Introduction of Mercy on the Earth, Taiwan (地球公民協會英文簡介)

Mercy on the Earth, Taiwan (MET) 

Mission 

Mercy on the Earth, Taiwan (MET) raises environmental awareness among the people of Taiwan through educational workshops and research publications.  It empowers individuals to take action and fulfill their responsibilities as Earth’s citizens.   

Focus area, list of projects

Mercy on the Earth, Taiwan (MET) focuses on air and water quality, environmental justice, and overdevelopment.

Currently, MET’s initiatives include:

• Organize opposition to Taiwan Power Company’s plans to expand its Da-Lin coal-based power plant.
  
  Taiwan Power Company (Taipower) plans to upgrade its Da-Lin plant from its present six generators that churn out a combined 2.4 million kilowatts to four new generators that will pump out 3.75 million kilowatts.  This increase of 64% capacity will drastically intensify the already high amount of carbon dioxide output from the plant.  
  
  MET supports Taipower’s move to improve industrial safety and efficiency at the plant but the projected pollution level should be lowered by at least half.  Also, since Kaohsiung City will be absorbing a significant portion of the pollution and to avoid losses during transmission, we feel that the electricity generated should remain in Kaohsiung City.  The Energy Department should search for alternative energy sources instead of allowing continued expansion of power plants.  Finally, Taipower and the Kaohsiung City Environmental Protection Bureau should reexamine the critical data gaps in the environmental assessment and share the accurate data in future hearings.
  
  MET held a series of five press conferences and numerous public hearings to publicize the development plans and their effect.  The group also organized a demonstration with over 1,000 protesters to oppose the construction.  It will be working with local citizens, government, and Taipower to come to a solution that is beneficial for everyone.   
  
  
• Support Ho-Jing residents’ efforts to bring awareness to industrial safety problems at China Petroleum Corporation Fifth Ligroin Cracking Plant (中油五輕廠) in Kaohsiung and protest against the plant’s renovation plans.
  
  China Petroleum Corporation Fifth Ligroin Cracking Plant (中油五輕廠) was built in 1990, despite three years of protests by local activists.  At that time, it was agreed that plant will be closed in 2015.  From its inception, the plant has been plagued by safety, and soil, water, and air pollution issues, and has not demonstrated willingness to make corrections and improvements.  In the last ten months, three explosions have brought these issues to the headlines.  Since the last explosion in January of 2008, a group of demonstrators from Ho-Jing (population of 20,000) have blocked the plant’s main entrance and have organized around the clock patrol to maintain the blockage. 
  
  As many of the original group of activists from the late 1980’s are now deceased, MET, with help of the local residents, resurrected an educational exhibition at the entrance documenting the history of the Anti-China Petroleum Corporation Fifth Ligroin Cracking Plant movement.  MET has invited experts, students, and residents to tour the exhibition area.  MET aims to continue serving as a technical resource, providing research data to help the demonstrator in their fight for environmental justice. 
• By holding public hearings, MET hopes to keep the dialog open between residents, government agencies, and China Petroleum Corporation so all parties can work toward to an environmentally sound solution for the future.
  
  
• Advocate industrial citizenship within the petrochemical industry to prevent pollution.

Support Lin-Yuan (population of 72,000) residents’ efforts to protest against the renovation plans of China Petroleum Corporation Third Ligroin Cracking Plant (中油三輕廠) .  China Petroleum Corporation Third Ligroin Cracking Plant was built in 1976, produce 230,000 ton ethylene every year.  The renovation plans shows China Petroleum Corporation intends to expand the capacity of this Plant to produce 800,000 ton ethylene every year, which would make a huge increase of   emission, such as 2,200 ton Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) every year and more than 960,000 ton CO₂ every year.

• Monitoring the development of the Hushan Reservoir. 
  
  The proposed Hushan Reservoir is to be located in the Hushan area, 10 km south-east of Douliu City in Yunlin County.  The You-Cing Valley would be submerged by water diverted from the Cing-shui River and dammed just north of Hushan Village. According to developers the reservoir will relieve Yunlin County of agricultural and domestic water shortages, and mitigate the serious settling of the Earth’s surface due to excessive underground excavations for groundwater.
  
  MET intends to keep a close watch on the area as its research has shown that the walls of the valley have a sandy consistency which is prone to collapse and erosion, making it extremely dangerous for an area that frequently experiences earthquakes and typhoons.  The biodiversity that the proposed reservoir area offers should also be preserved as little or no conservation efforts are shown by the government agencies involved with the reservoir development.

• Forest preservation

Study and proceed a research project about the implementation of "lumbering restriction" in Ping-Tung county.  MET try to find a feasible proposal which could both preserve the forest and take the living of farmers into consideration. Then we plan to lobby a bill through the legislators to make the proposal as a central law.

MET also concern the change proposal of "national park law", we study and provide proposals and ideas in order to make sure the change is in the preserve
and conserve direction.

• Keep watch on the Ho-Jing River pollution level.
  
  MET, in cooperation with a team of professors and researchers from National Kaohsiung Marine University, regularly tests water samples taken from upstream, midstream, and downstream areas of the Ho-Jing River.  The organization then brings its finding to the public at various press conferences.  Based on the test results, MET believes that the main source of pollution is from Formosa Plastic Group but the company vehemently denies the charge and claims that other industries along the river are at fault.  Nevertheless, MET and its team continues to develop possible solutions for improvement and present those solutions to the factories along the corridor. 
  
  It is vital that the Ho-Jing River is protected as its water feeds into a 4,000 acre agricultural area that yields produce that is distributed throughout the country, feeding its 23 million inhabitants.
  
  
• MET educates the public through presentations, a weekly public television program（「有話好說」talk show）, a series of six or seven continuing education courses at a community college, various summer camps/winter camps for students from high schools and colleges and teachers from schools and other adults that promote environmental awareness and environmental protection concepts. 

MET also publishes a tri-annual magazine (see page 4) and brochures to its member base and hosts environmentally oriented film festivals at schools and clubs of schools.    

History, annual budget

Mercy on the Earth, Taiwan (MET) was founded as a nonprofit organization in September 2007. There are five full-time staff members who work towards promoting MET’s mission including Ken-Cheng Lee, Secretary General, who has been dedicated to environmental protection for more than ten years.

Our annual budget is between NT$4,500,000 and NT$5,000,000.  We are largely funded by membership dues and donations.  Currently, MET has more than 350 contributing members.

We believe environmental problems are deeply connected to politics, society, economics and culture.  We will promote discussion and reformation of institution and policy through long-term research, discourse, lobbying and education.

Contact information   

Mercy on the Earth, Taiwan (MET)

9F.-2, No.198, Bo-ai 2nd Rd., Zuoying District, Kaohsiung City 81357, Taiwan

Tel: +886-7-556-1585

Fax: +886-7-556-1285

E-mail: met.kh2007@msa.hinet.net

http://met.ngo.org.tw 

Contact person: Min-ling Wang

E-mail: wmlmonica@gmail.com

Publisher: Mercy on the Earth, Taiwan    Date: November 2008

Copy editor: Min-ling Wang   Art designer: Wuts Design Studio