Environmental groups joined forces and braved the rain in Taipei yesterday to march against air pollution and call for measures against it.
The march was co-organized by more than a dozen groups, including Air Clean Taiwan (ACT), South Taiwan Air Clear, the National Federation of Teachers’ Unions, the Alliance for the Rescue of Datan Algae Reefs, the Taiwan Academy of Ecology and the Taiwan Tree Protection Coalition.
Several political parties were also represented at the march, including the New Power Party, the New Party and the Taiwan People’s Party.
Photo: CNA
At about noon, demonstrators gathered outside the Environmental Protection Administration building, where the vice presidential candidates of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) spoke to them before the march began.
The DPP’s candidate, former premier William Lai (賴清德), said that during his premiership from September 2017 to January the Executive Yuan’s National Council for Sustainable Development released the nation’s first Voluntary National Review.
He mentioned a number of proposals, including closer collaboration between the council and private groups and businesses; a reassessment of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Management Act (溫室氣體減量及管理法); and the development of a timetable for carbon neutrality in Taiwan, for the future.
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
However, some demonstrators demanded “promises” instead of “empty words” as Lai left the scene.
Shortly after Lai’s departure, the KMT’s vice presidential candidate, former premier Simon Chang (張善政), who served during former president Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) second term, spoke to the crowd.
Chang claimed that former Academia Sinica president Lee Yuan-tseh (李遠哲) quoted President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) as saying that “solving [the problem of] air pollution is the next generation’s business.”
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
Chang said “we 1,000 percent disagree.”
Chang said his campaign’s energy policy is to “carry out the results of last year’s two referendums.”
“One is to reduce coal-fired power generation each year, and the second is to ‘use nuclear to support green,’” he said. “We also support green energy, but we do not support an impetuous [shift to] green energy.”
However, Chang’s mention of “using nuclear to support green” appeared to upset some demonstrators, who interrupted him by saying they wanted a “nuclear-free homeland.”
After a series of scheduled speeches by group representatives, the demonstrators at about 1:30pm began their march toward Liberty Square, arriving at about 3pm.
They shouted slogans such as “The greater south wants health," “Breathing needs equal rights,” and “Coal-free Taiwan, sustainable health” as they marched.
They also held signs that read, “Nuclear-free, coal-free homeland,” and “Legalized harm, state violence,” among other messages.
For the march, ACT listed four major demands, including the hosting of a “climate conference” and the abolition of the “centralization of energy.”
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old