Charles Brigham was 28 when he got on his bike to go on an ecological tour of the world but could be 33 by the time he returns home to Madison, Wisconsin, in the US.
“I love bikes and wanted to travel,” he told AFP while in Paris to recharge his batteries.
“I don’t think it’s natural to fly in a plane or even travel by car. People weren’t meant to travel so quickly.”
So Brigham, who studied electrical and computer engineering but hates technology, set off in September 2007 with a good bike, US$3,000, a pair of trousers and 30kg of camping, cooking and first aid gear.
“I packed a bunch of stuff, threw a party and rode out of town,” he said.
After cycling to the Atlantic port of Norfolk in Virginia to cross the Atlantic, Brigham realized there were only freighter boats “that were not ecological.”
So he cycled to Miami instead to find “nothing but power yachts, huge gas-guzzling things that were even worse than a freighter. So I decided to become a sailor.”
After sailing to the UK via Ireland, Antigua and the Azores he eventually took a ferry ride to mainland Europe when bad weather stopped him from sailing.
“I have vowed since to completely boycott even ferry rides and I haven’t participated in the oil industry since.”
The point? “I want to promote bicycles. I’m working against addiction to speed. That’s what makes people burn oil,” he said. “I want people to realize there’s an alternative.”(AFP)
查爾斯．布利罕騎上自行車展開環球生態之旅時是二十八歲，但等他返回美國威斯康辛州麥迪森的老家時可能已經三十三歲了。
他在巴黎停留休息時對法新社表示：「我熱愛騎自行車，也想要四處旅遊。」
「我認為坐飛機或甚至搭車旅行都不是自然的方式。人類本來就不應該這麼快速地旅行。」
因此，學電子和電腦工程，卻不喜歡科技的布利罕在二ＯＯ七年九月，帶著一輛三千美元的高級自行車、一條褲子和三十公斤的露營、野炊及急救用具就上路了。
他說：「我打包了一堆東西，開了場派對後就騎車上路了。」
他騎到維吉尼亞州瀕臨大西洋的諾福克港要橫渡大西洋時，才發現那裡只有「不符合生態」的貨輪。
於是他又騎到邁阿密，結果只找到「耗油量大的動力遊艇，那比貨輪還更糟。因此我決定要學會駕駛帆船。」
他經過愛爾蘭、安地卡和亞速爾群島航行到英國後，碰上惡劣天氣導致帆船無法繼續航行，最後只好改搭渡輪到歐陸。
「自那之後，我就立誓絕對連渡輪都不搭，也沒再使用過石油相關產品。」
這樣做意義何在？他說：「我想推廣自行車。我竭力反對沉溺於飆風快感，那是人們不斷燃燒石油的原因。我希望人們了解我們還有其他的選擇。」（法新社╱翻譯：袁星塵）
Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery in the depths of the Pacific Ocean: oxygen production without the involvement of living organisms. Four kilometers below the surface where sunlight cannot reach, researchers have found metallic lumps generating what they term “dark oxygen.” This form of oxygen is produced through a process independent of photosynthesis. Unlike the traditional photosynthesis process, where organisms use sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water to create energy and oxygen, the newly discovered phenomenon operates in complete darkness. The accidental finding occurred during a study of metal-rich lumps in an abyssal plain between Hawaii and Mexico. These lumps, known as
A: What were the highest-grossing films globally last year? B: “Inside Out 2” was the highest, followed by “Deadpool & Wolverine,” “Despicable Me 4,” “Dune: Part 2” and “Moana 2.” A: “Inside Out 2” was also the highest-grossing film in Taiwan. B: It grossed nearly US$1.7 billion worldwide, or NT$55 billion, becoming the best-selling animated film of all time. A: I can’t believe I missed the movie last year. A: 去年全球最賣座的電影有哪些？ B: 冠軍是《腦筋急轉彎2》，其後是《死侍與金鋼狼》、《神偷奶爸4》、《沙丘：第2部》、《海洋奇緣2》。 A: 《腦2》也是去年台灣票房冠軍耶。 B: 這部鉅片狂賣近17億美元，約550億台幣，成為全球影史最賣座動畫電影！ A: 真不敢相信我錯過了這部強片。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
A: In addition to “Inside Out 2” at the top, what were the other highest-grossing films domestically last year? B: “Gatao: Like Father, Like Son” was the only Taiwanese movie among the top 10 blockbusters, which included five animated films. A: I’m surprised that the Taiwanese hit “The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon” wasn’t on the chart. B: But it grossed over 500 million Chinese yuan in China, which is nearly NT$2.5 billion. The figure was five times higher than that of the best-selling film in Taiwan. A: Its success shows that Taiwanese movies should go international. A:
Continued from yesterday（延續自昨日） https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang Using a device to isolate a section of the seafloor, the researchers aimed to measure oxygen levels in the enclosed water. Normally, oxygen rates would decrease as marine organisms consume it, but the result was contrary to expectations. The unexpected outcome prompted the team to further investigate the phenomenon. Researchers found the lumps emitted an electric charge similar to that of a AA battery. This charge is believed to trigger a process that splits seawater into hydrogen and oxygen, accounting for the increase. Traditional perspectives propose that oxygen production began around three billion years ago through photosynthesis by ancient
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