Air pollution is an issue that could be resolved with a long-term plan and not just by canceling a one-day event, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said yesterday, after environmental groups called for New Year’s Eve fireworks displays to be canceled to reduce air pollution.
This year’s celebrations coincided with the worst air pollution in the nation in three years, with many areas in western Taiwan registering “red” levels, meaning “unhealthy,” due to high concentration of airborne particles.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare urged people to take protective measures against air pollution when going outside.
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
The Environmental Protection Administration urged factories to halt their operations on the evening of New Year’s Eve and amusement parks to reduce firework displays, while advising people not to stay outdoors for long periods or light barbecues.
Taiwan Healthy Air Action Alliance director Yeh Kuang-peng (葉光芃) asked why the government did not cancel fireworks displays when air pollution reached serious levels.
Vehicles heading to New Year’s Eve celebrations also increased carbon emissions, another environmental group said.
The fireworks display at Taipei 101 lasted six minutes this year, the longest ever.
Speaking at a walking event held at Taipei Flora Expo Park (台北花博公園) yesterday morning, Ko said: “Air pollution is a daily problem, because people breathe every second, so it should be dealt with through an overall plan.”
“There are 365 days in a year, but the firework display was only about 300 seconds, so we need a long-term plan to solve the problem,” he said.
About 2.59 million people used the Taipei MRT System between 6am on New Year’s Eve and 6am yesterday, and about 371,000 people used the four stations nearest to Taipei City Hall station, where the New Year’s Eve countdown party was held, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp said.
While the number of passengers at the four stations rose by 31,000 from last year, the total number of passengers on all MRT lines decreased by about 46,000, it said.
Ko did not finish the walking event, saying he was tired from attending the countdown party and the flag-raising ceremony early in the morning.
Ko made a 34-minute Facebook live broadcast that began at 10:35pm on New Year’s Eve, saying his New Year’s wish was “to sleep 6.5 hours every day” and “to live every day earnestly and happily,” adding that he would pretend to be happy if that is not possible.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said that a surge in respiratory illnesses in China has been caused by at least seven types of pathogens, and small children, elderly people and immunocompromised people should temporarily avoid unnecessary visits to China. The recent outbreak of respiratory illnesses in China is mainly in the north and among children, CDC Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) said on Monday. Data released by the Chinese National Health Commission on Sunday showed that among children aged one to four, the main pathogens were influenza viruses and rhinoviruses, while among children aged five to 14, the main pathogens
A new poll of Taiwanese voters found the top opposition candidate for president jumping past the ruling party’s hopeful into the lead position ahead of January’s election — the latest twist in a drama-filled race. Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) had an approval rating of 31.9 percent versus 29.2 percent for the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) presidential candidate Vice President William Lai (賴清德), the poll released yesterday by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation showed. The Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential candidate, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), ranked third with 23.6 percent, according to the survey conducted
A New Taipei City hotpot restaurant could be fined after a rat dropped from the ceiling and landed on a customer’s plate last week, the New Taipei City Department of Health said yesterday after conducting an inspection. A woman recently posted on the “I am a Banciao resident” (我是板橋人) social media group saying that she had been eating with a friend at Chien Tu Shabu Shabu Hotpot Restaurant’s Shuangshi B branch in Banciao District (板橋). “While still eating, a big rat suddenly dropped down from the ceiling, landing on a plate next to a hotpot,” she said. “Later on, a member of
Actress Hu Ling (胡伶) on Saturday became the first Chinese movie star to walk the red carpet of the Golden Horse Awards since 2019, when China boycotted Taiwan’s biggest awards show over political tensions. Beijing banned its entertainers from joining the awards, dubbed the Chinese-language Oscars, after documentary director Fu Yu (傅榆) voiced support for Taiwan’s formal independence in an acceptance speech in 2018. There were no films from China in the 2019 nomination list and several Hong Kong movies dropped out that year, while several big commercial productions were conspicuously absent at both the 2020 and 2021 awards. However, Hu, nominated for
RSS