| Anti-Nuclear Declaration of the
Presbyterian Church in Taiwan
1 October 1992
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
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