Environment

Greenpeace Releases Scathing Report on Taiwan

frozen tuna on a fishing boat
Environment 
Phillip Charlier 2 Comments , , , , , ,

A comprehensive report on Taiwan’s fishing industry was released by Greenpeace International, Thursday April 14, which accuses the country’s government of failing to take responsibility for the actions of of its fishing fleet in global waters; and warns of damage to the Made in Taiwan brand. The report is the result of a 12-month investigation that included interviews and observations of Taiwanese vessels and crew operating in the Pacific Ocean as far away as Fiji. Investigators visited major fishing ports

Read more

Tainan’s Electric Buses Not as Environmentally Friendly as You Think

Environment Politics 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Residents in Tainan met local government representatives to protest against the Tainan City Transport Bureau’s use of diesel powered generators at a bus charging station next to their homes. Residents who live in the vicinity of the charging station in the Anping District complained that the diesel generators emit diesel fumes and an ear-splitting noise. The Tainan City Government rolled out the buses after a ceremony March 22, where Mayor William Lai praised the buses as part of the government’s

Read more

Shark Finner Confesses in Hsinchu

Dead sharks in Hsinchu after having their fins cut off.
Environment 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment

A man responsible for dumping dead sharks in a local stream after cutting off their fins confessed to police in Hsinchu yesterday. In early February a large number of dead baby and juvenile sharks were seen washed up on the levee bank under Old Harbor Bridge. Coast guard and local government authorities responding to reports of a possible environmental catastrophe found that the sharks had been dumped after having their fins cut off. Shark fin is an expensive culinary luxury

Read more

Stranded Freighter Update

A platform set up to salvage oil from a stranded ship that is breaking up on Taiwan's north coast
Disaster Environment 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Legislators held a meeting today and announced plans to remove 9 containers of hazardous chemicals from a stranded freighter that is breaking up on the north coast of Taiwan. The Ministry of Transportation said the containers are secured to the ship with little chance of falling into the sea, and will be removed next week. The containers are secured in the front half of the ship, which is stable. The back half of the ship is tilting dangerously to seaward.

Read more

EPA Preparing for Oil Spill as Freighter Breaks Up.

the grounded ship Te-hsiang Taipei (德翔臺北) on Taiwan's north-east coast
Environment 
Phillip Charlier 3 Comments , ,

Environmental Protection Authorities in Taiwan are preparing for an oil spill as freighter which ran aground March 10 has developed a large crack in the hull and looks to be breaking in half. About 242 cubic meters of heavy oil remain on board after recovery efforts were stopped due to bad weather. An oil boom has been put in place to prevent oil entering the cooling system of a nearby nuclear power-plant which depends on sea-water to cool the reactor.

Read more

World War II Bomb Unearthed in Keelung

Unexploded ordnance unearthed at Keelung
Environment 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Workers digging up pavement at number 4 wharf at Keelung Harbor yesterday, unearthed two un-exploded bombs. The bombs are most likely from World War Two, when American forces bombed targets in Japanese occupied Taiwan, including Keelung and Taipei. Army bomb disposal experts removed the bombs from the site this morning and searched the site for more un-exploded ordnance. After finding none, they gave the all-clear to resume work. Keelung Harbor is Taiwan’s northernmost port, and was developed into the island’s

Read more

Tainan City’s First Electric Bus Service

Tainan City officials pose in front of the city's first electric bus
Environment 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ,

Tainan City officials launched the city’s first electric bus service yesterday, March 22, 2016. Nine electric buses will service the new 11 kilometer route at 20-30 minute intervals. The route covers Tainan Train Station, National Cheng Kung University, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, shopping districts, and the Anping historical district. Mayor William Lai expressed the hope that eventually all gasoline buses servicing the 108 bus routes in the city will be replaced by electric buses. A Department of Transport spokesperson

Read more

Major Housing Development Dumps Raw Sewage into Local Streams

A polluted waterway in New Taipei City
Environment 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , , ,

A meeting was held today after whistle-blowers revealed a residential housing development in Linkou are about to let residents move in to buildings which are not connected to a sewage system, and are currently polluting local streams with raw effluent. The A7 affordable housing buildings were constructed by the Far Glory group, and have already attracted controversy after executives were found to have paid bribes to get approval for the project. In December 2015, two senior executives and a deputy

Read more

Taiwan East Coast Rocks! 100kg Intercepted at Airport

The Three Immortals in Taitung (Taidong) County, Taiwan
Environment 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

Taiwan’s East Coast National Scenic Area Administration Office in Taidong (Taitung) recently received 100 kilograms of rocks in 5 boxes. The rocks were confiscated over a three-month period from Chinese tourists attempting to exit the country with the popular, free, but illegal, souvenirs. The haul included small stones, easy to slip into your pocket to very large stones, and also a bottle of sand. Customs officials pointed out that rocks, especially larger ones constitute a flight security risk, as they

Read more