A climate specialist has questioned the Ministry of Environment's plan to launch a "cool map" next month, saying that coping with rising city temperatures should highlight vegetation instead of air-conditioning.
The ministry's planned "cool map" would help people locate air-conditioned spaces in cities, but National Cheng Kung University professor Lin Tzu-ping (林子平) said that it should instead identify comfortable outdoors areas to alleviate the summer heat.
Photo: Tsai Shu-yuan, Taipei Times
Air-conditioning can actually reduce people's resilience to heat, and therefore any anti-heat strategy should prioritize public areas and more vegetation, said Lin, who heads the university's Building and Climate Lab.
The most effective city cooling strategies usually incorporate a combination of plants, water and wind, Lin said, suggesting that Taiwan create more interconnected shaded areas with ventilation and water features for people to cool down.
In Singapore, for example, there are shaded areas within 400m of the subway stations, which protect people from the heat when they are outside, he said.
On the question of Taiwan's future urban cooling strategies, Lin said that greater cross-agency collaboration would be needed, with the Ministry of the Interior, for example, overseeing building policies, while local government agencies manage parks.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS