According to the BBC and the Daily Express, research has found that rain can make us happier and improve our mental health. Scientists suggest that people shouldn't immediately retreat indoors during downpours. Instead, they should head outside to soak in the rain, relax, and enjoy the weather. While many people tend to avoid going out when it rains, there's some scientific evidence suggesting we should change our perspective on rainy days. Scientists now believe that taking a walk in or after the rain can actually have significant benefits for our body, mind, and spirit. The positive mood on rainy days is all due to negative ions. Scientists attribute this to negative ions. This is because when rain falls, molecules are released into the air, some of which become negatively charged ions. When we breathe these ions in, they can effectively relieve stress and even boost our energy levels. These odorless and invisible negative ions are naturally produced by proximity to flowing water. Besides rain, they can also be found in waterfalls, ocean waves, and even morning dew and mist. Niek Buurma, a chemistry PhD student at Cardiff University in Wales, UK, said one way to create negative ions is by having water (such as raindrops) hit the ground. When water droplets hit a hard surface, they break apart, and in the process, the smaller droplets become charged. If the raindrops carry a negative charge, they generate extra electrons. These extra electrons can be absorbed by molecules in the air (such as oxygen and dioxygen).

One of the new policies that will be implemented on July 1st is the reduction of plastic bags in markets. According to the Executive Yuan, starting from July 1st, at least one market in each county and city across the country will pilot the reduction of plastic bags. The Ministry of Environment will hold a press conference on "Buy your own groceries with your own bags" at the Taipei Nanmen Market tomorrow morning (2nd) to explain the latest plan. Last year (2023), Taiwan used a total of 10 billion plastic shopping bags, half of which were used in traditional markets and night markets. In response to recent media reports that "40 night markets and markets across Taiwan will pilot the reduction of plastic bags starting in July", the Ministry of Environment initially responded that it has not promoted the payment of plastic bags, and further confirmed that night markets have not yet been included in the policy. Plastic reduction is only promoted in markets? Peng Qiming: We hope to achieve it step by step. The Ministry of Environment's goal of completely banning plastic shopping bags by 2030 is only five years away, but traditional markets and night markets, which account for the largest amount of plastic bags, have not yet been brought under control. Before taking office, Environment Minister Peng Qiming accepted an exclusive interview with the United Daily News, stating that he would push Taipei's Ningxia Night Market to become the first demonstration zone for a ban or restriction on the use of plastic bags in the second half of the year. In early June, he even told the media, "Currently, 40 markets across Taiwan have been selected to pilot plastic reduction, and Ningxia Night Market is willing to take the lead in achieving a complete elimination of plastic bags." The Ministry of Environment's interview notice on the 2nd stated that in order to promote source reduction, "it announced that the nation's markets have begun to work together to reduce plastic," and will collaborate with 22 counties and cities and 31 markets nationwide to reduce plastic. This includes asking vendors to proactively inquire about plastic bag needs, and inviting the public to respond to the three tips for reducing plastic at the market: bring your own reusable bags when buying vegetables, try to combine fruits and vegetables into one bag, and don't ask for bags at every stall to reduce the use of plastic bags. There was no mention of "night markets" there, and the Resources and Recycling Agency's Sustainable Consumer Recycling

Planted Solar, a US solar startup, replaces manual labor with machines to install densely packed solar panels, significantly reducing overall system costs by 50%. Planted Solar can also handle uneven terrain, achieving at least double the efficiency of traditional solar panels. The company has garnered significant industry attention and has even received investment from Microsoft founder Bill Gates' Climate Foundation, aiming to accelerate its expansion into the solar photovoltaic market. Robotic installation triples efficiency while also saving space and materials. Unlike conventional solar panels, which require spacing to facilitate installation and maintenance, Planted Solar's photovoltaic arrays are tightly packed, allowing them to adjust their mountings to adapt to the terrain even on uneven land. According to their website, the company's solar modules can withstand slopes of up to 27%, helping to reduce land development costs and environmental impact. Planted Solar CEO Eric Brown told Bloomberg that while traditional solar power plants require five acres of land to produce one megawatt, their company only needs two. Combined with the savings in construction materials, time, and land, the total system cost is nearly halved. The automated robotic assembly process also increases efficiency by three times. Planted Solar, founded in 2020, has received a lot of recognition. Last year (2023), it received US$1.6 million (approximately NT$51.75 million) from the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) of the U.S. Department of Energy.

