Pastors, scholars petition against new petrochemical plant in wetlands

["Taiwan Church News" <enews@pctpress.org>]

      Taiwan Church News

      3050 Edition

      August 9~15, 2010

                                   

       

      Pastors, scholars petition against new petrochemical plant in 
wetlands 

       

      Reported by Chiou Kuo-rong, Chen Wei-chien

      Written by Lydia Ma

                              

       

      More than 1,000 professors have signed a petition urging 
President Ma to reconsider 

      industrial policies before irreparable damage is inflicted on 
the environment. The petition 

      voiced opposition to Kuo-Kuang Petrochemical Technology 
Corporation’s plan to build a new 

      ethylene refinery along Changhua’s coastline.

       



      PCT Changhua Presbytery, also situated along Taiwan’s west 
coast, joined local residents in 

      opposing this plant out of concern for the environment. The 
presbytery also held an executive 

      committee meeting on August 5 and agreed to issue a statement 
in support for protecting the 

      environment and closer partnerships with local environment 
agencies.

       



      News about a new ethylene refinery in Changhua raised concern 
among scholars, pastors, 

      and doctors over health risks to local residents, increased 
carbon emissions, and destruction 

      of nearby wetlands and coastal ecology. Local residents were 
especially concerned that a 

      new plant would hasten the disappearance of white dolphins and 
destroy wetlands.

       



      The waters along Changhua coast are home to a dwindling 
population of Chinese white 

      humpback dolphins. Environmentalists say the planned refinery 
will block the migrating route 

      of many fishes which are the primary food source for these 
dolphins, accelerating their 

      extinction. Many rare species that live in the nearby wetlands 
would also be destroyed.

       



      According to scholars, Taiwan already produces more than 90% of 
the ethylene it needs and 

      there’s no need for another refinery. Furthermore, it wouldn’t 
be cost-effective to use imported, 

      costly energy toward operating refineries such as this one that 
consume a lot of energy. 

       



      Scholars also called on President Ma to remember his promise to 
curb Taiwan’s carbon 

      emissions by 30% by the year 2020 and said building a new, 
unnecessary refinery would 

      invalidate Taiwan’s commitment to international conventions.

       



      Changhua Presbytery’s Moderator Rev. Liu Te-hsing reported that 
local pastors and 

      Christians were very concerned about this issue as well. They 
felt that monetary gains from 

      this new plant would be temporary whereas the environmental 
destruction and implications 

      would be permanent.

       



      Because the plant would affect regions where many church 
members live and plan to raise 

      their families, Liu believed the presbytery should take a stand 
based on its religious 

      convictions and confront governments and corporations for 
compromising the environment in 

      their pursuit of profit. 

       



      He hopes the presbytery’s statement will also awaken local 
residents’ consciousness, inform 

      them, and enable them to see through misleading advertisements.

       

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