Nearly 20,000 Taiwanese citizens hit the streets of Taipei and Kaohsiung yesterday to protest against nuclear power and show support for Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian, who is facing a political crisis after announcing a decision to halt construction of a partially completed nuclear power plant. Leaders of Taiwan’s three main opposition parties, angry over the decision, have pledged to work together to oust Chen from office. Anti-nuclear sentiment runs high in the nation, where many citizens worry that nuclear power poses grave threats to the environment. Meanwhile, anti-nuke activists around the world are concerned that nuclear power could get a boost at climate change talks getting underway this week in The Hague, Netherlands. Although nuclear power doesn’t produce greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming, enviros warn that it comes with a whole set of other serious environmental problems and should not be part of a solution to climate change.
