Those interested in having a say in the world’s solution to global warming will have their chance at the World Wide Views on Global Warming 2009 (WWViews), which will host 58 nations for a video conference on Sept. 26.
“We hope that through a public discussion, we can get an idea of what people know and expect of the world’s climate problem, based on which we can draft public recommendations for climate policies to governments around the world in Copenhagen,” said WWViews Taiwan program director Lin Tze-luen (林子倫), a professor of politics at National Taiwan University (NTU) and a long-time environmental activist, when referring to a UN climate meeting known as COP15 to be held this year.
Besides discussions and exchanges, participating citizens will be able to vote on some of the issues that will be negotiated during the COP15, Lin said, adding that although Taiwan is not part of the UN, Taiwanese can sign up to participate in the meeting, Lin said.
“We ask people who are over 18 years old to sign up for this event from now until Aug. 25. If we get more than 100 names, we will draw out the final participat list,” he said.
“From Dec. 7 to Dec. 18, the United Nations Conference on Climate Change negotiations will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark,” Lin said.
During the summit, government leaders from more than 170 countries, as well as representatives of non-governmental organizations, businesses and industries from around the globe are expected to reach a climate agreement about what happens after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012, Lin said.
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
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
US climber Alex Honnold left Taiwan this morning a day after completing a free-solo ascent of Taipei 101, a feat that drew cheers from onlookers and gained widespread international attention. Honnold yesterday scaled the 101-story skyscraper without a rope or safety harness. The climb — the highest urban free-solo ascent ever attempted — took just more than 90 minutes and was streamed live on Netflix. It was covered by major international news outlets including CNN, the New York Times, the Guardian and the Wall Street Journal. As Honnold prepared to leave Taiwan today, he attracted a crowd when he and his wife, Sanni,
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