The Dead End of No Nuke, Reduction of Carbon Emissions, Environmental Protection, and No Electricity Shortages

 The Dead End of No Nuke, Reduction of Carbon Emissions, Environmental Protection, and No Electricity Shortages

China Times Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)

March 12, 2017

 Translation of an Except

Since assumption of power, the DPP government has been pushing for the DPP’s version of energy policy; from the very beginning many experts have signified their reservations and even presented severe caveats. However, the Tsai government has stubbornly been pushing its energy policy none-the-less. From recent happenings, we can apparently see that the Green camp’s energy policy has entered a dead end of a predicament over no nuke, reduction of carbon emissions, environmental protection, and the choice of affordable electricity prices; they must make a choice between no nuke and reduction of carbon emissions. If we want to eliminate nuclear energy and at the same time reduce carbon emissions, Taiwan's economy and industry, enterprises, and even environmental protection, we are afraid, will all face disasters.

However, the odd thing is "one Taiwan, and sets of standards for laws and regulations." The Miaoli power plant could not secure permit extensions on account of local government factors; in Changhua, Formosa Petrochemical Corporation was first forced to shut down its plant, then was allowed to reopen. People could smell that the central government was concerned about power shortages this year, so it preferred to support the reopening of the Formosa Petrochemical Corporation power plant. However, the question is, do the central and local governments have a uniform set of standards for review and assessment for approval so that enterprises can clearly follow?

The outside world sees that from the central to local governments, they all seem to suffer from "schizophrenia." Sometimes they shout to reduce air pollution, demanding that power plants shut down; sometimes without any regard for environmental impact, they resolutely opened the back door for the power plants; sometimes they hoisted the banner of environmental protection, and green energy, stressing green energy’s effect for reduction of carbon emissions, while at the same time increasing thermal power plants without any regard for the pollution and carbon emissions created as a result.

After the Tsai government decided to completely eliminate nuclear power, dismantling nuclear power plants, the public has now realized that green energy is not dependable and the increased thermal energy has encountered problems of environmental protection and reduction of carbon emissions. At this time, if we reverse the structure of the power supply, it would take 10 years or more, or even never. The Tsai government should rationally face the issue of nuclear energy, studying again its energy policy, not letting Taiwan become mired in a long-term catastrophe of energy supply and environmental protection.

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