Environmental

Taiwan’s Energy Policy at the Crossroads in the Presidential Election in 2024?

Energy policy remains a highly controversial policy arena in Taiwan after democratization, given its importance for Taiwan’s security, environmental sustainability and economic development. Under the presidency of Tsai Ing-wen, the agenda of “Nuclear-free Homeland 2025” (2025非核家園) proposed by the Democratic Progressive Party in 2016 has been subject to political challenges, which involved the debates about the use of nuclear energy beyond 2025 and the reduced capacity of coal-fired electricity plants for air pollution mitigation. The policy strategy to replace nuclear energy with rapid solar energy development has also faced enormous social challenges as its large-scale installation conflicts with the existing land uses...

4,000 Demonstrate in Late October Against Issue of Strays Killing Wild Animals

Around 4,000 demonstrated on October 29th against the prevalence of strays killing wild animals in Taiwan. The protest materialized out of online calls for action to be taken on the issue, rallying a number of students from colleges including National Chiayi University, National Taiwan University, National Taiwan Normal University, and National Tsing Hua University. These calls began through Facebook and other social media platforms in September, with students aligning with environmental and animal protection groups...

Calls for Unionization, Improvements in Firefighter Safety, After Deadly Pingtung Blaze

There have been calls for improving safety measures for firefighters after a blaze killed four firefighters in Pingtung on Friday. Subsequently, the National Association for Firefighters’ Rights demonstrated on Ketagalan Boulevard on Saturday with a banner listing the names of the 39 firefighters who were killed in the line of duty in the past decade. The incident points to the need for a number of fundamental safety reforms...

KMT Energy Policy for 2024 Elections Leans Into Traditional Stances

The KMT unveiled its energy policy in August. In particular, the plan calls for lowering the percentage of energy from natural gas-fired power plants to 45% by 2030. Hou You-yi, the KMT’s presidential candidate, claims that coal-fired power plants will be phased out by 2040, when 34% of energy will be produced by gas-fired plants. By 2050, renewable energy will be 57% of Taiwan’s energy according to this plant...

Speaking Out Against Formosa Plastics’ Wrongdoings the World Over: An Interview with Organizers

New Bloom’s Brian Hioe spoke with Sharon Lavigne, Diane Wilson, Nancy Bui, and Father Peter Nguyen Van Hung on Lavigne, Wilson, and Bui’s trip to Taiwan late last month to attend a Formosa Plastics’ shareholders meeting. This was to bring up criticism of Formosa Plastics’ environmental and climate justice wrongdoings internationally, whether in Louisiana, Texas, or Vietnam, as part of the Monitor Formosa Alliance....

籽:Taipei Animal Save

一般來說,在 Animal Save 活動中,參與者們會親眼目睹動物的艱困處境,並試著安撫那些正要被宰殺的動物們。參與者們通常會與屠宰場老闆溝通得以進入屠宰場,或者有時候則會在卡車停紅綠燈時藉機與動物短暫相處。2021 至 2023 年間, Taipei Animal Save 在萬華屠宰場前舉行了兩次活動,此屠宰場正式且「好聽」的名稱是「台北家禽批發市場」。然而,在台北,工業化規模的屠宰場不太可能允許活動參與者參觀,也沒有安全的地方讓他們與動物互動。因此,參與者只能駐留在屠宰場外,從門口看著雞緊緊地關在籠子裡。Save 活動從傍晚開始,但參與者並沒有留下來觀看通常在午夜前後開始的宰殺作業。...