Hi everyone! I would like to draw your attention to my eighth report on topic related to TAIWAN AND CLIMATE CHANGE (Global Climate Risk Index 2018).

     The UN Climate Change Conference took place 6 - 17 November 2017 in Bonn (Germany). In a presentation to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change NGO Germanwatch (which works for sustainable global development) named Taiwan as the seventh most at risk nation during extreme weather events in its Global Climate Risk Index 2018. The Global Climate Risk Index 2018 analyses to what extent countries have been affected by the impacts of weather-related loss events (storms, floods, heat waves etc.). As you see now only weather-related event have been taken into consideration. In the latest CRI, it does not include loss of life and financial losses (CLOBAL CLIMATE RISK INDEX 2018: 1. Haiti, 2. Zimbabwe, 3. Fiji, 4. Sri Lanka, 5. Vietnam, 6. India, 7. Taiwan, 8. Macedonia, 9. Bolivia, 10. United States).

      Taiwan's ranking among weather-affected nations jumped up from 51st last year to seventh this year. Unusual cold winters and very strong typhoons in 2016 alone resulted in around 100 deaths, hundreds of injuries, and vast agricultural and infrastructure damage. Taiwan even withstood the world's strongest typhoon Meranti last year. 

     Germanwatch representative emphasized that extreme weather certainly occurred 100 years ago, and researchers can be hard-pressed to concretely connect a heatwave or typhoon to climate change. Research does confirm however that climate change has increased the seawater temperatures creating ideal conditions for typhoons, hurricanes, and heatwaves to develop. I think that researchers should resolve this global problem as soon as possible! For example, EYC (a Taiwanese measuring instrument company) provides Industry Temperature & Humidity Transmitter, or a low-power temperature sensor currently under development at the University of San Diego.

As usual I delivered an oral presentation on TAIWAN AND CLIMATE CHANGE at Tamkang University (Taiwan). I presented it to 2rd year students. The presentation took place at the Russian department of Tamkang University on December 19th, 2017. This presentation was in Russian because students also need practice in Russian. We had many things to discuss. It was very interesting. To prevent widespread misery and catastrophic biodiversity loss, humanity must practice a more environmentally sustainable alternative to business as usual. This prescription was well articulated by the world?s leading scientists 25 years ago, but in most respects, we have not heeded their warning?We must recognize, in our day-to-day lives and in our governing institutions, that Earth with all its life is our only home.

Thank you very much for your attention.