Lung cancer has become one of the most common fatal diseases in Taiwan. This is not exclusive to smokers: non-smokers are increasingly at risk of getting the disease in recent years, too, highlighting the threat air pollution poses to health.
Diesel emissions are listed as Group 1 carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) or less will penetrate the lungs and cardiovascular system, posing a serious threat to health. Thirty percent of PM2.5 matter comes from vehicles such as cars and motorcycles, with 55 percent of this in the form of diesel emissions.
A number of countries have announced plans to ban the sale of fossil-fuel vehicles. In July, for example, France and the United Kingdom announced that, as of 2040, the sales of diesel and petrol cars will be banned, in order to work toward their commitments to reduce global warming. The Indian government plans to achieve the goal of replacing all cars in India with electric vehicles by 2030.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
圖:維基共享資源
The development of low-carbon, electric and smart technologies in the automotive industry will enable carmakers around the world to move towards the electric car market, not only to reduce air pollution, but also to reduce the dependence on imported oil.
(Liberty Times, translated by Lin Lee-kai)
肺癌已成為我國國病,而非吸菸者的專利,不抽菸者卻罹患肺癌的機率近年提高,顯示了空氣污染對健康的危害。
Photo: Tung Chen-kuo, Liberty Times
照片:自由時報記者佟振國攝
柴油廢氣也被國際癌症研究署列為一級致癌物。PM2.5(直徑小於或等於兩點五微米的懸浮微粒)會深入肺部和心血管系統,嚴重威脅健康;其污染源有三成來自汽機車等移動污染源,而柴油車排放的廢氣又佔移動污染源的五成五。
目前全球已有多個國家搶先宣佈相關計畫,來禁止銷售以化石燃料為動力的車輛。例如,法國和英國於今年七月先後宣布將從二○四○年起強制禁止柴油及汽油汽車銷售,對抑制地球暖化作出貢獻。印度政府則計劃二○三○年實現全電動車目標。
汽車產業的低碳、電動與智慧化發展,將促使全球汽車製造商朝電動車市場邁進,不僅減少空汙,更能降低對進口石油的依賴。
(自由時報綜合報導)
DID YOU KNOW?
你知道嗎?
According to a report released by the WHO in September last year, 92 percent of the world’s population lives in places where levels exceed recommended limits, and some three million deaths a year are linked to exposure to outdoor air pollution. Indoor air pollution can be just as deadly. In 2012, an estimated 6.5 million deaths (11.6 percent of all global deaths) were associated with indoor and outdoor air pollution together.
世界衛生組織於去年九月發佈的一份報告指出,全球百分之九十二的人口生活在空氣品質低於世衛組織限度的地區,每年約有三百萬例死亡與暴露於室外空氣污染有關。室內空氣污染也同樣可能致命。在二O一二年估計有六五O萬例死亡(佔全球總死亡人數的百分之十一點六)與室內及室外空氣污染有關。
It’s no secret that Japanese people have a deep affection for noodles. Like in the rest of East Asia, noodles are an important staple food, second only to rice. Japanese people have enjoyed noodles for over 1,000 years. The first noodles came from China and were introduced around 800 CE. As time passed, noodles in Japan not only became widespread but also developed some unique Japanese characteristics. The three most popular types of noodles in Japan are ramen, soba, and udon. Ramen, typically made from wheat flour, is usually thin and firm. The dough is kneaded and left to
Rice is an essential ingredient in Taiwanese cuisine. Many foods are made of rice, adding more variety to our cooking, such as rice cake, or “gui.” Wagui is made by steaming rice flour batter in a bowl. The term “gui” refers to a type of food made from rice, while “wa” refers to a bowl. The pronunciation of “gui” in Taiwanese Hokkien is similar to the word for “nobility” in Chinese, so it is common for people to prepare various types of gui, including wagui, as offerings to the gods or ancestors,. 米是台灣重要的主食,用米製成的食品十分多元,豐富我們的飲食,如米做成的「粿」。粿的意思是米做成的糕點,碗粿是將在來米漿倒入碗中蒸熟,因而得名。粿因為音同「貴」,因此碗粿等粿食常用作供品祭拜神明和祖先。 nobility (n.) 高貴,高尚;貴族 offering (n.) 供品 While Taiwan may not be
Continued from yesterday(延續自昨日) https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang As with many aspects of Japanese culture, there is etiquette to follow when you enjoy noodles. To fully experience noodles like a local on your next visit to Japan, consider these simple guidelines. First, be careful where you put your chopsticks. Don’t leave them sticking up in the broth or set them at the side of the bowl. When you have finished eating or if you’re taking a break, place them on the chopstick rest next to the bowl. Also, it is impolite to wave chopsticks around or bring them above mouth-level. Second, don’t take too
On Tuesday last week, the flame for this summer’s Paris Olympics was lit at the birthplace of the ancient Olympic Games in southern Greece in a meticulously choreographed ceremony. It will then be carried through Greece for more than 5,000km before being handed over to French organizers at the Athens venue used for the first modern Olympics in 1896. The pageantry at Olympia has been an essential part of every Olympics for nearly 90 years since the Games in Berlin. It’s meant to provide an ineluctable link between the modern event and the ancient Greek original on which it was initially modelled. Once