Shownotes Transcript
Hey you guys. It’s time for another episode of News Bites. I’m Jacob Ingram. And I’m Nancy Sun In today's news: A Formosan black bear is euthanized after a trap injury, and recycling cannot keep pace with e-waste increase. And in today’s Tasty Tidbit: Rust! Stay tuned for more on those stories, coming up next.
受困的台灣黑熊，搶救四天不治 Formosan black bear euthanized after trap injury The mountain forests of Taiwan are home to many wonderful creatures. Among them are the Formosan clouded leopard (雲豹) which is believed to be extinct, the pangolin (穿山甲) and of course, the well-known Formosan black bear. The Formosan black bear has an area of V-shaped white fur on its chest. This makes it very distinctive from its other black bear cousins in Asia. Recently, one of these bears had to be euthanized (安樂死) after it was rescued from a trap (陷阱). Euthanize means to put an “animal to sleep”, which means to kill it in a humane way. The bear was caught in a hunting trap meant for other animals. An indigenous (原住民) Bunun (布農族) patrol in Taitung discovered the injured bear. The patrol is part of a project on wildlife conservation. The team was changing the batteries of infrared (紅外線) cameras in black bear habitual grounds when they heard a groaning sound. They followed the sound and discovered a bear caught in a trap. 30 people were then mobilized to help carry the 93 kg male bear out of the forest. It was sent to a veterinary hospital (獸醫診所) where it was treated for 4 days. Unfortunately, the injuries were too severe, leading to sepsis (敗血症) and organ failure (器官衰竭). The vet had no choice but to euthanize the bear. This is not the first incident of a bear being caught in a trap. There are also incidents of the same bear getting trapped twice and more. The indigenous people of Taiwan are legally allowed to hunt a limited amount every year. They usually hunt deer and goats, but not bears. However, due to the size of traditional traps, bears are often caught in them. In recent years, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency has produced a new trap. 林業保育署設立的陷阱比較小，而且有感應器 This can prevent (避免) bears and baby animals from triggering (觸發) the trap. The agency is currently encouraging indigenous hunters (原住民獵人) to use the new trap. They hope this method can reduce the number of animals being caught accidentally.
聯合國報告指出，電器回收趕不上廢棄物的產量 Recycling cannot keep pace with e-waste increase Electronics are considered daily necessities (必需品) nowadays. This includes phones, tables, laptops, screens, microwave ovens, and a lot more. Millions of electronic products are produced every day. And of course, millions of broken electronics are thrown away each day. Discarded (被丟棄的) devices with a plug or battery are all defined as e-waste (電器垃圾). According to a report released by the United Nations, 62 million tonnes (公噸) of e-waste was generated in 2022. That is enough to fill trailers (聯結車) to line up around the globe. The report also mentioned that only 22% of the 62 million tonnes was properly recycled (回收再利用). The efficiency (效率) of recycling e-waste is really low. Metals, including copper (銅), gold and iron, make up half of the 62 million tonnes. If properly recycled, these metals are worth about 91 billion US dollars. There is also a huge amount of plastic and glass in the waste. Where does all the unrecycled waste go? They end up in dumpsites (垃圾場) in countries that have few laws on e-waste or recycling targets (目標). This causes huge damage to the environment. There are hazardous materials like mercury (水銀) in the waste. You remember what mercury is, right? Mercury is a shiny, silver metal which is a liquid at room temperature (室溫). Mercury produces a toxic vapor (會釋放有毒氣體). It can damage the brain, kidneys and nervous system (神經系統). So when it rains and rainwater runs through e-waste, it carries harmful materials like mercury into the soil. When the soil is contaminated (污染), it also pollutes the water supply. Experts say the e-waste problem is only going to grow. This is due to many reasons like higher consumption (消耗) of electronics, limited repair options and shorter product life. Also, less than half of the world is implementing (實施) and enforcing approaches to manage the problem. With these numbers, e-waste is expected to reach 82 million tonnes by 2030. The recycling rate is expected to fall to 20%. 科技讓我們的生活更便利，但也對環境造成傷害。 Next time you want to trade your old phone for a newer model, maybe hold on to it just a little longer.
So, in today's News Bites: A Formosan black bear was found caught in a trap by an indigenous group in Taitung. The bear was rescued and treated it for 4 days. Unfortunately, its injuries were too severe, so it had to be euthanized.
And, Recycling cannot keep pace with e-waste increase. The amount of e-waste produced in 2022 is 62 million tonnes. Only 22% is properly recycled. The rest ends up in dumpsites, and causes harm to the environment.
趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit And now for today's Tasty Tidbit… Did you know the only metal that rusts is iron (鐵)? Rust is a word we use to talk about iron and its mixtures, or alloys rather, like steel, when it gets damaged by oxygen and water. But there are other metals that can also get damaged like this, although they might not make the same reddish-brown bits we usually see with rust.
And that's today's episode of News Bites! If you have a fun fact or a joke you’d like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode! We’ll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites!