Environmental

Freeway and High-Speed Rail Proposal by the KMT Stokes Controversy

Brian Hioe
A draft proposal by KMT caucus convener Fu Kun-chi has stoked controversy. Namely, the proposal would provide for the extension of high-speed rail around all of Taiwan, though this is attached to a proposal ostensibly focused primarily on an expressway connecting Hualien and Taitung and the extension of Freeway No. 6 to Hualien. The bill is currently backed by Legislative Yuan Vice President Johnny Chiang of the KMT...
EnglishEnvironmentalFeaturedIndigenousMarch 2024PoliticsRaceSocial Movements5 min read

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

Anthony Ho-fai Li
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...
EnglishEnvironmentalJanuary 2023PoliticsSocial Movements12 min read

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

Brian Hioe
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...
EnglishEnvironmentalNovember 2023Social Movements5 min read

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

Brian Hioe
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...
EnglishEnvironmentalLaborRaceSeptember 2023Social Movements6 min read

KMT Energy Policy for 2024 Elections Leans Into Traditional Stances

Brian Hioe
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...
EnglishEnvironmentalPoliticsSeptember 2023Social Movements6 min read