More on the Songshan Tree issue

The David on Formosa blog has a firsthand account of the removal of the last old camphor tree from the site of the the old Songshan Tobacco Factory.
See Green Party protests to save tree for more on the Songshan tree issue.

Also see:

Disregard for the legal process:- The last of the great Songshan camphor trees

Update: Disregard for the legal process - The last of the great Songshan camphor trees

Update: It's gone ! Total disregard of the legal process - The last of the great Songshan camphor trees has gone !

Songshan: Before and After Photos

Songshan update: case against activists dismissed

Update: It's gone ! Total disregard of the legal process - The last of the great Songshan camphor trees has gone !

The Taiwan News online has just reported that the last of almost 700 native old camphor trees at the site of the old Songshan Tobacco Factory has gone. Police once again clashed with protesters and failed to protect the tree whose legal status still lies before the courts undecided. Police allowed the removal of the tree to go ahead and failed to arrest those who removed the tree. Once again the Taiwan Police have shown total disregard for the legal process when it comes to protecting the environment.

See:

Disregard for the legal process:- The last of the great Songshan camphor trees

Update: Disregard for the legal process - The last of the great Songshan camphor trees

More on the Songshan Tree issue

Songshan: Before and After Photos

Songshan update: case against activists dismissed

Update (May 2011):
Songshan update: Taipei Dome gets the go ahead

Update: Disregard for the legal process - The last of the great Songshan camphor trees

Events at the site of the old Songshan Tobacco Factory continue. Yesterday afternoon the police forcibly removed Calvin Wen the Green Party Taiwan candidate for the Da-an District legislative by-election from the last of nearly 700 native old camphor trees at the site of the old Songshan Tobacco Factory after he stayed in the tree overnight to prevent it from being cut down. Despite the fact that the court must still rule on the legality of the project, that the second environmental impact assessment (EIA) has yet to be passed by the Environmental Protection Administration's EIA Committee, and that the zoning procedures are incomplete, the Taipei City Government has allowed the developers to go ahead with the project sparking outrage from environmentalists and local residents who oppose the project who have filed a lawsuit against the government. Instead of the police insisting that legal process is respected and preventing the removal of the tree in question they have chosen to take sides and support the developer and brutalise protesters that have gathered insisting that the removal of the tree is halted until the courts rule on the matter. The unprofessional and brutal conduct of the police in Taipei last November led to international condemnation of their behaviour.

We have learned that Taipei based lawyer and Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association director, Robin Winkler was not amongst those arrested on Friday as the article in yesterday's Taipei Times claimed but was present at the protest. It would appear that there were further arrests yesterday including that of Wang Hsiung-chung, director of Amnesty International Taiwan. It is unclear if Winkler may have been arrested yesterday afternoon or this morning when other protesters were arrested.

See today's Taipei Times for more on the issue. We will continue to bring you updates on the situation at the old Songshan Tobacco Factory.

See:- Disregard for the legal process:- The last of the great Songshan camphor trees

Update: It's gone ! Total disregard of the legal process - The last of the great Songshan camphor trees has gone !

More on the Songshan Tree issue

Songshan: Before and After Photos

Songshan update: case against activists dismissed

Disregard for the legal process:- The last of the great Songshan camphor trees

Green Party Taiwan's Calvin Wen in the in the last of nearly 700 old camphor trees, which are native to Taiwan, that have been removed for a development project of which the legal basis is currently being challenged in the courts and of which the environmental impact and zoning procedures are not complete.


Click to enlarge. A collage of the destruction of Hushan. Despite the legality of the Hushan Dam project being challenged in court and the Environmental Protection Administration's (EPA) own Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Committee (EIA) ruling that the construction of Hushan Dam was illegal and ordering work stopped, the EPA gave developers the green light to continue by saying the ruling of the EIA Committee was non-binding. The legality of all this is highly questionable and the court has yet to rule on it. Whether their projects are legal or not, despite EIA's being incomplete, it has become an alarming trend in Taiwan that developers aren't waiting for the courts to decide on the legality of their protects but continue with blatant disregard for the courts and legal process and just forge ahead often with the support of the government and police.
_________________________________________________________



The late Edward Abbey said "At some point we must draw a line across the ground of our home and our being, drive a spear into the land and say to the bulldozers, earthmovers, government and corporations, 'thus far and no further.' If we do not, we shall later feel, instead of pride, the regret of Thoroeau, that good but overly-bookish man, who wrote, near the end of his life, 'If I repent of anything it is likely to be my good behaviour.'"

