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The calming waters of the Nile river symbolizes life, hope, and longevity.

With the length of 6,600 kilometers, the Nile river is the longest river in the world. Stretching from Lake Victoria in Kenya to the Mediterranean Sea in Egypt, the Nile supplies water for arid regions and serves as a crucial transportation route for traders.

Heavy reliance on the Nile river has not changed much since the ancient Egyptians. The river currently provides for 97% of Egypt’s water usage. Rising sea levels caused by global warming has increased the rate of saltwater intrusion, which presents a grave danger to the livelihoods of Egyptians. Saltwater intrusion describes the movement of sea water flowing back into freshwater. The intrusion will contaminate the freshwater supply with salts, making the water unsuitable for agriculture or drinking. An increase of just one meter of global water levels will jeopardize a third of the freshwater volume in the Nile delta. As over 60% of Egypt’s food supply originates from the Nile delta, Egypt will face disastrous food shortages if global warming continues to worsen.

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Waves crash alongside the Bondi to Bronte coastal walk in Sydney.

Protecting our coasts are a vital component to many climate adaptation projects. These projects try to reduce the impacts of climate change on our current world. On coastlines, they may come in the form of seawalls, which protect against coastal flooding and erosion. There are also natural solutions - mangroves and coral reefs are among the best buffers between us and the sea.

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Concrete, the same material that revolutionized construction and is essential to the world’s infrastructure, is one of the greatest emitters of carbon dioxide. It comprises a colossal carbon footprint, and at least 8% of anthropogenic global emissions are from manufacturing concrete . Despite this, cement production is only expected to increase through mid-century.

The production of concrete produces carbon emissions through the process of making cement. It is a highly carbon intensive process, emitting carbon dioxide in two separate ways. First, the mixture of clay and limestone needs to be heated up to more than 1,400  °C in a kiln, and the energy demands are subsequently met by fossil fuels. In addition, when limestone is heated with clay, roughly 600 kilograms of carbon dioxide is released for every tonne of cement produced.

Currently, the alternatives of cement are underdeveloped and cement itself remains very profitable, disincentivizing companies from changing. This is a massive problem, as scientists say that the cement industry will need to decrease its annual emissions by at least 16 percent by 2030 to be in line with the Paris Agreement. Before more efficient building materials are developed, cement production itself needs to be decarbonized. Some solutions could involve using low-carbon fuels such as hydrogen or biomass instead of fossil fuels to heat up limestone and clay. Researchers and governments must work with the cement industry to slash its carbon footprints.

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A local seafood market in Chia Yi County, Taiwan.

The fishing industry still plays a large part in Taiwan's society. There are over 130,000 fishing households in Taiwan, accounting for 57% of the country’s seafood supply. Seafood remains a large part of the Taiwanese diet. 37% of the animal protein needs of the Taiwanese population come from seafood.

Climate change is posing a major risk to food security. As the global population increases, by 2050, the global seafood demand will increase by approximately 50%. However, fishery yields have been decreasing globally. Climate change has both long-term and short-term consequences for the fishing industry. A long-term effect is ocean warming, which will alter the migration pattern of fish. Fish will gradually leave the coastlines and spread to the poles, where water temperatures are cooler. A short-term effect of climate change is frequent extreme storm surges that will decrease the productivity of the fishing industry.

Taiwan has already started experiencing a volatile fish supply. The decreased supply of fish will cause food prices to rise and result in food shortages in Taiwan. Thus, the international fishing industry must find a solution to the climate crisis.

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A sailboat sits in Rose Bay, Sydney.

Wind-powered boats are being seen more and more as a sustainable transportation solution. Innovators are looking back to this centuries-old technology to lower shipping emissions, with solutions such as attaching kite sails on cargo ships and replacing traditional sails with more efficient “wing sails”.

