Taiwan's Nuclear Boomerang

Dear Elemental readers: Sorry I’ve been away for a while! It’s been busy working as a pro-nuclear activist in Taipei preparing for tomorrow’s referendum to bring back the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant! Win or lose, I know we’ve built a lot of momentum and the power of the atom will be back in Taiwan eventually. In the meantime, enjoy a cross-post from my Taipology substack, which focuses on Taiwanese and Chinese politics!

In what have been one of the most ill-concieved political stunts of all time, DPP staffer Chen Sheng-wen filmed himself taking a pallet of bottled water to Lan-yu Island’s Low-level Nuclear Waste storage facility and left them there overnight. His plan was to take the “irradiated water” to KMT headquarters and dare them to drink it.

“I want to confront them with the fact that nuclear waste is a concrete issue we are leaving to future generations,” said Chen.

Unfortunately for Chen, KMT Spokeswoman Crystal Yang saw Chen coming from a mile away and ambushed HIM while he was still setting up his shoot with the camera crew he brought with him from the DPP-friendly Formosa TV.

After videobombing Chen with what can only be described as extreme disrespect, Yang ripped the water out of Chen and chugged it on camera, saying it “tastes good” and “Taiwan needs nuclear energy.”

“Stop filming her…stop filming her…don’t give her any more attention!” said an exasperated Chen to the cameraman. But no media professional was going to cut on this pure gold. (Watch the whole video…it is pure cinema.)

After draining the bottle, Yang gave a winsome thumbs up to the camera."Nuclear energy should be discussed logically and scientifically, not used as a prop for emotional manipulation."

Chen could only shoot back "you are super childish!" and "it's not a point of pride!" as he scurried away, so shook he left his hand cart full of “irradiated water” behind.

Later on inside KMT headquarters, Legislator Hsu Chiao-Hsin and Taoyuan City Councilor Ling Tao later also enjoyed the refreshment curtesy of the DPP.

Hsu said nuclear waste is safe when it is properly stored and reminds everyone to vote YES on the Restart Maanshan referendum on Saturday, adding "this is the weakest political stunt in history."

Ling said they've visited the Langyu facilities and the radiation level near the storage area is lower than Taipei Main Station. "That guy wants to run for office? Could be bad for constituent IQ."

I write about this episode not just because it’s funny, but it completely demonstrates the vibe shift on the nuclear issue, and how it’s been led by the youth. Recall that the DPP has always ran on an anti-nuclear platform, in contrast with the practical KMT, who built Taiwan’s 6 nuclear power reactors back when it was a an authoritarian regime. The two reactors started after the democratic era never got completed due to incessant protests and public pressure.

The issue was a winner for the DPP for many decades based both on the deep history of anti-nuclear and pro-democracy activists campaigning shoulder-to-shoulder for decades, and the fact that even deep-blue families could be spooked by radiophobia. KMT politicos often took the cowardly path of Hou You-yi: being pro-nuclear when campaigning on a national level, but blocking nuclear progress in their district as a local politician.

However, as the successful 2018 “Go Green For Nuclear” referendum showed, the Taiwanese public is actually surprisingly open to nuclear power. This trend has only accelerated aas nuclear power gained popularity world-wide and Taiwan was hit with an LNG price crisis, multiple rolling island-wide blackouts, and the renewed need for more power for chipmaking and the development of AI.

Both the KMT and the upstart TPP have embraced nuclear power in a full-throated, unhedged and unapologetic way that I’ve never seen in Taiwanese politics. What’s more, I’d say they are probably the most highly-informed politicians I’ve ever seen on this issue. And unlike the mealy-mouthed “pro-nuclear” KMT politicos of yore, they do not stutter.

For the first time in a long time…dare I feel some hope for the future of nuclear energy in Taiwan?

