manipulations appear harmless — even compelling enough for people to go there — but peeling back the shiny veneer reveals something more insidious, something that is hard to ignore. These films are not only meant to promote tourism, but also harbor a deeper level of political intentions. Xinjiang — a region of China continuously listed in global human rights reports —
RSS