Efficient Wind Farm and GBR Heat Record

News Bites

Hello! And welcome back to another episode of News Bites. I’m Paz Bueno. And I’m Nancy Sun. We have some good news and bad news for you today: Taiwan’s wind farms are super-efficient, and breaking a 400-year heat record. And in today’s Tasty Tidbit…self-aware animals! Let’s check it out. ________________________________ 台灣離岸風電達新高 Taiwan’s Offshore Wind Farm Hits New High **Renewable energy (再生能源) is becoming more and more important around the world. ** **Instead of relying on fossil fuels (化石燃料) like oil and coal, many countries are now turning to cleaner, greener sources of energy. ** Renewable energy sources can help protect the environment (保護環境) and reduce pollution (減少污染). And Taiwan is working hard to use more renewable energy! **One of the biggest projects we have is building offshore wind farms (離岸風力發電場). ** **These wind farms create electricity by using the power of the wind. ** Taiwan Power Company (台灣電力公司) has made big improvements to its Phase 1 (第一階段的) offshore wind farm. After several months of work, the wind farm is now running at 90% efficiency! 經過幾個月的努力，這個離岸風力發電場現在的運行效率已經達到90%！ This is great news for Taiwan’s green energy plans. It wasn’t easy at first. The wind farm had to be shut down (停機) a few times to make sure everything was working well. And the team needed time to get used to the ocean environment (適應海洋環境). **But since April, things have gotten a lot better. ** Thanks to regular check-ups and repairs, the wind farm is running smoothly. 由於定期檢查和維修，風力發電場運行得很順利。 The building for the wind farm’s operations center has taken longer to finish, though. ** 然而，風力發電場營運中心的建設比預期花了更長的時間。** But the company is working hard to speed things up (加緊努力) and hopes to finish the center by June next year. ________________________________ 大堡礁面臨高溫威脅！ Heat Threatens Great Barrier Reef! **Global warming (全球暖化) is something we’ve been hearing about for a long time. ** ** We already know it’s changing the Earth. ** These changes affect (影響) not just the land, but also the oceans. **In fact, some of the most beautiful and important ecosystems (生態系統), like coral reefs (珊瑚礁), are in danger because of global warming. ** One famous reef facing serious trouble is the Great Barrier Reef (大堡礁). **Researchers in Australia recently found that ocean temperatures around the reef are now the highest they've been in 400 years! ** ** 大堡礁附近的海洋溫度已經達到400年來的最高點！** These high temperatures are causing coral bleaching (珊瑚白化), where the corals turn white and become weak. In the past nine years, there have been five major coral-bleaching events. 在過去的九年裡，已經發生了五次大規模的珊瑚白化事件。 **Coral bleaching happens when the water gets too warm, and the coral loses the special algae (藻類) that live inside it. ** Without the algae, the coral turns white, and if the water stays hot, the coral can die. Coral is very important because it provides a home for many sea animals. **The researchers hope that this new information will encourage people to act quickly to stop global warming. ** ** 研究人員希望，這些新發現能讓大家趕快採取行動，阻止全球暖化。** While the situation is serious, they believe there’s still hope (仍有希望). If the world can work together to lower temperatures, the Great Barrier Reef and other reefs might still survive (活下去). The Great Barrier Reef is a UNESCO World Heritage site (世界遺產). Scientists are pushing for it to be listed as “endangered” to help protect it. 科學家們正在推動將其列為“瀕危”遺產，以幫助保護它。 Saving the reef is important, not just for Australia, but for the world. ________________________________ So, in today’s News Bites… Taipower has made big improvements to its Phase 1 offshore wind farm. After several months of work, the wind farm is now running at 90% efficiency! This is great news for Taiwan’s green energy plans. ________________________________ And, **Researchers in Australia recently found that ocean temperatures around the Great Barrier Reef are now the highest they've been in 400 years! ** These high temperatures are causing coral bleaching, where the corals turn white and become weak. The researchers hope that this new information will encourage people to act quickly to stop global warming. ________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit Do you know who you are? That’s a deep question… Well—I mean, you can recognize yourself in the mirror, right? **Of course! I know what I look like. I have self-awareness. Duh. ** Well, did you know humans are not the only self-aware creatures that live on Earth? Dolphins, elephants, and chimpanzees are self-aware, too! That’s amazing! **It means they have a deeper understanding of the world around them and their place in it. ** It opens up a whole new level of thinking and feeling. If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news you’d like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [e-mail], 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!