About 600,000 lanterns are expected to illuminate Taiwan tomorrow as cities around the nation commence their Lantern Festival celebrations, but the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) urged the public yesterday to celebrate the first of the nation's three major festivals in an environmentally friendly way.
"Considering that two batteries are generally needed per lantern, 1.2 million batteries will be used during the Lantern Festival this year," EPA recycling fund management board executive director, Lin Chien-hui (
Taiwan's battery recycling rate is over 30 percent, Lin said, higher than many European countries whose aim is to reach 25 percent by 2012. However, "this still means that 840,000 triple-A batteries will be exposed to the environment after the festivities," he said.
Batteries need to be recycled mainly because of the heavy metals they contain. Metals such as mercury, cadmium and lead are harmful to human health, Lin said.
Inside the body, mercury and lead attack the central nervous system, Lin said, adding that cases of hair loss or mental retardation in children have been attributed to lead.
In addition, cadmium blocks the absorption of calcium, an essential nutrient needed for bone health, he said, adding that too much cadmium in one's system can cause bones to curve.
The Lantern Festival, which falls on Jan. 15 of the lunar calendar, came about more than 2,000 years ago, although its origin is debated.
Some believe it evolved from Buddhism, and was added to the practice of worshipping gods on the first full-moon of the year, using lanterns to pay respect to divinity. Some believe this gradually evolved into a festival dedicated to making elaborate lanterns.
Others say that the tradition was started by Emperor Wun of the Han Dynasty, who took the throne on Jan. 15 of the lunar calendar after winning a series of chaotic civil wars. Some believe he started the custom of hanging lanterns to celebrate his day of victory.
Regardless of its origins, every city and county in Taiwan now puts on celebrations during Lantern Festival every year, Lin said, and festival-goers usually bring along their own lanterns to the party.
"Choose batteries that bear the recycling logo on the package and also look for the line `this battery complies with EPA regulations for mercury content [5ppm or below],'" Lin said.
In addition, take batteries out of the lanterns after use, or place them into other appliances to maximize the battery's usage, he said.
"At the end of the batteries' life cycle, bring them to recycling bins in convenience stores, supermarkets, or electronic stores in your neighborhood. Not only can this save the environment, but the heavy metals can be recollected and recycled for other uses," he said.
Taiwan was listed in 14th place among the world's wealthiest country in terms of GDP per capita, in the latest rankings released on Monday by Forbes magazine. Taiwan's GDP per capita was US$76,860, which put it at No. 14 on the list of the World's 100 Richest Countries this year, one spot above Hong Kong with US$75,130. The magazine's list of the richest countries in the world is compiled based on GDP per capita data, as estimated by the IMF. However, for a more precise measure of a nation's wealth, the magazine also considers purchasing power parity, which is a metric used to
Taipei’s Ximending (西門町) shopping area welcomed the most international visitors, followed by Taipei 101, Songshan Cultural and Creative Park and Yangmingshan National Park (陽明山國家公園), a list of the city’s most popular tourist attractions published by the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism showed. As of August, 69.22 million people had visited Taipei’s main tourism spots, a 76 percent increase from 39.33 million in the same period last year, department data showed. Ximending had 20.21 million visitors, followed by Taipei 101 at 8.09 million, Songshan Cultural and Creative Park at 6.28 million, Yangmingshan at 4.51 million and the Red House Theater (西門紅樓) in
Renovations on the B3 concourse of Taipei Main Station are to begin on Nov. 1, with travelers advised to use entrances near the Taiwan Railway or high-speed rail platforms or information counter to access the MRT’s Red Line. Construction is to be completed before the end of next year, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp said last week. To reduce the impact on travelers, the NT$95 million (US$2.95 million) project is to be completed in four stages, it said. In the first stage, the hall leading to the Blue Line near the art exhibition area is to be closed from Nov. 1 to the end
WARNING: Domestic coffee producers mainly grow arabica beans, as they self-pollinate, but they are more likely to have consistency issues, an expert said Taiwan ranks third in coffee consumption per capita in Asia, the latest Ministry of Agriculture data showed. Taiwanese consume 1.77kg, or 177 cups of coffee, per person each year, less only than Japan and South Korea, at 600 cups and 400 cups respectively, the ministry’s Tea and Beverage Research Station said. Although the nation mainly relies on imported coffee, there has been an increase in home-grown coffee bean production, the ministry said. Cuttings and other techniques are commonly used to ensure domestic beans have stronger floral and fruity flavors, it said. It is a fast-expanding market with Taiwan’s coffee consumption
RSS