The Kyoto Protocol, the first significant international accord created to curtail global warming, takes effect today. The legally-binding agreement requires the 36 signatory countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 5 percent from their 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012. As global attitudes toward global warming have changed, Academia Sinica President and 1986 Nobel laureate for chemistry, Lee Yuan-tseh (
"I question the course of development in human society. Since the industrial revolution in the 19th century, industrialized countries have consumed a great deal of natural resources," Lee said. "But now we can't argue over the fairness of development because we've reached a period where the survival of the species matters more. What we can do is stop our irresponsible way of life to mitigate environmental deterioration."
PHOTO: LIAO CHEN-HUI, TAIPEI TIMES
Citing pressure from environmentalists regarding the nation's recent decision to develop the petrochemical and steel industries, Lee said that the government lacks resolutions to effectively phase out energy and water-intensive industries.
"The products of the newly-planned steel plant will all be exported to developing countries, such as China. So I don't quite understand why the government feels it necessary to build a new steel plant, which will emit not only carbon dioxide and worsen global warming, but also suspended particles which seriously affect human health," Lee said.
Lee also said that development projects which would significantly increase emissions of greenhouse gases deserve to be carefully reviewed. At least, evaluating emission amounts precisely should be included during environmental impact assessments of those projects.
Criticism over Taiwan's latest development plans (which include increasing petrochemical and steel production at the Yunlin Offshore Industrial Park) was made primarily by the Green Party of Taiwan. Last week, the Green Party successfully organized its counterparts in 23 countries in the Asia Pacific region and formed the Asia Pacific Greens Network (APGN), which demands the cancellation of the nation's new industrial projects.
Pollution Levels Rising
Government statistics estimate that a total of 23 million tonnes of carbon dioxide will be produced every year as a result of new projects. That amount accounts for nearly 10 percent of the nation's total carbon dioxide emissions in 2000.
Lee said international pressure on Taiwan was understandable because the industrial projects show that the nation is moving away from the global trend of cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
Lee stressed that Taiwan is a country which for decades used up its natural resources at an alarming rate. He said there is no sign that this trend will decline in the near future. Official statistics indicate that Taiwan's total amount of greenhouse-gas emissions increased nearly 70 percent between 1990 and 2000 -- from 160 to 272 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.
Since world scientists and politicians drafted the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, local environmentalists have criticized Taiwan's reaction to the agreement, saying the government was too conservative.
Although the nation has made some advances on sustainable development issues, Lee said that Taiwan needs to take more concrete action.
Some Progress
In October, 2002, while meeting with Taiwan's representatives at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, President Chen Shui-bian (
"Many important issues remain unresolved," Lee said. "For example, I don't see any clear goals to cut carbon dioxide emissions. I don't see any strategies to solve problems about Taiwan lagging far behind many countries in sewer system construction."
In Taiwan, agricultural run-off, coastal aquaculture, industrial waste and household sewage are all responsible for the pollution of coastal areas, rivers and groundwater. The nation's primitive public sewer system construction has made river treatment a challenging task. Statistics for 2003 show what in Taipei, just 63.7 percent of residents had access to a sewer system; and in the second largest city, Kaohsiung, the figure was just 27.8 percent. The average in the rest of the country was a meager is 1.5 percent.
Future Partnerships
Lee predicts that, as a result of a global trend toward environmental sustainability, Taiwan will have more interaction with Europe in the future. This is particularly true when looking at the renewable energy research and development sectors.
"Our R&D sector should focus on solar energy, which is more universal than other forms of energy. However, Taiwan has to take advantage of its abundant geothermal resources and ocean energy," Lee said.
Lee also said that areas around the east coast are ideal places for Taiwan to utilize ocean energy, which draws on the energy from ocean waves, tides and the heat stored in the ocean.
However, he added that Taiwan should not expect the country to free itself from its dependence on fossil fuels. Since early 1990s, more than 95 percent of the nation's energy was in the form of overseas oil imports.
"If the government promotes energy conservation and energy efficiency aggressively, I believe that people still can enjoy the same living standard," Lee said.
Citing Japan as an example, Lee said that its energy consumption per person has not increased since 2000.
Taking the Initiative
"Taiwan should share the responsibility of environmental protection with the rest of the world. Continuing to do nothing will make Taiwan an accomplice to the eventual environmental collapse of the world," Lee said.
He also criticized government policies encouraging parents to have more children in order to take care of Taiwan's aging society in the next three decades, saying that the planet does not have an infinite amount of natural resources to draw upon.
"In two decades, human beings will definitely be fighting over an increasingly insufficient amount of oil and other fossil fuels. Those who fail to control the sources of energy will suffer," Lee said.
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