Environmental groups marked Earth Day yesterday by issuing four appeals — stop land expropriation; pursue energy transition with caution; set a reasonable price for water; and regulate the treatment of waste.
Environmental groups have put forward a record high 56 proposals this year, which reflects the desperate need for the government to tackle environmental issues, Taiwan Citizen Participation Association director-general Ho Tsung-hsun (何宗勳) told a news conference in Taipei.
Plastic and climate change are among the most relevant environmental issues for this generation, Taiwan Environmental Information Association deputy secretary-general Sun Hsiu-ju (孫秀如) said.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
Last month, the UN Environment Programme passed a resolution calling for a global plastic pollution treaty by 2024 to restrict the production of plastics, she said, adding that the association advocates gradually reducing plastic waste from 2025.
Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association chairman Chen Hsien-cheng (陳憲政) said that the alternative energy Taiwan plans to use to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050 is natural gas, which is also an emitter of carbon.
Pursuing energy transition in haste by constructing many liquefied natural gas terminals would also compromise the marine environment, he said.
Taiwan Environmental Protection Union president Liu Jyh-jian (劉志堅) said that the Executive Yuan should be the competent authority for a proposed climate change response act if it is to be effective.
As for the proposed carbon pricing scheme, the fee should be set and collected within a year of the act being approved, he said.
The government should reduce carbon emissions and establish clear goals to cut emissions to less than 10 percent by 2025, he added.
Liu also proposed that the government introduce a system to identify natural carbon sinks as soon as possible.
Taiwan Water Resources Protection Union director Jennifer Nien (粘麗玉) urged the government to protect water resources, monitor groundwater usage by industry and impose water conservation fees.
Shezidao Self-help Society spokesperson Li Hua-ping (李華萍) demanded that the government stop rezoning and land expropriation.
The government is forcing residents to take part in development projects under the pretense of cooperation, giving them no choice but to accept compensation and resettlement, which is a serious breach of property rights, right to life, right to housing and human dignity, Li said.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS