Taiwan Must Eliminate the Dependence on Nuclear Power Essay -- Nuclear

The public awareness of nuclear power in Taiwan has increased markedly especially after the Fukushima nuclear accidents made nuclear power a contentious front-page issue. Nowadays, Taiwan produces 22% (i.e. 5028 megawatts ) of her energy from nuclear power produced by three power plants with 6 reactors. In addition to these three power plants, the under-construction nuclear power plant four has never been far away from the center of public opinion in the past 20 years. The rising environmental and anti-nuclear movements in Taiwan have created no shortage of policy disputes and public concern on the use of nuclear power for electricity generation (Hsiao.Liu et al, 1999).It seems to be an irresistible trend to make Taiwan a â€Å"nuke-free home†. But it must be a long-term process rather than an immediate action. Before we completely enable to get rid of nuclear power, there are a lot we can do to accelerate the process such as starting an energy saving revolution, developing th e technology of renewable energy and even properly making use of the existing nuclear power plants. 1. The condition of Taiwan After the Fukushima nuclear disaster, an international review of nuclear safety indicated that two of the three nuclear power plants operating in Taiwan were listed as the most dangerous in the world (Jung-Chun Ho et al, 2013). According to a survey conducted by Jung-Chun Ho et al in August 2011, 66% of the 2819 responders perceived that Taiwan's safety management of nuclear power plants was inferior to Japan's, while 40% perceived a higher possibility of nuclear accidents like that in Japan. Actually, the condition of Taiwan decides that it should create a â€Å"nuke-free home† First of all, Taiwan is a small and geological unstable ar... ... 21. 2013. Pages 674–683. 14. Fleiter. T, Fehrenbach. D.Worrell, E. Eichhammer.†Energy efficiency in the German pulp and paper industry—a model-based assessment of saving potentials†. Energy, 40 (2012), pp. 84–99. 15. Chen Falin, Lu Shyi-Min, Tsenga Kuo-Tung, Leeb Si-Chen, Wanga Eric. â€Å"Assessment of renewable energy reserves in Taiwan.†Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews,Volume 14, Issue 9, 2010, Pages 2511–2528. 16. Cheng-Dar Yuea,Chung-Ming Liua, Eric M.L. Lioub. â€Å"A transition toward a sustainable energy future: feasibility assessment and development strategies of wind power in Taiwan†. Energy Policy, Volume 29, Issue 12, October 2001, Pages 951–963. 17. â€Å"Taiwan's renewable energy sector grows 19 pct. in Q3.† The China Post, November 26, 2013. 18. Carmen Paun, Jens Kastner. â€Å"European review of Taiwanese safety.† World Nuclear News, 20 November 2013.