http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/2011/04/27/300161/Civic-groups.htm
TAIPEI--An estimated 30,000 people will take to the streets Saturday in north, south, and east Taiwan to urge the government to say no to nuclear power in the wake of the nuclear crisis in Japan, one of the organizers said Tuesday.
The nationwide campaign called “430 Sunflower No Nuke Action” was jointly launched by more than 40 local groups concerned with matters such as environmental protection, human rights, education, and labor.
Two religious organizations — the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT) and Buddhist Hong Shi College — have also joined the action, said Wang Chung-ming of the Green Party Taiwan, one of the main organizers.
In addition musicians, visual artists, and filmmakers, including famed director Tsai Ming-liang, have signed a petition calling on the public to join the rally on Saturday, Wang said.
The anti-nuke rally will be staged in Taipei, Taichung, Kaohsiung, and Taitung, he said.
The groups are calling for an end to nuclear energy in Taiwan and for the government and the private sector to consider safer and more efficient types of energy, Wang said after a press conference to promote the rally. The first step would be for the government to review its current energy efficiency policy and make changes in the related industries, he said.
“Do we really need petrochemical or nuclear power plants to stay economically competitive?” he asked. “Is it true that renewable energy plants would cost more money than nuclear power?”
He noted that the Danish government has introduced a strategy to end Denmark's reliance on fossil fuels by 2050 and to expand its renewable energy sources such as wind, biomass and biogas.
“I don't see why Taiwan cannot follow Denmark, given that we are one of the largest producers of solar energy panels,” he said.
Reverend Ko Sing-doh, associate general secretary of the PCT, said at the press conference that since the early 1990s, his church has been pushing for anti-nuclear action because nuclear power is not safe and nuclear waste cannot be disposed of properly.
“The responsibility of cutting down on energy use is not the government's alone — the people should also change their consumption habits and lead a more environmentally active lifestyle,” he said.
