As the second anniversary of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster approaches, several civic groups have begun planning a series of anti-nuclear events, while legislators and political figures are getting ready to discuss the issue.
Flags printed with the shape of Taiwan that read “No nukes, No more Fukushima” have been hung in front of several coffee shops, stores and houses, showing the owners’ stance against nuclear power.
The flag initiative was started by a coffee shop owner in Taipei, by hanging the flags in several coffee shops on the same day as a silent demonstration of the owners’ anti-nuclear ideals, and the project later spread across the nation to include other stores and individuals.
The Green Citizen Action Alliance (GCAA) said that more than 4,000 flags have been sold, and many people have brought the flags to various locations to take photographs, such as on top of mountains or during dives in the ocean.
In addition, a nuclear power abolition demonstration held by various civic groups across the nation is planned for March 9, in Taipei, Greater Taichung, Greater Kaohsiung and Taitung.
GCAA coordinator Wang Shun-wei (王舜薇) said the parades will be formed by local civic groups, using various methods and visual designs to express the public’s opposition to nuclear power.
In addition, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus said that it will make a draft law on the promotion of a nuclear-free homeland a priority bill for review in the next legislative session, while the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus said the Cabinet and the legislature have to improve negotiations.
In the previous legislative session, a proposal by the DPP to cut off extra funds for the construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant — the Longmen (龍門) plant in New Taipei City’s (新北市) Gongliao District (貢寮) — was not approved by the legislature, losing by two votes.
DPP Legislator Cheng Li-chun (鄭麗君) said the government should at least allow residents living near the plant to vote via referendum on whether the plant should be put into operation, but enacting the law would be an effective and direct way to stop the plant’s commercial operation.
KMT caucus whip Lin Hung-chih (林鴻池) said the party also recognized the ideal of a nuclear-free homeland, but political parties must face the practical issues of resources, and the public may not be able to accept increased electricity prices or regulated power usage, so everyone should discuss nuclear policies rationally.
Moreover, former DPP chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday that the public thinks the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant is unsuitable for operating in Taiwan and hopes the nation can become a nuclear-free homeland.
If the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant begins commercial operations, it is expected to run for decades, so it would not be a good start for achieving a nuclear-free Taiwan, she added.
A study published by online booking platform Expedia revealed searches for travel to Taipei have ballooned 2,786 percent following the lifting of COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions due to the city being a “designation dupe” for Seoul. The TikTok trend for duping — referring to substituting a designation for a more inexpensive alternative — helped propel interest in Taipei, it said in a consumer survey titled “Unpack ‘24,” which was conducted from September to October in 14 countries. Location dupes are “every bit as delightful as the tried-and-true places travelers love,” Expedia trend tracker Melanie Fish said of the year’s popular alternatives, which
A small-scale protest that called on the government to cancel its plan to welcome Indian migrant workers in a bid to tackle Taiwan’s labor shortage was held in Taipei yesterday. During the protest, comprised of a few dozen people staged in front of the Presidential Office on Ketagalan Boulevard, the protest’s chief initiator, a woman identified only as “Yuna” said they wanted the central government to reconsider allowing migrant workers from India to enter Taiwan. Most people in Taiwan had little knowledge about the potential plan to allow in Indian migrant workers until a report in the media last month, she
NO RELIGIOUS VISIT: The interior minister said visas were not issued for 218 applicants for a tour of Taiwan organized by a temple due to their own non-response Chinese who had sought to enter Taiwan for a religious event were not granted visas because they were not “religious personnel” and planned to visit places not listed on their group tour’s itinerary, then never supplied supplemental information upon request, the Ministry of the Interior and the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. Visas were not issued for 218 of the 239 applicants, as they did not provide additional information or explanations as requested, Minister of the Interior Lin Yu-chang (林右昌) told a committee at the legislature in Taipei. Multiple groups, including the Taiwan Matsu Fellowship, had signed a petition that sought
A military procurement announcement released on Friday shows the purchase of “air/surface” weapons bound for Taitung, likely for the newly purchased Block 70 F-16V jets still awaiting delivery. The announcement shows a NT$17.22 billion (US$548.91 million) purchase agreement signed on Nov. 13 for “aircraft air/surface weapons,” to be delivered to the air force's Seventh Tactical Flight Wing stationed at the Taitung Air Force Base. The sale is scheduled to take place over nine years, with delivery completed by Nov. 30, 2032. Considering the recipient, analysts believe they are likely air-to-air or air-to-surface missiles for the military’s 66 upgraded Block 70 F-16V jets awaiting
RSS