I wrote a long and highly emotive post when Taiwan powered down it’s last nuclear power plant in May. I didn’t post it to Taipology because it was really pretty immature and out of pocket. But I think perhaps it can be shared here now, with the context that I was in a state of extreme rage and frustration. It’s a snapshot in time. Because yes…there is hope.

The last nuclear reactor in Taiwan powers down tomorrow. This just exemplifies everything that went wrong with Taiwan.

The KMT were oppressive authoritarians, but they had brilliant technocrats like Sun yun-suan and KT Lee. That’s why in the 80s while Taiwan was literally the Barbie doll capital of the world (80 percent made here IIRC) it was also running on 50+% nuclear power and establishing a chip industry. This was back in the 80s.

Then the DPP rose and their grievances were very legitimate and their desire for democracy very honorable but we went from a govt led by engineers and technocrats to a govt led by activists and lawyers. They saw the nuclear power plants not as critical infrastructure…but the physical manifestation of the KMT’s toxic and unnatural rule over Taiwan.

They weaponized the fear of radiation and made a « nuclear free homeland » a part of their party constitution. Even right now, when it is glaringly obvious we need the juice, they can’t find a way to back down on it.

You can’t site a 5MW data center in North Taiwan we are so dry. What AI future? Yet Lai loves to drone on about how we must have « AI sovereignty ». How? Smart at politics, retarded in governance. I fear if the DPP continue to hold power, Taiwan is just going to turn into the Philippines.

People forget…at one point the Philippines was more prosperous than Taiwan. People went THERE to find their pot of gold the way the Filipinos come here now, although not in such numbers. The Philippines was the US post-war Asian darling. Taiwan still in grinding poverty. Our girls made their beds as domestic help, although we also had the option of opening little shops and such.

The tables didn’t turn until Taiwan’s economic miracle in the 80/90s. The DPP had so much handed to them that they seem determined to destroy. Meanwhile, all they seem to be good for is importing wokey-woke DEI concepts and copying the American playbook to weaponize the constititional court. Rainbow Boba Democracy!

That’s why even though I love Taiwan, I’m going start calling it Retard Island because turning off ready-built nuclear when you’re vulnerable to a blockade and short power anyhow is the peak of retardation.

And I’ll keep calling it Retard Island until the Retardation ceases.

I’ve been campaigning like a madwoman for tomorrow’s Referendum to extend the life of the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant, the one that was powered down in May. Can you imagine? Just bringing back those two reactors is 6% of Taiwan’s grid: more electricity than all the solar panels on the island. And more than twice what all the wind turbines onshore and offshore product.

It’s going to be a tough vote, not because the people are not in our favor (most polls show 70+% in favor of the referendum) but because it’s typically hard to get people to turn out to the polls for a single referendum. And you need at least 25% of the electorate to vote “yes” for the referendum to be valid.

But we are going into the vote with all the favorables I can think of: extensive coverage of the issue on popular streaming shows, including unconventional channels like gamers. Full support by the TPP and KMT. The aforementioned irradiated water stunt which went mega viral…and just today Taiwanese Hometown Hero Jensen Huang returned and reminded Taiwan yet again…

For decades, the tight and long-standing entwinement between the DPP and the anti-nuclear movement had been an excellent political cudgel for the DPP. It can be spun as a non-partisan health and environment issue to hit across the aisle, but it can also be an emotive “protect Taiwan and Democracy” cause to rally the base.

There’s just one problem: getting rid of nuclear energy in a small and mountainous island that is also highly industrialized and likes its air conditioning has been an absolute disaster! Prices are up, reliability is down, and we don’t have juice for the factories and data centers we need.

Just as the anti-nuclear cause got folded into the pro-democracty narrative, pro-nuclear advocacy has become associated with general dissatisfaction, especially by young people, on the inability of the DPP to deliver on bread-and-butter issues after more than 9 years in power.

Whether or not the referendum passes, the DPP has a decision to make: either abandon one of the causes closest to their hearts, or get hit again and again on this issue in every single election from now to 2028.