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.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and