Sun, Jun 30, 2024 page8

• Learn from nature on climate change

  • By Liao Ming-hui 廖明輝
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  Amid a daily increase in threats from climate change, countries are adopting proactive measures to counter this crisis.

  On June 19, President William Lai (賴清德) announced that the Presidential Office would establish a National Climate Change Response Committee, and Minister of Environment Peng Chi-ming (彭啟明) also announced the establishment of the Green Policy Office to promote the planning and implementation of policies for tackling climate change and transitioning to zero carbon emissions. This series of measures shows Taiwan’s high degree of emphasis and determination being placed on climate change issues.

  In dealing with climate change, we could learn a great deal from nature. Designs that emulate or take inspiration from nature are an effective means for solving humanity’s problems. The ancient Chinese Taoist philosopher Lao Tzu (老子) is quoted in the Tao Te Ching (道德經) as saying: “Man follows the laws of earth, earth follows the laws of heaven, heaven follows the laws of the Way, and the Way follows the laws of nature.”

  This way of humanity fine-tuning itself to align with nature’s wisdom could also inspire enterprises in how they transition to zero carbon emissions, not only reducing waste, but also elevating the efficiency of resource use.

  The textile industry is a traditionally high-energy-consumption industry. Its transition to zero carbon emissions is particularly urgent.

  Former Everest Textile Co president Roger Yeh (葉清來) recently shared how the textile industry could, through studying nature, renew its thinking and design a production flow that realizes energy-saving and carbon-reduction goals. Since the industry’s supply chains are long and complicated — from fiber sourcing to the last stages of clothing production — each link along the chain must reduce its negative environmental impacts and save energy and resources.

  As such, Everest in 2007 began integrating a sustainable development model, adopting the “7R” strategy to raise the efficiency and productivity of its energy and resources. The “r’s” in “7R” stand for “rethink,” “redesign,” “reduce,” “reuse,” “repair,” “recycle” and “recovery.”

  Not only does this model expand the traditional 3R model of “reduce,” “reuse” and “recycle,” it goes further in studying nature by promoting the four cyclical models of a low-carbon economy which are an “ecological design cycle,” “resource cycle,” the “industrial waste cycle” and the “carbon cycle.” The goal is to advance toward carbon neutrality by 2050.

  By putting this all into practice, Everest uses natural cooling techniques such as planting trees and using cooling water curtains, making its factory environments more comfortable.

  At the same time, using stack effect principles, it has cleverly implemented an innovative air flow system within its factories, reducing the need for air-conditioning. These changes find their roots in the observation and adoption of what is studied from the great outdoors.

  Everest’s experience with green transition shows us that learning from nature is feasible and highly effective. For example, it reuses factory waste such as coal slag and sludge by turning them into cement and cinder blocks. This solves the issue of waste products and could also create economic value.

  This kind of “waste to wealth” concept fulfills realizing the regenerative principles of natural cycles, and moreover could help in seeking a balance between economies, societies and the environment, achieving a truly green transition and sustainable development.

  Liao Ming-hui is an assistant researcher at the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research.

  Translated by Tim Smith
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