Rich in flavor and smooth in texture, this enchanting chocolate will make you want to indulge yourself. If chocolate advertisements could include the words "healthy" and "sustainable," the reason to eat chocolate would be even more perfect. Now, Swiss scientists have successfully used cocoa pulp and endocarp to create a new type of chocolate that is both high in fiber and environmentally friendly.

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, known as the "Godfather of AI," delivered a keynote address at 7:00 PM on June 2nd at the National Taiwan University Gymnasium, warming up for the 2024 Taipei International Computer Show (COMPUTEX). He declared, "A new era of computing is beginning," and showcased various AI applications, including Nvidia Earth-2, Digital Human, and the Robotic Factory. In his approximately two-hour speech, Huang highlighted the trends in accelerated computing and how it can address the issue of AI-driven power consumption. Trend 1: Accelerated computing can address "computing inflation." Huang opened his address by noting that the computer industry has a 60-year history, dating back to the introduction of IBM's 360 central processing unit (CPU) in 1964. However, as computing demand has grown exponentially, the speed at which CPUs can be expanded has slowed significantly, leading to "computing inflation." This means that data center power usage has increased, and computing costs have risen accordingly. To solve the problem of computing power inflation, NVIDIA has developed graphics processing units (GPUs) and provided CUDA programming tools, allowing developers to use GPUs to accelerate various computing tasks, including data processing, deep learning and other applications. Huang Renxun emphasized that GPU accelerated computing can save more costs, saving a lot of costs and energy for data centers, achieving the effect of "the more you buy, the more you save." Huang Renxun mentioned that "accelerated computing is sustainable.

Faced with the challenges of global climate change, carbon pricing has become a key mechanism within the global climate governance framework to drive national and regional greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Taiwan, in addition to fulfilling its environmental responsibilities as a global citizen, faces significant pressure from its high dependence on foreign trade to green its supply chains. Therefore, establishing and improving its own carbon market is both urgent and crucial for Taiwan. This report analyzes the current status, challenges, and future trends of Taiwan's carbon credit market from multiple perspectives, aiming to provide a comprehensive perspective for policymakers, business decision-makers, and stakeholders. 1. Current Status and Development Overview: Taiwan's carbon market initially relied primarily on voluntary emission reductions. The government established a greenhouse gas monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) system through legislation. Furthermore, through the 2021 revision of the Climate Change Response Act, relevant sub-laws were introduced, including voluntary emission reduction programs, the imposition of carbon fees, and the establishment of a carbon exchange. These measures aim to build a robust carbon market in Taiwan that businesses can follow and use as a carbon management tool. After the amendment, the goal of establishing a carbon emissions trading mechanism (ETS) remains in the regulations. Therefore, it is not ruled out that Taiwan will introduce a national ETS in the future, as well as set an emission quota cap. Such development requires cross-departmental cooperation and long-term policy guidance and support. 2. Government Policies and Promotion As the legislation and policy planning of the Chinese government on climate change and carbon reduction gradually improves. The government has proposed medium- and long-term carbon reduction targets and has formulated a series of policies for major emission industries such as energy, industry, and transportation.

