Taiwan - Rye Research Essay
Taiwan is a subtropical island located about 100 miles east of mainland China. Covering about 13,892 square miles, it is roughly the size of the state of Maryland and the capital city is Taipei, which is found at the northern tip of the country on the Tamsui River. The so-called “backbone” of the island is formed by a north-south mountain range, the highest peak of which being Yushan at 13,110 feet. These mountains were the original homeland of the aborigines.
With people taking advantage of the resources the mountains provide, environmental problems are being created. For example: water pollution, landslides, forest fires, soil erosion, reservoir sedimentation, and flooding in lower and middle altitudes. With these issues also come the concerns about the mountain ecosystem, and the increasing pressure it’s being put under. Areas of the land are threatened with destruction, and species of wildlife are diminishing toward extinction.
A fertile plain that holds the majority of Taiwan’s population and agricultural activity can be found to the west of the mountain range, where all kinds of pollution and the buildup of garbage cause more environmental problems. This is the region that faces the biggest threat from industrialization and urbanization, where metropolitan cities like Kaohsiung and Taipei struggle with dangerous air, noise, and water pollution levels. The disposal of wastes both solid and toxic remains a problem. The amount of garbage each member of the 23,305,021+ population produces equals about two and a half pounds a day, a number that stretches the capacity of the environment to absorb the waste safely to the limit. The islets outlying Taiwan have long been considered to potentially be the most suitable dumpsite for nuclear waste, and places like Lan Yu, aka Orchid Island, faces very real and immediate environmental threats. With all of the pollution, Taiwan is one of the largest carbon emitters in the world. However, they refuse to pass the Greenhouse
With people taking advantage of the resources the mountains provide, environmental problems are being created. For example: water pollution, landslides, forest fires, soil erosion, reservoir sedimentation, and flooding in lower and middle altitudes. With these issues also come the concerns about the mountain ecosystem, and the increasing pressure it’s being put under. Areas of the land are threatened with destruction, and species of wildlife are diminishing toward extinction.
A fertile plain that holds the majority of Taiwan’s population and agricultural activity can be found to the west of the mountain range, where all kinds of pollution and the buildup of garbage cause more environmental problems. This is the region that faces the biggest threat from industrialization and urbanization, where metropolitan cities like Kaohsiung and Taipei struggle with dangerous air, noise, and water pollution levels. The disposal of wastes both solid and toxic remains a problem. The amount of garbage each member of the 23,305,021+ population produces equals about two and a half pounds a day, a number that stretches the capacity of the environment to absorb the waste safely to the limit. The islets outlying Taiwan have long been considered to potentially be the most suitable dumpsite for nuclear waste, and places like Lan Yu, aka Orchid Island, faces very real and immediate environmental threats. With all of the pollution, Taiwan is one of the largest carbon emitters in the world. However, they refuse to pass the Greenhouse