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.
Kenting National Park service technician Yang Jien-fon (楊政峰) won a silver award in World Grand Prix Photography Awards Spring Season for his photograph of two male rat snakes intertwined in combat. Yang’s colleagues at Kenting National Park said he is a master of nature photography who has been held back by his job in civil service. The awards accept entries in all four seasons across six categories: architectural and urban photography, black-and-white and fine art photography, commercial and fashion photography, documentary and people photography, nature and experimental photography, and mobile photography. Awards are ranked according to scores and divided into platinum, gold and
More than half of the bamboo vipers captured in Tainan in the past few years were found in the city’s Sinhua District (新化), while other districts had smaller catches or none at all. Every year, Tainan captures about 6,000 snakes which have made their way into people’s homes. Of the six major venomous snakes in Taiwan, the cobra, the many-banded krait, the brown-spotted pit viper and the bamboo viper are the most frequently captured. The high concentration of bamboo vipers captured in Sinhua District is puzzling. Tainan Agriculture Bureau Forestry and Nature Conservation Division head Chu Chien-ming (朱健明) earlier this week said that the
The first bluefin tuna of the season, brought to shore in Pingtung County and weighing 190kg, was yesterday auctioned for NT$10,600 (US$333.5) per kilogram, setting a record high for the local market. The auction was held at the fish market in Donggang Fishing Harbor, where the Siaoliouciou Island-registered fishing vessel Fu Yu Ching No. 2 delivered the “Pingtung First Tuna” it had caught for bidding. Bidding was intense, and the tuna was ultimately jointly purchased by a local restaurant and a local company for NT$10,600 per kilogram — NT$300 ,more than last year — for a total of NT$2.014 million. The 67-year-old skipper
BREACH OF CONTRACT: The bus operators would seek compensation and have demanded that the manufacturer replace the chips with ones that meet regulations Two bus operators found to be using buses with China-made chips are to demand that the original manufacturers replace the systems and provide compensation for breach of contract, the Veterans Affairs Council said yesterday. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Michelle Lin (林楚茵) yesterday said that Da Nan Bus Co and Shin-Shin Bus Co Ltd have fielded a total of 82 buses that are using Chinese chips. The bus models were made by Tron-E, while the systems provider was CYE Electronics, Lin said. Lin alleged that the buses were using chips manufactured by Huawei subsidiary HiSilicon Co, which presents a national security risk if the
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