Civil disobedience is an emotional and moral question. What does one do when developers aren't waiting for the courts to decide on the legality of their projects but continue with blatant disregard for the legal process and just forge ahead often with the open support of the government? This was the dilemma that protesters were faced with on Friday.

The Songshan Tobacco Factory was established under Japanese colonial rule in the 1930s. The area has remained an open green area supporting wildlife in the heart of Taipei for many years. After the factory was closed in 1998 the area was further able to revert back to its natural state and become covered in thick vegetation and has become a vitally important oasis for wildlife within Taipei providing critically important habitat for several rare species. In 2006, the Taipei City Government signed a contract with the Farglory Group to build a 429,000m² cultural and sports dome complex costing around US$695.9 million on the site. Environmentalists and local residents oppose the project.

Despite serious environmental concerns the construction project passed a 'first' environmental impact assessment (EIA) but the developer made changes to the project so a second environmental impact assessment had to be done and this remains before the Environmental Protection Administration's EIA Committee which still have to pass or reject it. Despite the second EIA still being before the EIA Committee the city government has allowed Farglory, the developer, to continue its work, prompting environmental groups to file a lawsuit against the government.

On Friday February 27, environmentalists, Green Party Taiwan members and local residents rushed to the old Songshan Tobacco Factory site when it became known that the last of almost 700 native old camphor trees was to be removed in a bid to try save it. The role of the police in this once again highlights the draconian attitude of the police under the Ma regime. Instead of the police acting as officers of the Peace and saying to the developer that the legality of the project was undecided so therefore please refrain from removing the tree until the EIA Committee and court have given their rulings they chose to act as henchmen in trying to evict protesters from the site. As it became clear that the police were openly siding with the developer, protesters stood their ground. Green Party Taiwan's Calvin Wen, the party's candidate for the Da-an District legislative by-election, stopped workers from removing the tree by climbing up into the tree and refusing to come down and stating that "You should wait for the court rulings and the results of the second environmental impact assessment to come out. You should respect the legal process." The police then forcibly removed protesters and some where arrested. Wen remained in the tree preventing its removal. As of 9:00am this morning (2009-02-28) Wen was still in the tree after 20 hours.

This issue and resulting incident once again highlight the seriousness of the Taiwan government's lack of respect for the rule of law, ignorance of sound environmental management and a total disregard for the environment and the issue of climate change by proceeding with all manner of development projects that are not reviewed or supervised due to pressure from conglomerates and their sponsored legislators and council persons.

This is just one of many cases. The construction of the Hushan Dam continues despite the EIA Committee ordering construction to stop and the legality of the entire project remains before the courts. The developers have removed the forests of Hushan forever with a total disregard for the rule of law. Reclamation projects at Mailiao continue despite the fact that it is destroying large areas of the little remaining habitat of the critically endangered Taiwan Humpback Dolphins. All this is done to further develop heavy-polluting extremely high carbon emitting industry around the world's dirtiest coal-powered power plant. This goes on in total disregard for the need to meaningfully cut Taiwan's alarmingly high CO2 emissions which are amongst the very highest per capita CO2 emissions on the planet. As long as the government continues to disrespect the rule of law, refuses to change their policies to meaningfully protect Taiwan's environment and act against reducing emissions, then, civil disobedience is the only option open to those that desire a more healthy, greener and sustainable Taiwan.

We will continue to bring you updates of the situation.

Also see:
Taipei Times:- Green Party Taiwan halts tree removal at site of old Songshan Tobacco Factory

Update: Disregard for the legal process - The last of the great Songshan camphor trees

Update: It's gone ! Total disregard of the legal process - The last of the great Songshan camphor trees has gone !

More on the Songshan Tree issue

Songshan: Before and After Photos

Songshan update: case against activists dismissed

Update (May 2011):
Songshan update: Taipei Dome gets the go ahead

Spring Raptor Migration:- Chinese Sparrowhawk

A female Chinese Sparrowhawk (Accipiter soloensis). Photo taken at Hushan (October 2008) during last fall's migration.

