We
firmly believe that the whole universe is the creation of God,
and that humankind is called to protect the integrity and
harmony of the whole natural order. Therefore, we need to change
our present human-centred behaviour, allow nature to be self
sustaining, and so insure the ongoing welfare of succeeding
generations.
Looking
at our Taiwan homeland, we see the environment being destroyed
by people's greed and selfishness, and with the addition of
mistaken political policies, all of this leads to a loss of
harmony between people and nature. This is all the more critical
when we see people in every country of the world gradually
recognizing the inherent destructive qualities of nuclear power
and, in mass, halting construction of future nuclear plants and
abandoning present ones; at the same time, however, our own
authorities stubbornly push through with the construction of the
Fourth Nuclear Power Station, ignoring the great threat to
Taiwan's survival and development, and ignoring the people's
wishes and the warnings of scholars and experts.
Because
of this, we earnestly present to the Government the following
statements:
-
NUCLEAR POWER IS NOT A COMPLETELY SAFE
SOURCE OF ENERGY; TAIWAN SHOULD NOT DEVELOP NUCLEAR POWER
STATIONS
The
moment a nuclear power station experiences a disaster, its
destructive radiation poisons the environment for thousands of
years to come, and our most advanced technology, even down to
the present day, finds it difficult to control. Especially with
Taiwan being so small and the population so large, and being
situated in an area of frequent earthquakes and typhoons,
together with the fact that the authorities' supervision and
safety control have never been put to the test, the possibility
of a disaster is increasingly greater. Such a disaster is
something Taiwan could never survive.
-
THERE IS NO SATISFACTORY METHOD OF
HANDLING NUCLEAR WASTE. THE CONSTRUCTION OF FUTURE NUCLEAR
POWER STATIONS, AS WELL AS THE USE OF THE PRESENT ONES,
SHOULD BE STOPPED
The
handling of nuclear waste is known all over the world as a
thorny problem, and so we should cease using nuclear power which
produces such ecologically harmful and life threatening waste.
At present, the Government ignores the objections of the Yami
people on Lan Yu (Orchid Island) and, contrary to humanitarian
principles, continues to place nuclear waste in the residential
area of this minority people.
-
REVIEW AGAIN TAIWAN'S ENERGY POLICY;
CREATE A SAFE, CLEAN ALTERNATIVE SOURCE OF ENERGY
The cost
of nuclear generated electricity is very expensive. From the
building of the plant, operation, handling of nuclear waste,
through the period needed for radiation decline after plant
closure, the abandoning of the land sight, and right down to the
continuing needs of a quality environment - all of these stages
are very costly indeed. Therefore, the Government has a
responsibility to make an all-out effort to develop solar power,
natural gas and other kinds of electric generators as safe
alternatives to nuclear power.
-
CHANGE THE LIFE STYLE OF ALL OUR
CITIZENS, AND PROMOTE ECONOMIZING OF ENERGY RESOURCES
The
people of Taiwan, mislead by a government policy which places
economic benefit before all else, frantically chase after a life
style of high consumption, with the result that natural
resources are consumed at a rapid rate. The Government should
use the channels of education and mass media to increase
environmental awareness, and also help people change their life
style, give up the trend of high material consumption, and so
raise the quality of life.
Humankind and the whole ecological system are mutually
interdependent and co-existent. Therefore, we strongly oppose
this policy of nuclear development which so seriously damages
Taiwan's ecology and environment. We solemnly appeal to all
Christians and all members of society, to honestly face the
potential tragedy which any nuclear power station could bring
upon us; we urge everyone to actively participate in the
anti-nuclear movement, and at the same time actively pursue a
simple life style, and treasure the natural resources God has
bestowed upon us. Let us spare no effort for the ongoing welfare
of the people and land of Taiwan.
"The
world and all that is in it belong to the Lord; the earth and
all who live on it are his." (Psalm 24:1)
God has
called Humankind to be stewards of the earth: "Now it is
required that those who have been given a trust must prove
faithful." (I Cor 4:2)
D. S. Chen, Moderator of the General
Assembly
C. S. Yang, Secretary-General
1 October 1992