Recently, the Taipei International Computer Show (Computex) has attracted a large number of industry leaders, and an AI whirlwind has swept Taiwan. The "AI Godfather" Nvidia CEO Huang Renxun, AMD CEO Su Zifeng and others have personally visited Taiwan and have also proposed to set up factories and invest in Taiwan. Minister of Economic Affairs Kuo Chih-hui said yesterday (5th) when he went to the Legislative Yuan for questioning that the period from 2025 to 2028 is expected to be a period of explosive growth in AI, and the original 2025 energy ratio target of "532" may need to be adjusted. Kuo Chih-hui said that the Ministry of Economic Affairs is currently calculating the growth of new electricity consumption, and it is estimated that it will increase by at least 3% each year; in the face of the explosive growth of AI, new power supply will give priority to solar photovoltaics. It takes at least 6 years to build a new power plant, and the government will not add any more coal-fired power plants. The demand for electricity for AI factories is increasing. The Minister of Economic Affairs: The energy ratio target "532" will be adjusted. Guo Zhihui went to the Economic Committee of the Legislative Yuan for the first time on the 5th to report and prepare for questioning. Regarding the issues of AI development and electricity consumption that are of concern to the society, Guo Zhihui explained that the first priority of the Ministry of Economic Affairs is to stabilize the power supply. The current inventory of the power supply for new factories is sufficient. Guo Zhihui said that it takes at least 6 years to build a new power plant, and the government will not increase the number of coal-fired power plants; the AI ​​industry needs green electricity and a large amount of wind and solar power generation. As for the "Nuclear Power Plant No. 3 backup theory" proposed by Guo Zhihui last week, he said that after the shutdown of the Nuclear Power Plant No. 3 and safety inspection, it can be used as a backup plan for the rapid growth of AI electricity consumption. Legislator Zhang Qikai questioned yesterday that this is like digging a well when thirsty. Once the nuclear power unit is decommissioned, it will be difficult to restart in a short time. Guo Zhihui responded that the current legal regulations require the unit to be shut down first, and it must act in accordance with the law. And

At the end of 2022, the first all-electric truck was officially registered in Taiwan. Compared to traditional trucks, this 26-ton all-electric truck reduces carbon emissions by 52 tons annually, opening a new chapter in the future of green transportation. The first two trucks were delivered by Swedish heavy-duty vehicle manufacturer Scania. Taiwan was the first stop in the Asia-Pacific region for the new trucks. Scania Taiwan General Manager Michaela Boye expressed confidence that Scania's products and services would contribute to Taiwan's green transformation.

Taiwan produces 60% of the world's chips, but the manufacturing process consumes significant energy. TSMC consumed 6.4% of Taipower's electricity in 2021. The digital economy's energy demand continues to rise, with the IEA predicting that data centers will consume 4% of global electricity by 2026. With rising supply chain emissions, companies like Microsoft are pushing for low-carbon chip production. However, semiconductor companies' net-zero goals are plagued by geographical constraints and regulatory challenges. Nuclear power is an option being promoted by Taiwan, as well as companies like Microsoft and Amazon.

It's a shame when electronic products break, but the cost of repairs can be nearly the same as buying new ones. As a result, many products are discarded without repair, creating electronic waste and depleting the planet's resources. The Austrian government began issuing electronics repair vouchers in April 2022, covering half the cost of repairs for appliances like laptops, cell phones, and coffee makers. Over the course of the year, over 560,000 vouchers were issued, and the number of locations accepting the vouchers increased to 3,500, making repairs more attractive. Austria's incentive program, which has been running for a year, has been in operation since April of last year. Citizens can download the vouchers on the official website. Each voucher covers 50% of the cost of a repair, up to a maximum of 200 euros (approximately NT$6,640). Once redeemed, they can apply for another voucher to repair another electronic device. The Associated Press reported that the Austrian Environment Ministry, based on annual statistics, found that over 560,000 vouchers had been used, far exceeding the target of 400,000 by 2026. The number of repair locations has also increased to 3,500. The European "Right to Repair" organization explained that the core of the right to repair is to make repairs easier. At the beginning of the event, 1,200 companies accepted repair vouchers. The fact that people can find repair stations nearby is an important factor in the success of the plan. 130 million euros of this repair subsidy comes from the "Next Generation EU Recovery Fund". Overturning the "repair is not as good as buying new" mentality This is not the first time that Austria has proposed a repair plan. As early as 2020