Braving the Elements to Save Wetlands

This year has seen Taiwan’s biggest project for what is potentially an environmentally devastating development project, ‘Formosa Plastics Development Project’, which has up to now been met by fierce opposition and protest. The Environmental Protection Administration is racing against time to convene the fourth special group meeting, on the 27th of January, before the Chinese New Year.

On the eve of the EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment), academic circles and citizen activist groups alike have come out to protest and resist this potentially devastating development. On the 26th of January, around 600 students from over 20 prominent universities converged together in front of the Office of the President to hold a press conference for, ‘Students Battle Against Formosa Plastics Movement’, and to promote the Environmental Protection Administration’s, ‘Youth Night Vigil Movement’.

The three main demands are; Formosa Plastics withdraw this development project and the EIA refuses the development, safeguard the livelihoods of farmers and fisherman as well as the safety of foodstuffs, and immediately raise the classification of Dacheng Wetlands to the international level.

Using candles in small cups, the young people present arranged themselves into the shape of a dolphin and called out the names of those universities engaged in the EIA process, hoping to remind them to deliberate deeply and meticulously before making their decision. The intertidal wetland zone on the coastline of Changhua is not only a rich natural storehouse in our country but also has a rare 6 kilometer wide intertidal mudflat and owing to the area’s pristine environment and traditional fishing life has always been Taiwan’s foremost area for the production of oysters that are collected in the age old way by bull-cart – the area is also important feeding ground for many rare species of fish and the Chinese White Dolphin. If this development is given the go ahead then there are sure to be disastrous consequences for the local environment and ecology.

Braving the Elements to Save Wetlands from Formosa Plastics Petrochemical Corporation (by hehe)

URL: http://www.peopo.org/news/70276

Young Environmental Activists Have Night Vigil to Challenge Chinese Formosa Plastics on EIA Issue (by juju wang)

URL: http://www.peopo.org/news/70263

People Call for Internationally Renowned Wetlands, Not Formosa Chemicals’ Pollution (by civil media)

URL: http://www.peopo.org/news/70231 

(以下為中文對照)

(1)酷！我們不怕冷，反國光救濕地(公民記者 hehe 報導)

(2)青年夜宿環保署，嗆國光決戰環評(公民記者 juju wang 報導)

(3)我要國際級濕地 不要國光石化汙染 公民發聲(公民記者 公民行動影音紀錄資料庫 (civil media) 報導)

照片

台灣近年來最大的汙染開發案「國光石化開發案」至今仍有強烈爭議與反彈，環保署趕在農曆過年前，於2011年1月27日召開第四次專案小組會議。環評前夕引 發台灣學術、公民團體等反彈，1月26日來自20多所五、六百名大學齊聚總統府前舉辦「國光石化‧決戰時刻‧百萬青年站出來」記者會，並步行至環保署進行 「青年燭光守夜」行動。主要有三大訴求：「國光石化撤案、環評不予開發」、「保障農漁永續，守護糧食安全」、「立即劃設大城濕地為國際級濕地」。青年朋友 並用燭光杯排成白海豚的型狀，點名環評委員們所任教的大學，希望他們為環境喉舌，為1/27的環評審議嚴格把關。彰化海岸潮間帶濕地是我國僅存、更是世界 罕見「長達六公里寬的泥質潮間帶」；這裡更保留原始漁村風貌，因此擁有全國最多「牛車採收牡蠣」的產業特色；更是台灣國寶魚「台灣白海豚」的重要覓食地。 一旦開發案通過，對環境生態將會造成重大影響。

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