Each spring and fall thousands of raptors migrate along the East Asian Oceanic Flyway. This flyway is unique and quite unlike the world's other four major raptor flyways. Most raptors avoid migrating over water and that includes even large lakes. Raptors tend to migrate around large bodies of water. Along the East Asian Oceanic Flyway; stretching from the Russian Far East, Mongolia, Japan, Northern China and the Koreas down through Taiwan into the Philippines, other areas of SE Asia and beyond; thousands of raptors island-hop across the ocean. If the weather turns for worse while a raptor is migrating over water it can't land. It's fly or die ! If it lands it drowns. Raptors can spend more than 12 years on the wing over water and cover close to 500km in a day if needed.

The main players along this route are the Chinese Sparrowhawks and Grey-faced Buzzards but 19 species of raptor regularly use this route. To date 26 species of diurnal raptor have been recorded passing through Kenting National Park in Southern Taiwan.

The Huben-Hushan area lies just across the Jhousheui River valley from Bagua mountain. Bagua mountain is a famous roosting site used during the spring migration where one can watch thousands of raptors coming in to roost from mid March to mid April. Once again we look forward to the sight of Chinese Sparrowhawk, Oriental Honeybuzzard and Grey-faced Buzzards in the skies above Hushan as they head north for the summer to breed in the far northern lands.

Plumbeous Water Redstart

Plumbeous Water Redstart (Rhyacornis fuliginosa affinis): male above and female below.


The Plumbeous Water Redstart Rhyacornis fuliginosa is a rare local attitudinal winter migrant found in the Huben-Hushan Important Bird Area (IBA). The Plumbeous Water Redstart is a fairly common resident species found along Taiwan's mountain streams and migrates to lower altitudes during the winter. Race affinis is endemic to Taiwan. The Plumbeous Water Redstart is listed in lower risk categories of the IUCN's Red Data list of threatened species.


See: Huben-Hushan IBA Bird List

Crested Serpent Eagle

The Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela is the most common raptor in the Huben-Hushan Important Bird Area (IBA) where it is resident. The endemic subspecies found on Taiwan, race hoya, is very large. The Crested Serpent Eagle is very easily seen soaring over Huben where several pairs are present throughout the year. The Crested Serpent Eagle is listed in lower risk categories of the IUCN's Red Data list of threatened species.


See: Huben-Hushan IBA Bird List

Grey Treepie

Fair numbers of Grey Treepie Dendrocitta formosae are resident in the Huben-Hushan Important Bird Area (IBA). The Grey Treepie is listed in lower risk categories of the IUCN's Red Data list of threatened species.


See: Huben-Hushan IBA Bird List

Concerns over reforesting projects in the Huben-Hushan area

The ongoing construction of the Hushan Reservoir has resulted in the destruction of hundreds of valuable hectares of forest in and around the Huben-Hushan important bird area. Recently the government declared a Fairy Pitta protected area within the greater Huben-Hushan area. The Fairy Pitta protected area largely came as a surprise to environmental and conservation groups and they were sidelined and not involved in the establishment of the protected area. The setting up of the protected area was rushed through the legal process. Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association did submit concerns to keep the door open should a legal challenge to the process become necessary. Many environmentalists are concerned that the establishment of the protected area was merely a front for opening up other areas to gravel extraction.

Recently, it has come to our attention that some reforestation projects are being planned for 2009. Again, this should be good news but some past so-called reforestation projects in Taiwan have been nothing more than destructive green-washing gimmicks where native vegetation was cleared so non native trees could be planted. It was more about somebody's uncle's cousin's brother making money unloading exotic saplings than meaningful reforestation projects.

We'll be watching developments closely and post more information as soon as we get it.


Also see: Chinese or nothing ! The Fairy Pitta Protected Area letter response

Happy New Year !

Huben Fairy Pitta: photo courtesy of Richard Yu


Happy New Year,
and all the best for 2009 !



"Because every green measure, every conservation effort and all the little economies we could make in our daily lives, may look insignificant if we choose to look at the big picture. On the other hand, if we view that big picture as millions of little choices made by people just like us, that's how we can come to understand why it's our own choices that are so important."
A comment posted on Birdforum by James Owen.

