On Earth Day yesterday, representatives of five environmental organizations met with President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to give him suggestions on environmental issues, including the protection of endangered species and laws to encourage environmental protection.
Since 2010, a number of environmental groups have held annual meetings with Ma on Earth Day. This year, environmental groups disagreed among themselves on whether to meet with Ma. Some groups were determined not to meet with Ma to express their dissatisfaction with the government’s treatment of the Sunflower movement, while some groups said that while civic movements are important, it is also important to make changes by influencing policymakers.
Among the five environmental groups’ representatives yesterday was Society of Wilderness president Lai Jung-hsiao (賴榮孝).
He said the suggestions he gave to Ma were based on results gathered from 2,157 valid responses in a survey about the public’s attitude regarding events held to mark Earth Hour and Earth Day this year.
Lai said the public thinks that the government should protect forests, as well as marine and wetland habitats that can regulate the climate, make corporations more responsible for environmental issues and establish “green” manufacturing models, as well as making laws regarding sustainable national land use.
The Wild Bird Federation Taiwan, the Taoyuan Local Alliance and the Pingtung County Environmental Protection Union also gave suggestions on wildlife habitat protection, strategies for greenhouse gas reduction, pesticide control, conservation of endangered species and other issues.
Representatives from the Life Conservationist Association gave suggestions on the protection of animal rights, including asking Ma to visit animal shelters to better understand the conditions stray animals experience.
Life Conservationist Association founding chairperson Shih Chao-hwei (釋昭慧) said she asked Ma about his opinions on the safety inspections and the proposed referendum about the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Gongliao District (貢寮).
Ma replied that the plant would not start operations if it does not pass inspections, and even if it passes, he is in favor of deciding the plant’s fate through a referendum.
“I told Ma: ‘You are not only the leader of the pan-blue alliance, but also the leader of our nation, so I hope you can love everyone in your role,’” Shih said.
Tropical Storm Nari is not a threat to Taiwan, based on its positioning and trajectory, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Nari has strengthened from a tropical depression that was positioned south of Japan, it said. The eye of the storm is about 2,100km east of Taipei, with a north-northeast trajectory moving toward the eastern seaboard of Japan, CWA data showed. Based on its current path, the storm would not affect Taiwan, the agency said.
The Taipei Department of Health’s latest inspection of fresh fruit and vegetables sold in local markets revealed a 25 percent failure rate, with most contraventions involving excessive pesticide residues, while two durians were also found to contain heavy metal cadmium at levels exceeding safety limits. Health Food and Drug Division Director Lin Kuan-chen (林冠蓁) yesterday said the agency routinely conducts inspections of fresh produce sold at traditional markets, supermarkets, hypermarkets, retail outlets and restaurants, testing for pesticide residues and other harmful substances. In its most recent inspection, conducted in May, the department randomly collected 52 samples from various locations, with testing showing
The cosponsors of a new US sanctions package targeting Russia on Thursday briefed European allies and Ukraine on the legislation and said the legislation would also have a deterrent effect on China and curb its ambitions regarding Taiwan. The bill backed by US senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal calls for a 500 percent tariff on goods imported from countries that buy Russian oil, gas, uranium and other exports — targeting nations such as China and India, which account for about 70 percent of Russia’s energy trade, the bankroll of much of its war effort. Graham and Blumenthal told The Associated Press
INTEL: China’s ships are mapping strategic ocean floors, including near Guam, which could aid undersea cable targeting and have military applications, a report said China’s oceanographic survey and research ships are collecting data in the Indo-Pacific region — possibly to aid submarine navigation, detect or map undersea cables, and lay naval mines — activities that could have military applications in a conflict with Taiwan or the US, a New York Times report said. The article, titled “China Surveys Seabeds Where Naval Rivals May One Day Clash,” was written by Chris Buckley and published on Thursday. Starboard Maritime Intelligence data revealed that Chinese research ships last year repeatedly scanned the ocean floor east of Taiwan’s maritime border, and about 400km east and west of Guam; “waters that
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