本文指出，當政府面對著嚴峻的環保抗爭時，科技理性及經濟成長決定一切的論點已成為它強而有力的辯護武器。就政府而言，解決環境污染的根本辦法就是科技不斷的創新及改進。在這種思維底下，政治及社會方面的價值觀，如民主參與、社會公平、環境及生態的均衡發展等，都被置之一旁而無暇顧及了。 然而，這種科技決定一切的論點正受到社區民眾的強烈反對，不斷惡化的生存環境已促使基層民眾群起抗議，並積極要求參與政府制定決策的過程，而後勁反五輕抗爭連動就是一個最佳的例子。本文將敘述反五輕運動的由來及其面對的龐大挑戰，並指出政府如何運用科技及其他辦法來阻擋或是消解後勁反五輕抗爭。

　　　　　This paper will focus on the case of Taiwan's fifth naphtha cracker to demonstrate the environmental roots of civil protest in Taiwan and the formidable challenges it faces in reversing the country's environmental decline. This paper will argue that: 1)an ideology of technological and economic determinism has become a powerful weapon for the government to defuse environmental protest. After the emergence of protest in Houchin, the government reiterated that pollution could be controlled by newly developed technologies, and charged that village's rejection of the plant was irrational. 2)Under Taiwan's rapid industrial growth strategy, environmental pollution is treated as though it is “normal” risk of development. It will be shown that the government assumes environmental pollution to be a problem of “social costs” and regards new technology as the most effective means to lower these costs. In this context, greater importance is given to expaned production capacity and technological innovation. Political and social values, such as equity, environmental balance and governance are all marginalized. This paper will first briefly scrutinize the relationship between technology and grassroots environmental movements. That technology is not a neutral object and its political features are be examined. This paper offers a brief overview of the economic and political situation in Taiwan. Following is the examination of the metropolitan region of Kaohsiung, where the village of Houchin is located. The case of the fifth naphtha cracker is explored in detail with a focus on the state's appeal to technological and economic determinism to thwart environmental protest. The conclusion of this paper discusses the meaning of the Houchin protest for Taiwan's future development.