The Southern Taiwan Nuclear Abolishment Action Alliance yesterday launched an anti-nuclear campaign by handing out red envelopes with nuclear power-related information printed on a piece of paper that resembles a NT$500 bill at night markets, major train stations and other crowded locations in Greater Kaohsiung and Greater Tainan.
The alliance, consisting of several civic groups, invited more than a hundred volunteers to take part in the distribution of the red envelopes to pedestrians at busy and crowded public spaces such as Sanfeng Central Street (三鳳中街), a popular shopping area of sundry goods, Shiinkuchan Commercial Zone (新崛江商圈) in Kaohsiung and Huayuan Night Market (花園夜市), Tainan’s largest night market.
The alliance said that although the government and Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) have stressed that electricity generated by nuclear power is relatively cheap, with a cost of NT$0.6 per kilowatt-hour, information about how much has been spent on the construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in Gongliao (貢寮), New Taipei City (新北市), and how much money would be needed for maintenance, nuclear waste treatment and plant retirement are on the whole kept hidden from the public.
Research has shown the risks that having a fault line near the plant in southern Taiwan pose and the yet-to-be-completed Fourth Nuclear Power Plant has seen several construction problems that the group said.
“If the legislature rejects Taipower’s proposal for an additional budget for the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, it can save more than NT$50 billion [US$1.7 million], the equivalent of four red envelopes containing NT$500 for every person in Taiwan, and also abolish the plant,” said Joan Tsai (蔡卉荀), a researcher at Citizens of the Earth, Taiwan.
Chen Yu-chi (陳郁琦), executive secretary of Taiwan Association for Human Rights’ southern office, added: “We hope everyone can live a life free from the fear of nuclear disaster and that everybody could spend more time loving the land that nourishes us, rather than praying that nuclear disaster does not happen.”
Information printed on the fake NT$500 bill called on the public to take part in an anti-nuclear parade that is to take place on March 9 at the Aozihdi Forest Park (凹仔底森林公園) in Greater Kaohsiung.
Taiwan yesterday expelled four China Coast Guard vessels that entered Taiwan-controlled restricted waters off Lienchiang County (Matsu) shortly after the Chinese People’s Liberation Army announced the start of its “Joint Sword-2024B” drills around Taiwan. The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said in a statement that it had detected two China Coast Guard ships west of Nangan Island (南竿) and another two north of Dongyin Island (東引) at 8am yesterday. After Chinese ships sailed into restricted waters off Matsu shortly afterward, the CGA’s Kinmen-Matsu-Penghu Branch deployed four patrol vessels to shadow and approach the vessels, it said. The incidents pushed up to 44 the number
Renovations on the B3 concourse of Taipei Main Station are to begin on Nov. 1, with travelers advised to use entrances near the Taiwan Railway or high-speed rail platforms or information counter to access the MRT’s Red Line. Construction is to be completed before the end of next year, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp said last week. To reduce the impact on travelers, the NT$95 million (US$2.95 million) project is to be completed in four stages, it said. In the first stage, the hall leading to the Blue Line near the art exhibition area is to be closed from Nov. 1 to the end
Taipei’s Ximending (西門町) shopping area welcomed the most international visitors, followed by Taipei 101, Songshan Cultural and Creative Park and Yangmingshan National Park (陽明山國家公園), a list of the city’s most popular tourist attractions published by the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism showed. As of August, 69.22 million people had visited Taipei’s main tourism spots, a 76 percent increase from 39.33 million in the same period last year, department data showed. Ximending had 20.21 million visitors, followed by Taipei 101 at 8.09 million, Songshan Cultural and Creative Park at 6.28 million, Yangmingshan at 4.51 million and the Red House Theater (西門紅樓) in
The government has issued a deportation order for a Spanish fugitive, ordering him to leave the country within 10 days, as he is wanted by European authorities for allegedly operating a car rental scam. National Immigration Agency (NIA) officials yesterday said Salvador Alejandro Llinas Onate, 48, had been notified that he must leave Taiwan, as he was wanted for committing serious crimes. The Spaniard has been indicted by Italian prosecutors for allegedly leading a 30 million euros (US$32.74 million) car rental scam and setting up a fraudulent company in Trento, Italy. The deportation order is based on Article 18 of
RSS