Edgar Lin
{{Short description|Taiwanese biologist, environmentalist, diplomat & politician (born 1938)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Edgar Lin Chun-yi
| native_name = {{nobold|林俊義}}
| native_name_lang = zh-tw
| honorific-suffix =
| image =
| imagesize =
| smallimage =
| caption =
| constituency =
| order = Director of the Coordination Council for North American Affairs
| term_start = 17 August 2007
| term_end = 20 May 2008
| predecessor = {{interlanguage link|Lin Fang-mei|zh|林芳玫}}
| successor = Chu Wen-hsiang {{small|(acting)}}
{{interlanguage link|Shao Yu-ming|zh|邵玉銘}}
| order1 = ROC Representative to the United Kingdom
| term_start1 = December 2004
| term_end1 = August 2007
| predecessor1 = Tien Hung-mao
| successor1 = Katharine Chang
| constituency1 =
| order2 = ROC Ambassador to Gambia
| term_start2 = August 2001
| term_end2 = December 2004
| predecessor2 =
| constituency2 =
| order3 = Minister of the Environmental Protection Administration
| term_start3 = 20 May 2000
| term_end3 = 6 March 2001
| predecessor3 = Tsai Hsun-hsiung
| successor3 = Hau Lung-pin
| constituency3 =
| order4 = Head of the {{ill|Taipei Department of Environmental Protection|zh|臺北市政府環境保護局}}
| term_start4 = 17 October 1995
| term_end4 = 9 August 1997
| predecessor4 = Chen Chin-yang
| successor4 = Liu Shyh-fang
| constituency4 =
| order5 = Member of the National Assembly
| term_start5 = 1 February 1992
| term_end5 = 31 January 1996
| predecessor5 =
| successor5 =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1938|7|23}}
| birth_place = Taihoku, Taihoku Prefecture, Taiwan, Empire of Japan
| party = Democratic Progressive Party
| otherparty =
| alma_mater =
| education = National Taiwan University (BA)
Indiana University (PhD)
}}
Edgar Lin Chun-yi ({{zh|t=林俊義}}; born 23 July 1938) is a Taiwanese biologist, environmentalist, diplomat and politician.
Early life and career
Lin studied English at National Taiwan University and earned a Ph.D. in ecology from the Indiana University. He remained in the United States for a time, working as a research fellow for the House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space and Technology.{{cite news|last1=Jou|first1=Ying-Cheng|title=Tang Fei returns to the political fray|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/local/archives/2000/04/30/0000034178|access-date=13 December 2016|work=Taipei Times|date=30 April 2000}}
After his return to Taiwan, Lin taught at Tunghai University.{{cite news|title=New envoy arrives in UK|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2005/01/09/2003218628|access-date=13 December 2016|work=Taipei Times|date=9 January 2005}} Lin began participating in Taiwan's environmental movement in the 1980s. He became known as a "godfather" of the cause and was a noted anti-nuclear activist, later serving Greenpeace Taiwan as its president.{{cite news|last1=Chiu|first1=Yu-Tzu|title=EPA meets with US counterpart in Hawaii|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/local/archives/2000/10/23/58337|access-date=13 December 2016|work=Taipei Times|date=23 October 2000}}{{cite news|last1=Chiu|first1=Yu-tzu|title=Greens uneasy over Lin joining the official fold|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/local/archives/2000/05/01/0000034310|access-date=13 December 2016|work=Taipei Times|date=1 May 2000}}
Political career
Lin ran in the 1989 legislative election for a Legislative Yuan seat in Taichung. His unsuccessful campaign was backed by the Democratic Progressive Party.{{cite journal |title=Legislative Yuan still not fully representative |journal=Taiwan Communiqué |date=September 1989 |volume=41 |page=10 |url=https://www.taiwandc.org/twcom/tc41-int.pdf |issn=1027-3999}} He was elected to the National Assembly in 1992. The National Assembly voted to block a set of reform proposals after its convocation. Alongside fellow Democratic Progressive Party members Huang Hsin-chieh and Chen Yung-hsing, Lin walked out of the assembly on 4 May 1992, criticizing the body for procedural violations.{{cite journal |title=The DPP and Independents walk out |journal=Taiwan Communiqué |date=June 1992 |volume=55 |page=9 |url=https://www.taiwandc.org/twcom/tc55-int.pdf |issn=1027-3999}} In September 1993, Lin accepted the DPP nomination as its candidate for the Taichung mayoralty.{{cite journal |title=The Candidates |journal=Taiwan Communiqué |date=September 1993 |volume=59 |page=14 |url=https://www.taiwandc.org/twcom/tc59-int.pdf |issn=1027-3999}} Lin lost to {{ill|Lin Po-jung|zh|林柏榕}}, who secured a second consecutive term.