Brown Shrike

Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus) - male, October 2008

Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus) - female, September 2008


Fair numbers of Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus winter in the Huben-Hushan Important Bird Area (IBA). The Brown Shrike is listed in lower risk categories of the IUCN's Red Data list of threatened species.


See: Huben-Hushan IBA Bird List

Pacific Swallow

The Pacific Swallow Hirundo tahitica is another common swallow resident in the Huben-Hushan IBA. They can almost always be seen perched on the telephone cables running next to the stream running through the village along with the Striated Swallows.


See: Huben-Hushan IBA Bird List

Striated Swallow

The Striated Swallow Hirundo striolata is a common resident in the Huben-Hushan IBA. Several can almost always be seen perched on the telephone cables running next to the stream running through the village.


See: Huben-Hushan IBA Bird List

Update on the case of Yunlin County Assembly Chief's battery of Robin Winkler during a Formosa Plastics Steel Plant Meeting

Tuesday saw the first hearing, and possibly last, in the High Court appeal of the case involving the Yunlin Assembly Chief Su Chin-huang's battering of Robin Winkler, director of Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association and a former commissioner on the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) Environmental Impact Assessment Commission at a meeting at the Taiwan EPA offices on 7 November 2007. The district court gave Su six months convertible to a fine and Winkler's legal team were able to persuade the prosecutor to appeal. However, in Taiwan this could mean anything (it could mean anything in just about any court system these days). Su has basically changed his story from total denial, to saying he accidentally struck Winkler because he was afraid Winkler was going to batter him, and then finally to saying "in the interest of social costs of these proceedings and serving my constituents better by not having to spend so much time in court, I will admit for the record that I intentionally battered him."

Winkler hasn't accepted Su's admission and it seems that the prosecutor doesn't either, because, the record Su made included his denial -- and that record will be available to him and others to use for their spin. Winkler also asked for the printing of the admission in the newspapers and in the same announcement to promise not to use violence against anyone again. Su pointed out that he is a politician and that it wouldn't be good for him to have the admission printed. The judge seem to support the admission being printed but said that the promise went beyond the scope of the case!

Now, Winkler is to propose language, get Su's agreement, and give it to the court within a week. The prosecutor says Su hasn't admitted anything, and is pressing for a harsher sentence. It is doubtful Su will agree to Winkler's terms.

It is a possibility that Su gets something like a year and then is given three years commutation, at which time the record will basically be expunged. It remains to be seen if the ruling Chinese National Party (KMT) will get involved. President Ma hasn't distanced himself from Su after Su was found guilty.


And then again, we could see "justice served" (?) and they lock Su up for a while. If the court doesn't take a strong stand they will be sending the signal that anyone daring to challenge the EPA/scholars/business cabal....well, beating people up -- is okay.

Also see:
Yunlin County Assembly Head Found Guilty of Battery of Robin Winkler during Formosa Plastics Steel Plant Meeting

Second Investigative Hearing into Assault against Wild at Heart Director at Meeting Involving Humpback Dolphins

Protesters accuse the EPA of protecting big business

Environmental activists denounce EPA

For the background and details of the November 2007 incident, see “Yunlin County Assembly Head Su Chin-Huang Found Guilty of Battery of Robin Winkler during Formosa Plastics Steel Plant Meeting” on the Wild at Heart blog.

Asiatic Toad

The Asiatic Toad Duttaphrynus melanostictus* is a common amphibian resident of the Huben-Hushan Important Bird Area (IBA).

See: Huben-Hushan Frog List

*Some authors place the Asiatic Toad in the Bufo genus so it appears on some lists as Bufo melanosticus. Other English common names for the Asiatic Toad include Spectacled Toad, Common Indian Toad, and Asian Black-spined Toad.

Taipower shenanigans ?

The world's dirtiest power plant. Wuchi Power Plant, Taichung, through the haze.


