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Date(s)： 2023/12/12
Time： 10:00~12:00
Venue： Archives 3rd Conference Hall
Speaker：Prof. Ying Jia Tan（Associate Professor of History, Wesleyan University）
Organizer： Western Learning and China Research Group
Abstract: In the face of our current plastic waste crisis, it is easy to forget that plastic was once seen as a sustainable substitute to organic products. Celluloid and acrylic served as a low-cost alternative to ivory. The treatment of wood with polyurethane made it more waterproof and durable. Synthetic leather made from PVC reduced the demand for leather from livestock and wild animals. This talk explores how the dreams of sustainability fueled the rise of three major petrochemical firms that transformed Taiwan into a global powerhouse in the plastic industry. Operating as niche constructors that fed off the ruins of Japanese colonialism in Taiwan, these plastic manufacturers adapted to conditions of material scarcity and reshaped Taiwans economic landscape by developing companies that complemented their business operations. Mitigating the environmental degradation resulting from their consumption-driven growth, these firms drew on their earlier experiences of transforming Taiwans industrial ecology to ensure the survival of the plastic business. They dictated the parameters of sustainable development and showcased their efforts in environmental stewardship in their iconic development projects. This eco-critical reading of the history of Taiwans plastic industries seeks to reveal the underlying logic of fossil capitalism in Chinese East Asia.