President Chen Shui-bian's (
The No Nuke Taiwan Union (
According to the union's convener, Cheng Hsien-yu (
Cheng said that the DPP's attitudes are similar to those of environmentalists engaged in the promotion of sustainable energy sources, but that the pan-blue camp remained an advocate of policies that had been established by the former KMT government before the 2000 presidential election.
"For example, President Chen Shui-bian now prefers holding a referendum to decide the future of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, while the KMT's Lien Chan would like to have the construction completed at any cost," Cheng said at a press conference yesterday.
Shih Shin-min (
"We are not surprised at the pan-blue camp's reluctance to liberalize the power industry," Shih said.
Mary Chen (陳曼麗), chairwoman of the Homemakers' Union and Foundation, said the KMT's response to the questionnaire did not clearly explain how it proposes to restructure the country's energy supplies, how to deal with radioactive waste or how to ensure the public's safety.
She said that the pan-blue camp lags behind the DPP in its awareness of global trends in sustainable development.
However, Chen said that activists are slightly worried about the DPP's forthright answers.
"The DPP had to eat some of its words about environmental issues after its victory in the 2000 presidential election, including its promise to scrap the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant," she said.
"We estimate that only 20 percent of Taiwanese people are aware of nuclear power problems. That's not enough to enable us to phase out nuclear power plants in the nation," said the No Nuke Taiwan Union's deputy convener, Chen Jiau-hua (
According to the union, more than 300 workshops and forums will be held nationwide before July to promote sustainable development and energy-related issues.
Meanwhile, some anti-nuclear activists are set to start a 10-day nonviolent demonstration in front of the Legislative Yuan today by fasting in rotating groups to urge the legislature to halve the number of seats.
Former DPP chairman Lin I-hsiung (
Travel agencies in Taiwan are working to secure alternative flights for travelers bound for New Zealand for the Lunar New Year holiday, as Air New Zealand workers are set to strike next week. The airline said that it has confirmed that the planned industrial action by its international wide-body cabin crew would go ahead on Thursday and Friday next week. While the Auckland-based carrier pledged to take reasonable measures to mitigate the impact of the workers’ strike, an Air New Zealand flight arriving at Taipei from Auckland on Thursday and another flight departing from Taipei for Auckland on Saturday would have to
The Taipei City Government yesterday confirmed that it has negotiated a royalties of NT$12.2 billion (US$380 million) with artificial intelligence (AI) chip giant Nvidia Corp, with the earliest possible signing date set for Wednesday next week. The city has been preparing for Nvidia to build its Taiwan headquarters in Beitou-Shilin Technology Park since last year, and the project has now entered its final stage before the contract is signed. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city government has completed the royalty price negotiations and would now push through the remaining procedures to sign the contract before
Taipei Zoo welcomes the Lunar New Year this year through its efforts to protect an endangered species of horse native to central Asia that was once fully extinct outside of captivity. The festival ushering in the Year of the Horse would draw attention to the zoo’s four specimens of Przewalski’s horse, named for a Russian geographer who first encountered them in the late 19th century across the steppes of western Mongolia. “Visitors will look at the horses and think that since this is the Year of the Horse: ‘I want to get to know horses,’” said zookeeper Chen Yun-chieh, who has been
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday said the name of the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania was agreed by both sides, after Lithuania’s prime minister described a 2021 decision to let Taiwan set up a de facto embassy in Vilnius as a “mistake.” Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene, who entered office in September last year, told the Baltic News Service on Tuesday that Lithuania had begun taking “small first steps” aimed at restoring ties with Beijing. The ministry in a statement said that Taiwan and Lithuania are important partners that share the values of freedom and democracy. Since the establishment of the
RSS