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Water shortages in Taiwan have had major implications locally and globally, due to its impact on the semiconductor industry. Taiwan is known for its excellence in semiconductors (i.e. TSMC), and substantial amounts of water are used when producing semiconductors. As of June 2021, most reservoirs in Taiwan are at less than 20% capacity, the lowest in the past 56 years. 寶山第二水庫, one of the primary reservoirs in Taiwan, was at less than 7% capacity. As water supply becomes scarce, the production rate of semiconductors falls drastically. About 90% of the most advanced semiconductors in the world are manufactured in Taiwan. Thus, if Taiwan ever stopped producing semiconductors, then the global economy would plummet.
The cause of this problem roots back to global warming. Ever since the start of the industrial age, greenhouse gasses have been accumulating in the atmosphere, causing unstable weather. The heat caused by climate change is a big factor in why Taiwan and many other places have been experiencing droughts. At the same time, hotter temperatures mean more evaporation from the oceans, which leads to more moisture in the atmosphere. In short, we will be seeing more of both extremes in the future.
by B.L.

Sydney’s waterfront views are some of the best in the world. However, within our lifetimes, climate change will drastically alter the Sydney waterfront.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), by 2100, there will likely be a sea level increase of around 0.21m to 1.06m on the central NSW coast (Sydney is the capital of the state of NSW). This projection does not account for melting ice sheets - if factored in, sea level rise could be as high as 2.3m in 2100.

This sea level rise will have a large impact on humans - an estimated 80% of the NSW population live within 50km of the coast. However, there will also be substantial damage to coastal ecosystems, infrastructure, and industry.

With sea level rise becoming a seemingly inevitable consequence of climate change, it is now up to us to thoughtfully adapt to these dangers.

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Hehuanshan (合歡山) is one of Taiwan’s most beautiful mountains, but unknown to most, just a few kilometers away lies one of Taiwan's most over-exploited tourism destinations.

Qingjing (清境) is around half an hour away from Hehuanshan, making it a popular spot for travelers to stay overnight before visiting Hehuanshan. However, because of its popularity, many illegal homestays have been rashly built on rough mountain terrain. In fact, out of 134 homestays, only 4 have the full set of required regulatory permits, creating potential danger for the visitors and environment around it. The difficult mountain terrain and fragile earth composition simply cannot handle this much activity.

However, with careful planning, sustainable mountain tourism can be a great thing. Not only does it create jobs, the income generated can be used for environmental conservation and ecological protection.

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#合歡山 #清境

Climate change is increasing the intensity of waves in some regions of the world.

According to a 2021 study by the American Geophysical Union, wave conditions near the equator are more influenced by ocean warming attributed to anthropogenic climate change. To understand the situation, one must understand how waves are formed in the first place: rising temperatures and convection.

Ocean waves are created when winds blow along the ocean surface. When the surface of the ocean heats up due to the greenhouse gas effect, it encourages warm air over the top of it to rise (convection). The movement of air is what generates winds, contributing to surface waves. As global temperatures are projected to rise, it is expected that strong winds and wave intensity will too.

Understanding how waves change as a result of climate change is paramount because they have a critical impact on coastal areas. Waves directly contribute to coastal flooding and sediment transport, shaping headlands, bays and the open coasts, and continue to determine the design of human-infrastructure.

Pictured above is Xiaoyoukeng (小油坑) in Taiwan’s Yangmingshan National Park. Yangmingshan contains a prominent volcanic group, and this area, in particular, contains volcanic vents and hot springs which make for extraordinary scenery. Because Yangmingshan is close to Taipei, there have been many discussions about establishing a geothermal power plant in Yangmingshan.

Geothermal energy is a source of clean, renewable energy. Because it is near-constant, it can make a great source of baseload energy. However, not only do geothermal plants need to operate in very specific terrain, but they also have high upfront costs.

Debates about geothermal energy in Yangmingshan also account for ecological factors as any power plant would be in a national park. There have also been concerns about efficiency and costs. As Taiwan looks to create a more renewable energy grid, these debates are certain to resurface in the near future.

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