CONSERVATION
Water-saving plan unveiled
The government yesterday said that it is working with eight chain stores to offer a 10 percent discount on water conservation products over the next four months. The promotion is part of the government’s efforts to encourage conservation in light of the low reserves in many resevoirs, the Water Resources Agency said. A 10 percent discount will be available on water-saving products until the end of July at 941 outlets of Hola, Homebox, Taiwan Sugar, A-Mart, E-life Mall, Carrefour, Tsann Kuen and Tatung, the agency said. Daily water consumption averages 273 liters per person, with showers, toilets and laundry facilities accounting for the heaviest use, the agency said. In a three-member household, annual savings on water bills could total NT$1,328 if conservation devices are used in bathrooms and on faucets, it said. Last year, the government allocated NT$770 million (US$25.2 million) in subsidies for conservation products, but has changed its approach this year to partner with chain stores on discounts. The initiative was announced in the wake of the nation’s second-worst water shortage in 70 years, which lasted from December last year to February. Although water reserves are low, the agency said it is hoping to hold off on second-phase rationing in any areas until at least the end of this month and on third-phase rationing until the end of next month.
HEALTH
Dinner time linked to obesity
Nearly 30 percent of schoolchildren who have dinner after 8pm are obese or overweight, according to a survey released yesterday by the Cancer Care Foundation. The survey found that more than 70 percent of schoolchildren who have dinner after 8pm usually eat out, while 60 percent go to sleep after 10pm. Seventy-five percent of schoolchildren have dinner containing less than one helping of vegetables, while 67 percent have dinner with less than one helping of fruit, it said. Nearly 25 percent of those who consume little or no vegetables or fruit for dinner are not only obese or overweight, they also eat snacks every night, the survey found. Foundation chairwoman Chen Yueh-ching (陳月卿) said that bad eating habits are associated with numerous diseases, and children should refrain from foods that are known to cause bloating or are high in fat and calories, but low in fiber. They should also avoid sugary drinks, she said. Lin Yu-ting (林郁婷), a dietitian with the foundation, said it takes four hours for the body to fully digest a meal and if children eat dinner too late at night, their body does not have enough time to digest the food properly.
EDUCATION
NTUST ranked 59th
Eight educational institutions have been included in this year’s Times Higher Education rankings of the world’s top 100 universities under 50 years old, led by National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST) in 59th place. Chang Gung University, National Sun Yat-sen University and National Yang Ming University were rated in the 101st to 150th bracket, while Asia University, Feng Chia University, National Chung Cheng University and Yuan Ze University were in the 151st to 200th bracket. Universities ranking lower than 100 are not assigned individual rankings. The rankings are designed to highlight universities that have joined the ranks of the world’s finest thanks to rapid development over a short period. Switzerland’s Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne topped the list for the third consecutive year.
A first shipment of five tons of Taiwan tilapia was sent from Tainan to Singapore on Wednesday, following an order valued at NT$600,000 (US$20,500) placed with a company in the city. The products, including frozen whole fish and pre- cooked fish belly, were dispatched from Jiangjun Fishing Harbor, where a new aquatic processing and logistics center is under construction. At the launch, Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) called the move a “breakthrough,” marking Taiwan’s expansion into the Singaporean tilapia market. Taiwan’s tilapia exports have traditionally focused on the United States, Canada, and the Middle East, Huang said, adding that the new foothold in
An electric bus charging facility at Taipei Metro’s Beitou Depot officially opened yesterday with 22 charging bays to serve the city’s 886 electric buses. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) told a ceremony to mark the opening of the facility that the city aims to fully electrify its bus fleet by 2030. The number of electric buses has grown from about 650 last year to 886 this year and is expected to surpass 1,000 by the end of the year, Chiang said. Setting up the charging station in a metro depot optimizes land and energy use, as the metro uses power mainly during the
An exhibition demonstrating the rejuvenation of the indigenous Kuskus Village in Pingtung County’s Mudan Township (牡丹) opened at the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency’s conservation station in Taipei on Thursday. Agency Director-General Lin Hwa-ching (林華慶) said they have been promoting the use and development of forestry resources to local indigenous residents for eight years to drive regional revitalization. While modern conservation approaches mostly stem from western scientific research, eco-friendly knowledge and skills passed down through generations of indigenous people, who have lived in Taiwan for centuries, could be more suitable for the environment, he said. The agency’s Pingtung branch Director-General Yang Jui-fen (楊瑞芬)
Traffic controls are to be in place in Taipei starting tonight, police said, as rallies supporting recall efforts targeting the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers as well as a rally organized by the KMT opposing the recall campaigns are to take place tomorrow. Traffic controls are to be in place on City Hall Road starting from 10pm tonight and on Jinan Road Section 1 starting from 8am tomorrow, police said. Recall campaign groups in Taipei and New Taipei advocating for the recall of KMT legislators, along with the Safeguard Taiwan, Anti-Communist Alliance (反共護台聯盟), have previously announced plans for motorcycle parades and public
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