Lin led Taipei's {{ill|Taipei Department of Environmental Protection|lt=Bureau of Environmental Protection|zh|臺北市政府環境保護局}} while Chen Shui-bian was mayor. Chen was elected president in 2000, and Lin was appointed minister of the Environmental Protection Administration by Premier Tang Fei in April, taking office with the rest of the cabinet on 20 May. Shortly after joining the EPA, Lin renounced his opposition to nuclear energy, stating that he had held that stance largely to combat totalitarianism.{{cite news|last1=Chiu|first1=Yu-Tzu|title='Father of anti-nuclear activists' singing a new tune|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/local/archives/2000/05/26/37516|access-date=13 December 2016|work=Taipei Times|date=26 May 2000}} In October, Lin made his first trip to the United States in an official capacity and became the first EPA executive to include environmentalists as part of his contingent abroad. The Amorgos oil spill occurred in January 2001, and the Executive Yuan was criticized for its delayed response.{{cite news|last1=Shan|first1=Shelley|title=EPA wants ship's wreckage removed by April next year|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2006/12/13/2003340232|access-date=13 December 2016|work=Taipei Times|date=13 December 2006}}{{cite news|last1=Low|first1=Stephanie|title=Premier rejects minister's offer to resign over spill|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/local/archives/2001/03/01/0000075678|access-date=13 December 2016|work=Taipei Times|date=1 March 2001}} Subsequently, Lin resigned his position in March.{{cite news|last1=Huang|first1=Joyce|title=Four new Cabinet officials appointed|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2001/03/06/0000076348|access-date=13 December 2016|work=Taipei Times|date=6 March 2001}}
In August of that year, Lin was named ambassador to The Gambia.{{cite news|title=Lin Chun-yi appointed new ambassador to the Gambia|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/local/archives/2001/08/04/0000097061|access-date=13 December 2016|work=Taipei Times|date=4 August 2001}} He served until December 2004, when he was sworn in as Taiwan's representative to the United Kingdom.{{cite news|last1=Chen|first1=Melody|title=Edgar Lin 'pursuing a colorful life'|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2004/12/20/2003215939|access-date=13 December 2016|work=Taipei Times|date=20 December 2004}} His first trip in the United Kingdom took place the next month. While in the United Kingdom, Lin has spoken out against the One China principle, Anti-Secession Law, and one country, two systems.{{cite news|title=Taiwan's envoy to the UK blames 'one China' idea|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2005/03/11/2003245752|access-date=13 December 2016|work=Taipei Times|date=11 March 2005}}{{cite news|title=Taiwan diplomat shuns unification with China|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2007/03/18/2003352801|access-date=13 December 2016|work=Taipei Times|date=18 March 2007}} Instead, Lin proposed that the European Union pass its own version of the United States' Taiwan Relations Act.{{cite news|last1=Huang|first1=Jewel|title=Europe should make its own TRA, says top official to Britain|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2007/06/01/2003363335|access-date=13 December 2016|work=Taipei Times|date=1 June 2007}}
References
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Category:Taiwanese environmentalists
Category:Taiwanese anti–nuclear power activists
Category:Representatives of Taiwan to the United Kingdom
Category:Democratic Progressive Party (Taiwan) politicians
Category:Politicians of the Republic of China on Taiwan from Taipei
Category:National Taiwan University alumni
Category:Indiana University alumni
Category:Academic staff of Tunghai University
Category:People associated with Greenpeace