Chang Kow-lung (; born 1938) is a Taiwanese environmentalist who served as the Minister of the

Environmental Protection Administration The Environmental Protection Administration, Executive Yuan (EPA, ) is a cabinet-level executive agency responsible for protecting and conserving the environment in the Republic of China (Taiwan). This also includes, air quality, noise control, m ...

between 2005 and 2007.

Education and activism

Chang graduated from Yale University in 1968 with a Ph.D. in physics. He then taught at National Taiwan University starting in 1976 and participated in Taiwan's environmental movement beginning in the 1980s. In 1988, Chang founded a magazine, ''New Environment''. Shortly afterwards, in 1990, he launched the Taiwan Environmental Protection Union. That year, he became a secretary in the

Taipei City Government The Taipei City Government (TCG) is the municipal government of Taipei. History The Taihoku City Government was founded on 10 October 1920 in Taihoku Prefecture during Japanese colonial rule. The original city hall was located at the site of ...

, where he worked for ten years. In 2000, Chang was named vice minister of examinations. A noted anti-nuclear activist, Chang has served as spokesman for the Nuke-4 Referendum Initiative Association.

Environmental Protection Administration

Premier Frank Hsieh appointed Chang Kow-lung head of the Environmental Protection Administration on 8 June 2005. That August, Chang announced a three-year plan to clean up the polluted

Tamsui River The Tamsui River (alternatively Danshui River, ) is third longest river in Taiwan after Zhuoshui River and Gaoping River, with a total length of , flowing through Hsinchu County, Taoyuan, Taipei and New Taipei City. It is located in northern pa ...

. The next month, Chang ordered sanitation companies to stop gathering kitchen waste to use as a component in pig feed, after discussions with the

Council of Agriculture The Council of Agriculture (COA, ) is the official government body in the Republic of China (Taiwan) under the Executive Yuan in charged with overseeing affairs related to agriculture, forestry, fishery, animal husbandry and food affairs. CAO is a ...

. He also worked to pass laws regarding greenhouse gas emissions, later starting a global warming awareness initiative. Chang supported implementation of an

ecotax An environmental tax, ecotax (short for ecological taxation), or green tax is a tax levied on activities which are considered to be harmful to the environment and is intended to promote environmentally friendly activities via economic incentives. ...

for Taiwanese factories in 2006. However, the next year, environmentalist

Robin Winkler Robin J. Winkler (; born 1953) is an American-born naturalized Taiwanese citizen who works as a lawyer and environmentalist. Career Winkler has been a frequent frontline campaigner on green issues in Taiwan, having founded the legal environmental ...

claimed that the EPA favored industry over the environment. Chang then tried to sue Winkler for slandering the EPA. Chang resigned his position in May 2007, and was replaced by Winston Dang in June.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chang, Kow-lung 1938 births Living people Politicians of the Republic of China on Taiwan from Taipei Taiwanese environmentalists Taiwanese anti–nuclear power activists Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni Taiwanese Ministers of Environment