Taiwan Power Company (Taipower), with its monopoly on power provision and about 60% of the nation's energy production has had some of its antics brought into the open. During Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association Director Robin Winkler's term as commissioner on the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) Environmental Impact Assessment Commission, the first and second phases of a proposed power plant of Taipower were reviewed. The proposed plant, in addition to being located midway between the world's first and fifth largest power plant emitters of CO2, would have severely exacerbated the already severely polluted west coast of Taiwan, home to the small and unique critically endangered endemic population of Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphins. On the day following the subcommittee's rejection, Winkler was approached at the EPA during another Taipower case by a Taipower employee who in a very serious voice said, "what are we going to do? We already signed the contracts to purchase the equipment for the plants."? Taipower has a reputation for having engaged in illegal and irresponsible practices for years. While the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was in power, some of those shenanigans started to come to light. But now that the old Chinese National Party (KMT) is back, the sorts of coincidences reported here are likely to become more commonplace.


[Translation]

Taipower Coal Purchasing Documents Audaciously Stolen on the Eve of Control Yuan Investigation

atnext.com, 12 November 2008

Taiwan's national power company, Taipower, under the leadership of the Ma Ying-jeou Administration, has been alleged to have purchased overpriced fuel coal, causing protracted overpricing of power bills to the country's consumers. Strangely enough, just as Taiwan's national governmental watchdog body, the Control Yuan, was preparing to launch an investigation, the storehouse in which Taipower keeps the files of its external purchasing contracts was burglarized. Even stranger, the only documents stolen in the burglary were the fuel coal purchase agreement documents. The peculiar circumstances of the theft have led to speculation that the burglary was aimed at making evidence disappear.

According to a report in the latest issue of Next Magazine, the Consumer's Foundation had asked the Control Yuan earlier this month to investigate concerns that continuing high power prices, despite a recent 44.65% drop in fuel costs, might indicate foul play. Although the prices of liquefied petroleum gas and fuel oil have both fallen considerably, Taipower has refused to lower power prices, which have gone up twice this year. These circumstances have led the Consumer's Foundation to suspect negligence or malfeasance by Taipower and Ministry of Economic Affairs, prompting the request for a Control Yuan investigation.

The Control Yuan member on duty the day the Control Yuan filed its request, Cheng Jen-hung, formally opened a Control Yuan case with a written recommendation for an on-site investigation. In the lead-up to the investigation, Taipower stated its case to the Control Yuan, but the Control Yuan found the explanations unsatisfactory. Just as the formal investigation was about to get underway, Taipower's document storage room was burglarized, and the document stolen was an important piece of evidence targeted in the Control Yuan investigation. The theft of the document has further fed suspicions that behind-the-scenes forces are at work in the case.

(Translation courtesy of Executive Yuan, Corporate Social Responsbility Center)


A critically endangered Taiwan Humpback Dolphin (bottom left) in the waters off the world's dirtiest power plant. Click to enlarge !


More photos of the Wuchi Power Plant, Taichung, through the haze of pollution.

Indian Rice Frog

The Indian Rice Frog Rana limnocharis is a common amphibian resident of the Huben-Hushan Important Bird Area (IBA).

See: Huben-Hushan Frog List

Photo is courtesy and copyright of Mark Wilkie.

White-lipped Tree Frog

The White-lipped Tree Frog Polypedates megacephalus is one of the Huben-Hushan Important Bird Area's (IBA) resident frog species. The White-lipped Tree Frog is listed in lower risk categories of the IUCN's Red Data list of threatened species and is another reason why the Huben-Hushan IBA needs to be protected and preserved.


White-lipped Tree Frog (Polypedates megacephalus) female, Hushan, May 2008.

White-lipped Tree Frog (Polypedates megacephalus) male, Hushan, May 2008.



See: Hushan Frog List

Swinhoe’s Japalura

The Taiwan endemic Swinhoe’s Japalura Japalura swinhonis is a common reptile resident of the Huben-Hushan Important Bird Area (IBA). Being endemic it is found nowhere else in the world but Taiwan.


See: Huben-Hushan IBA Reptile List


Photo is courtesy and copyright of Mark Wilkie.

Pallas’s Squirrel

Pallas’s Squirrel Callosciurus erythraeus is one of the Huben-Hushan Important Bird Area (IBA) resident mammal species. Pallas’s Squirrel is listed in lower risk categories of the IUCN's Red Data list of threatened species.

Pallas’s Squirrel (Callosciurus erythraeus) a common Huben-Hushan IBA resident mammal species


See: Huben-Hushan IBA Mammal List


Photo is courtesy and copyright of Mark Wilkie.