Pretending Not to See the Second Domino of a Nuclear-Free Homeland

  Pretending Not to See the Second Domino of a Nuclear-Free Homeland

United Daily News Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan)

September 14, 2017

 Translation of an Excerpt

The nationwide power outage on August 15^th (dubbed 8/15) debunked the myth of "no power shortage" in a nuclear-free homeland. If inadequate power supply is the first domino to fall in the nuclear-free homeland, its second domino, in fact, is a more serious matter, that is: the government’s all-out effort to generate power by burning coal has massively increased air pollution and carbon emissions, causing even greater harm to human health and the environment. People’s naked eye cannot see the air pollution and carbon emissions, but our lungs know.

"Electricity" is a simple product; however, how to cover the goals of safety, health, affordable prices, and stable supply requires a high degree of wisdom and skills of balance. We support the goal of a "nuclear-free homeland" that Taiwan pursues; however, the Tsai government has stipulated the year 2025 to accomplish the nuclear-free project, while apparently being too boastful, too hasty, and also overly simplifying the problems. Also because of this, in just more than a year, we have witnessed Taiwan’s power supply walking on a tightrope, leading to the 8/15 power outages. More seriously the government quietly launched thermal power plants which are more harmful to the environment and human health, forgetting the previously proclaimed goals, and even keeping the people in the dark. The high cost and unstable supply of natural gas and the fact that green energy is more expensive and more unstable are all the true pictures that the government cannot speak of with candor.

If nuclear power plants are dangerous, isn’t the air pollution caused by burning coal also dangerous? Moreover, the danger of nuclear power is a presumed danger, while the hazards of burning coal to the human body and the environment are, on the other hand, concrete and real. The government may pretend not to see the carbon emissions and air pollution brought by burning coal, but the price eventually will be the environment and human health. Can the people pretend not to see these facts?

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