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Taiwan's Future Leaders

Adding Substance to the Environmental Movement

Adding Substance to the Environmental Movement

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National Chengchi University associate professor Tu Wen-ling examines current events from a rational outlook, but also engages in the problems of society with a sense of passion.

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Adding Substance to the Environmental Movement

By Scott Wang
From CommonWealth Magazine (vol. 468 )

With a gentle yet resolute bearing, Tu Wen-ling, a 40-year-old associate professor of public policy at National Chengchi University, deftly straddles the worlds of academic research and social activism, and in so doing she has become what could be regarded as the archetype of a modern intellectual among a new generation of young scholars.

Tu Wen-ling has a penchant for protesting the wrongs of society and criticizing public policy. This was evident more than a decade ago when as an environmental activist she worked to preserve the wetlands around Tainan's Chigu Township, a layover spot on the migration route of the endangered black-faced spoonbill, as the species faced the encroaching development of the Bin-Nan Industrial District. And it is still apparent in her more recent involvement in controversies surrounding the high-tech risks of developing science parks, and the debate over corporate social responsibility sparked by the spread of e-waste across the planet.

It was during her student years at National Taiwan University's College of Social Sciences that Tu's concern over environmental issues began. She served as a student representative on the NTU Law School Environmental Protection Subcommittee. Then in 1994 she studied environmental policy at the State University of New York's College of Environmental Science and Forestry at Syracuse in hopes of broadening the theoretical foundations of her understanding of environmental issues.

While studying abroad, she was part of a delegation representing the Taiwan Environmental Protection Union at an environmental conference in Japan. There she witnessed numerous international environmental groups working closely with local Japanese groups, and she was also struck by the extremely high caliber of the environmental journalists in attendance. Tu realized that Taiwan's environmental movement would have to link up with the international movement if it was to achieve a breakthrough.

Upon returning to the United States, Tu joined forces with a group of like-minded Taiwanese students to form the Taiwan Environmental Action Network, serving as its chairwoman, and taking part in a variety of international environmental conferences as an NGO representative. She also devoted herself to local Taiwanese environmental issues, working to protect the black-faced spoonbill, by helping connect local conservation groups with international groups. Their combined efforts succeeded in thwarting a development project at Bin-Nan Industrial District that would have adversely impacted the wetlands around Chigu Township, which serve as a resting ground for the migratory spoonbills. Those wetlands have since been declared a protected area.

Although busy of late with academic life – she was a recent recipient of the Ta-You Wu Memorial Award from the National Science Council – she still finds time for public service.

"True leaders must not only be bold in action and idealistic in character, but even more importantly, they must be even-tempered and friendly, so that they can rally the right kind of capable people for a mutual effort," observes Chen Dongsheng, former director-general of the National Science Council's Department of Humanities and Social Sciences and current professor at NTU's College of Social Sciences.

Despite remaining busy with public service, Tu's academic foundations remain solid, with none of the impatience a younger scholar might sometimes bring to research, Chen notes. That, in addition to her gentle nature and firm objectives, keeps students more than happy to study with her, whether in her role as social activist leader or in academic studies.

"In the classroom, learning rational, critical thinking is admittedly important, but you also need the passion that comes from getting out there in person and interacting in the field," Tu says.

She encourages her students to go out into communities and interact with people in society.

"Only through reason and feeling can we generate a transformative force," she says.

Last year, Tu pushed for the Taiwan Environmental Action Network to merge with the group Mercy on the Earth, Taiwan. She now serves as a board member for the new group, called "Citizen of the Earth, Taiwan." By joining environmental groups from the northern and southern parts of the island, she hopes to strengthen the discourse of the environmental movement, and give it greater substance.

Translated from the Chinese by Brian Kennedy

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