Hey there! Welcome back to News Bites.
I’m Paz Bueno.
And I’m Nancy Sun.
In today's news:
Climate change raises risk of forest fires in Taiwan, and EU farmers’ frustrations grow.
And in today’s Tasty Tidbit…let’s talk about made-up words!
Stay tuned for more on those stories, coming up next.
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氣候變遷增加台灣森林大火的機率
Climate Change Raises Risk of Forest Fires in Taiwan
Taiwan has magnificent forests and mountains.
Around 60% of the island is covered by forests.
That is over 2 million hectares (公頃), around 20,000 square kilometers.
With so many forests covering the island, it also increases the risk of forest fires.
Although Taiwan is surround by the ocean, there is still a dry season.
It starts from November to April of the following year.
Due to the change of the global climate, experts are predicting it will lead to a greater chance of forest fires.
Researchers from National Chung Hsing University (中興大學) and Utah State University (猶他州立大學) conducted a study.
They predicted that the weather conditions of Taiwan will change in the future.
The team found out that Taiwan’s temperature and wind speed are increasing.
This will reduce humidity (濕度) and cause organic matter in the soil to dry out.
All these would lead to a longer dry season and increase the risk of wildfires.
Dryer leaves and wood and easier to ignite (點燃), and it will spread really fast.
More fire prevention belts (防火林帶) should be constructed in high-risk areas.
With all this information, Taiwan can develop better strategies to diminish (減少) the impact of wildfires.
According to the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (農業部林業及自然保育署), 90% of forest fires are due to human factors.
For example, it happens a lot during Tomb Sweeping season.
Many cemeteries (公墓) are in the mountains or near a forest.
One of the traditions is to burn paper money for the ancestors.
If precautions are not taken, a sudden gust of wind can blow the burning papers into the trees.
Other factors include camping, burning trash, discarding a burning cigarette butt and many more.
All these incidents can be avoided.
為了保護台灣美麗的森林，我們必須遵守規定，降低野火的風險。
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歐盟農夫 集體抗議複雜的規定
EU Farmers’ Frustrations Grow
Earlier in February, tens of thousands of farmers were protesting (抗議) all over Europe.
They demanded protection against cheap imports, and looser (寬鬆的) environmental rules.
Among the demands, there is one that stands out: more respect for farmers.
Over the years, countries around the world have been working hard to be eco-friendly.
The European Union have imposed (實施) strict regulations to various industries, including farming.
On the surface, that might seem like a good thing.
However, according to the farmers, it’s really annoying.
They have to follow the rules and regulations up to the slightest detail.
For example, Dochy, a Belgium farmer, said they have to register all artificial fertilizer (人造肥料) online within 7 days of purchase.
Then, they have to register exactly how it is spread on every single plot of land (在每塊土地上如何施肥).
They have to register how many kilos and how it is distributed.
If there is a slight error, the farmers would be fined.
There are also bureaucratic (官僚的) deadlines imposed on the farmers.
For example, certain crops have to be sown (播種) by September 1st.
Even if the weather is not suitable for sowing, the farmers still have to comply (遵守).
Or they would be placed with a fine.
On Dochy’s computer, there is a government farming program.
He has to register all the statistics (數據) of his farm, fertilizer, pesticides (農藥), production and harvesting.
“They also supervise us with satellite images and even with drones,” he said.
Similar stories come up at all the farmers’ protest all around Europe.
The farmers understand the need for environmental rules.
Dochy says that farmers live by nature, but you can’t control nature.
It looks like there are going to be countless negotiations ahead.
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So, in today's News Bites:
Climate change is raising the risk of forest fires in Taiwan.
The weather is going to be dryer in the future.
This increases the risk of trees and leaves catching fire.
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And,
EU farmers are growing more and more frustrated with all the new regulations.
They have to follow the rules up to every slightest detail.
They are demanding change from the authorities.
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趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
There are many made up words in English.
Roald Dahl, who wrote "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," made up more than 500 new words and names.
Think about "Oompa-Loompas" and "Scrumdiddlyumptious" – they came from his imagination!
In 2016, the Oxford University Press even made a special dictionary with almost 8,000 words that Dahl liked to use, mixing real and made-up ones.
If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news you’d like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to newsbites@icrt.com.tw, and you might hear it at the end of an episode!
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites!