With the summer fast approaching, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) yesterday shared with the public ways to fight the heat while keeping the planet cool.
“Because most electricity in Taiwan is generated by coal-burning plants, the best way for the public to help reduce the nation’s carbon emissions and fight global warming is to reduce unnecessary usage of electricity,” director-general of the EPA’s Air Quality Protection and Noise Control division Hsiao Hui-chuan (蕭慧娟) said.
Before reaching for the switch to turn on air conditioners, Hsiao asked that people try opening their windows first.
“Windows are the best ventilation systems in domestic homes; when you open your windows and turn on electric fans, you can reduce indoor temperatures by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius,” she said.
“Remember to clean the vents of your air-conditioners regularly to improve their output efficiency, and pair them with the usage of good old fans,” she said. “If you must turn on the air conditioner, keep it at 26°C to 28°C. By increasing the system by 1 degree, you save 6 percent of its electricity consumption.”
People who live directly below a rooftop should consider employing their green thumbs as rooftop floras can help them reduce indoor temperature considerably and save big dollars on their electricity bill, she said.
“Another easy but lesser known tip is to trade your conventional light bulbs for energy conserving ones – 90 percent of the electricity used in conventional bulbs is emitted as heat instead of light, which means that to offset the heat they emit, your air conditioner must generate extra output,” she said.
Hsiao also suggested that when buying air conditioning units, people should buy systems that are energy-efficient and money-saving.
Variable frequency air conditioners are best, she said, adding that some units carry clearly labeled energy efficiency ratios.
The manufacture of the remaining 28 M1A2T Abrams tanks Taiwan purchased from the US has recently been completed, and they are expected to be delivered within the next one to two months, a source said yesterday. The Ministry of National Defense is arranging cargo ships to transport the tanks to Taiwan as soon as possible, said the source, who is familiar with the matter. The estimated arrival time ranges from late this month to early next month, the source said. The 28 Abrams tanks make up the third and final batch of a total of 108 tanks, valued at about NT$40.5 billion
Two Taiwanese prosecutors were questioned by Chinese security personnel at their hotel during a trip to China’s Henan Province this month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. The officers had personal information on the prosecutors, including “when they were assigned to their posts, their work locations and job titles,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. On top of asking about their agencies and positions, the officers also questioned the prosecutors about the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, a pact that serves as the framework for Taiwan-China cooperation on combating crime and providing judicial assistance, Liang
A group from the Taiwanese Designers in Australia association yesterday represented Taiwan at the Midsumma Pride March in Melbourne. The march, held in the St. Kilda suburb, is the city’s largest LGBTQIA+ parade and the flagship event of the annual Midsumma Festival. It attracted more than 45,000 spectators who supported the 400 groups and 10,000 marchers that participated this year, the association said. Taiwanese Designers said they organized a team to march for Taiwan this year, joining politicians, government agencies, professionals and community organizations in showing support for LGBTQIA+ people and diverse communities. As the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex
MOTIVES QUESTIONED The PLA considers Xi’s policies toward Taiwan to be driven by personal considerations rather than military assessment, the Epoch Times reports Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) latest purge of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) leadership might have been prompted by the military’s opposition to plans of invading Taiwan, the Epoch Times said. The Chinese military opposes waging war against Taiwan by a large consensus, putting it at odds with Xi’s vision, the Falun Gong-affiliated daily said in a report on Thursday, citing anonymous sources with insight into the PLA’s inner workings. The opposition is not the opinion of a few generals, but a widely shared view among the PLA cadre, the Epoch Times cited them as saying. “Chinese forces know full well that
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