Thu, Mar 05, 2009 page8

• [LETTERS]

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  A foreign view on cycling

  As an experienced cyclist from Canada who is visiting Taipei, I thought I would share some observations and suggestions. I first visited Taipei five years ago. Back then, people would literally laugh at my suggestion that Taipei should promote more cycling. Fellow cyclists were few and far between along the paths.

  Fast forward to present day — what a transformation. The paths are now heavily used and cyclists are commonplace along the streets. It is clear that Taiwanese are beginning to embrace a more active and healthy lifestyle. With a congested city that will only grow more crowded, cycling will help provide solutions to transportation challenges. That said, the growth of cycling is at a critical stage in Taiwan. Habits and etiquette are quickly being formed. The actions of cyclists today will become the norm for tomorrow. Establishing certain cycling behavior now is easier than trying to change it later. With this in mind, here are a few friendly suggestions.

  Wear a helmet: If you think hitting your head on the asphalt doesn’t hurt when falling of a bicycle, think again (while you still can). Everyone or nearly everyone wears one while riding a scooter, why not a bicycle? Simple fact: Helmets save lives and prevent injuries. Professional cyclists wear them and they are much better cyclists than you are.

  Headphones: Don’t wear them, even at low volumes. Colliding with a cyclist who is passing from behind is one of the most common cycling accidents. This is only aggravated when the passing cyclist thinks you heard their bell or warning. Furthermore, headphones cause you to swerve more as they affect your balance.

  Walking your dog on the bike path: This is simply inconsiderate and not a good idea. Stretching a leash across the bike path is an obvious hazard. Serious injury to your pet can occur when an animal’s leash gets tangled in a turning bicycle wheel. Cyclists fare no better from such an encounter. Additionally, dog droppings on the path are transferred to bicycle tires and many Taiwanese cyclists store their bikes indoors.

  Walking your toddlers on the bike path: This is also not a good idea.

  Stay in the right lane: Stay to the right unless passing and allow faster cyclists to pass.

  Cycling in the streets: Despite bike lanes, this is still challenging in Taipei.

  PAUL GALLIEN

  Taipei

  The unemployment solution

  In your editorial (“Job plans only stop-gap measure,” March 1, page 8), when you “address the problem of long-term employment,” you seem to forget the agricultural sector.

  As a Canadian farmer in northern Taiwan for close to 10 years, I discovered why the Japanese in the first part of the last century wanted to turn Taiwan into the farm of Japan: It is a paradise for agriculture. Today, producing less than 3 percent of the nation’s GDP, the farming sector has been abandoned for too long. Making the investments necessary to increase this output by another 3 percent of GDP would mean adding 600,000 jobs — jobs perfectly suited for people aged 45 or older (I am 68).

  No industrialized country in the world can sustain itself with an agricultural sector producing less than 10 percent of GDP. So why doesn’t Taiwan make these investments? It would mean an additional 1.4 million jobs here. This will only happen with the development of organic agriculture, with exports mainly to Japan. And Taiwan is very lucky to produce an average of 16,000 tonnes of food scraps a day, perfectly suited for composting. Here is the perfect solution to solve unemployment in Taiwan. The big question — as I raised at the November Big Question conference: Why is it not done?

  PIERRE LOISEL

  Sanjhih, Taipei County

  Indian view on spending

  I am an Indian studying and living in Chicago.

  I read your article on India’s space mission (“India planning manned space mission,” Feb. 25, page 5) online and want to put forward my views on this.

  Being an Indian and having been born and brought up in the country, I feel I have a better understanding of the situation. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) should be supported in its efforts as it creates an awakening to the world of science in a country where education is the only way of lifting so many people out of poverty. India may be short on funds for rural sanitization and education, but the solution is not to cut spending on advanced sciences as some day we hope to catch up with the best in the world. An average Indian does not compare himself to any Chinese counterpart. but rather dreams of a better standing in the world or, plainly said, a better living standard.

  Our government is wise to spend money on these costly projects because, as is the case with our nuclear technology, it will make us stand comfortably with the best. We will stand alongside any other country in terms of space exploration or advanced sciences in the future.

  When India was spending huge amounts on nuclear research, the world put restrictions on us or tried to stifle our growth, but the underlying idea in our independence was truly being a world leader and being independent from any hegemony.

  India and China are growing with different models and the whole world is worried about the rise of China because of its aggressive designs, so even if our strategic planners want to close the economic and technical gap, how can the press put this in a negative light? India has so many satellites up in space and China just tested its anti-satellite missile. It’s only natural for India and others to sense their domination-oriented designs and prepare accordingly.

  RAMAN VERMA

  Chicago, Illinois
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