NCKU host Nan-Ying Forum on Taiwan’s nuclear power policy
Tainan, Taiwan, May 16, 2013
National Cheng Kung (NCKU) College of Social Sciences hosted the Nan-Ying National Affairs Forum to discuss the issues regarding Taiwan’s 4th nuclear power plant controversy and Taiwan’s nuclear power policy.
To investigate the feasibility and sustainability of the power plant, its effect on the Taiwanese society as well as Taiwan’s energy policy in the future, experts and scholars in this field gathered in NCKU, May 14.
According to Dr. Jenn-Jaw Soong of the NCKU Department of Poltical Science, Taiwan is a country with scarce energy resources where 99% of Taiwan’s energy resources are imported.
The construction of the 4th nuclear power plant in Taiwan has presented a complex problem involving Taiwan’s energy policy and economic development as well as the safety of Taiwanese people, in addition to the fact that a budget of approximately 300 billion NTD has been invested into the 4th nuclear power plant and the continuation of its construction would require further investment.
“However, after the nuclear crisis in Japan, the safety of nuclear energy has attracted worldwide attention,” added Dr. Soong.
Dr. Shang-Jen Li from the Institute of History and Philology at the Academia Sinica, said, “Swedish scholar, Per Hogselius of the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm pointed out that nuclear power is the worst technology ever based on technological development.”
Dr. Li continued to explain that of the one-tenth of the energy extracted, only one third is used for power generation as the remaining two third of this energy dissipates. Adding insult to injury, the slow progress in the development of nuclear technology has increased the risk of this technological system.
“The first criterion for environmental impact assessment (EIA) is waste management,” revealed Dr. Shi-Hao Kang from the NFU Center for General Education, who often participates in EIA related work. “Everyone knows that nuclear waste is currently unmanageable but nuclear plants are the only factories that do not require waste management to be constructed.”
Dr. Kang further pointed out that the decision-making system related to nuclear power has not been democratized as the final decision-making falls on the hands of technical experts, which is against social justice. Hence, he recommended the abandonment of the previous professional knowledge structure, allowing the public to participate in the system.
GCAA Committee member Szu-Hung Fang, an activist in anti-nuclear power movements for many years, said that established in 1991, the Nuke-4 Referendum Initiative Association has launched various anti-nuclear street protest as well as held referendums in Gongliao district, Taipei City district and Yilan district in 1994, 1996 and 1998 respectively, mainly voicing protest against nuclear power.
“However, the Taiwanese government has denied these efforts which were taken with no legal basis,” Fang added while explaining the experience of anti-nuclear movements.”
Although referendum law was enacted later on, yet it was carried out with numerous restrictions, particularly on the proposal, the petition and the high threshold set for the number of votes to pass the referendum, causing dissatisfaction and protest among the people, and thus the 4th Nuclear Power Plant controversy was born.”
As Taiwanese people realized the difficulties in stopping nuclear power development through referendums, efforts involving referendums faded out of the anti-nuclear organizations. In addition to creating awareness of the significance of referendums, Fang hopes that the Taiwanese people can ponder upon the connection between our daily lives and energy through this referendum incident.
Meanwhile, Dr. Chung-Hsi Lin from YunTech Department of Cultural Heritage Conservation was of the opinion that the 4th Nuclear Power Plant controversy is an innovative opportunity for Taiwan’s society.
“Based on Taiwan’s history of democratization, the 4th Nuclear Power Plant controversy is a problem related to mistrust of cultures, including the culture of authoritarian, subcontracted work, Taipower organization and professionals,” explained Dr. Lin.
Enditem/
National Cheng Kung (NCKU) College of Social Sciences hosted the Nan-Ying National Affairs Forum to discuss the issues regarding Taiwan’s 4th nuclear power plant controversy and Taiwan’s nuclear power policy.
To investigate the feasibility and sustainability of the power plant, its effect on the Taiwanese society as well as Taiwan’s energy policy in the future, experts and scholars in this field gathered in NCKU, May 14.
According to Dr. Jenn-Jaw Soong of the NCKU Department of Poltical Science, Taiwan is a country with scarce energy resources where 99% of Taiwan’s energy resources are imported.
The construction of the 4th nuclear power plant in Taiwan has presented a complex problem involving Taiwan’s energy policy and economic development as well as the safety of Taiwanese people, in addition to the fact that a budget of approximately 300 billion NTD has been invested into the 4th nuclear power plant and the continuation of its construction would require further investment.
“However, after the nuclear crisis in Japan, the safety of nuclear energy has attracted worldwide attention,” added Dr. Soong.
Dr. Shang-Jen Li from the Institute of History and Philology at the Academia Sinica, said, “Swedish scholar, Per Hogselius of the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm pointed out that nuclear power is the worst technology ever based on technological development.”
Dr. Li continued to explain that of the one-tenth of the energy extracted, only one third is used for power generation as the remaining two third of this energy dissipates. Adding insult to injury, the slow progress in the development of nuclear technology has increased the risk of this technological system.
“The first criterion for environmental impact assessment (EIA) is waste management,” revealed Dr. Shi-Hao Kang from the NFU Center for General Education, who often participates in EIA related work. “Everyone knows that nuclear waste is currently unmanageable but nuclear plants are the only factories that do not require waste management to be constructed.”
Dr. Kang further pointed out that the decision-making system related to nuclear power has not been democratized as the final decision-making falls on the hands of technical experts, which is against social justice. Hence, he recommended the abandonment of the previous professional knowledge structure, allowing the public to participate in the system.
GCAA Committee member Szu-Hung Fang, an activist in anti-nuclear power movements for many years, said that established in 1991, the Nuke-4 Referendum Initiative Association has launched various anti-nuclear street protest as well as held referendums in Gongliao district, Taipei City district and Yilan district in 1994, 1996 and 1998 respectively, mainly voicing protest against nuclear power.
“However, the Taiwanese government has denied these efforts which were taken with no legal basis,” Fang added while explaining the experience of anti-nuclear movements.”
Although referendum law was enacted later on, yet it was carried out with numerous restrictions, particularly on the proposal, the petition and the high threshold set for the number of votes to pass the referendum, causing dissatisfaction and protest among the people, and thus the 4th Nuclear Power Plant controversy was born.”
As Taiwanese people realized the difficulties in stopping nuclear power development through referendums, efforts involving referendums faded out of the anti-nuclear organizations. In addition to creating awareness of the significance of referendums, Fang hopes that the Taiwanese people can ponder upon the connection between our daily lives and energy through this referendum incident.
Meanwhile, Dr. Chung-Hsi Lin from YunTech Department of Cultural Heritage Conservation was of the opinion that the 4th Nuclear Power Plant controversy is an innovative opportunity for Taiwan’s society.
“Based on Taiwan’s history of democratization, the 4th Nuclear Power Plant controversy is a problem related to mistrust of cultures, including the culture of authoritarian, subcontracted work, Taipower organization and professionals,” explained Dr. Lin.
Enditem/
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