卡沃汀寫過全球最暢銷的鯨豚觀察手冊,也與道格拉斯.亞當斯(Douglas Adams)共同主持過關於野生動物滅絕的熱門廣播節目「最後一眼」(Last Chance to See),並推出同名書籍。亞當斯是《銀河便車指南》(_e Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy)的作者,該書後來曾被史蒂芬.佛萊(Stephen Fry)拍成電視劇。「我走過數百趟旅程,去見這世上各地無數的動物,大猩猩、大象、犀牛、老虎,這些動物無一不對人產生衝擊感。不過,這些年下來我發現,鯨魚與海豚給人的衝擊更深刻、也更特殊。我不是因為偏心才這麼說。我看著這些鯨豚,一而再,再而三。」衝擊最大的一次,是在墨西哥的下加利福尼亞州的聖哈辛托瀉湖,當時卡沃汀正帶團觀看從北極南下繁殖的灰鯨;這裡曾是捕鯨者大開殺戒之地。然而,雌鯨此際卻帶著自己的孩子游到小船前讓人類撫摸。想想此處的歷史,這些鯨魚展現出來對於人類的信任感,有時會令撫摸者無法承受到不知所措。卡沃汀說:「這樣的經驗會教人徹底為之改變。」
事實上,EPC並非德國獨有,荷蘭、丹麥等國也有類似制度,歐盟早更在2002年的「建築能效指令」(Energy Performance of Buildings Directive,簡稱EPBD)開始推廣,並就要求會員國於2009年前實施EPC,如今十年過後,各國執行成果大相逕庭,德國就因為隱私顧慮、審核方式、房屋市場需求等多重因素,削減了建築能源護照的影響力。
歐盟曾於2013年發表報告《Energy performance certificates in buildings and their impact on transaction prices and rents in selected EU countries》,發現實施能源護照制度較久的國家,確實能影響房屋市場走向,可是現階段的執行成效和制度設計都還不夠完美。布爾格即說,能源護照是促使許多德國民眾認識建築節能的第一步,「之前很多人都不了解房屋節能是怎麼一回事,現在大家開始會互相比較,『我的房屋居然只有D,我的鄰居有C,也許我該做什麼!』」
歐洲建築性能研究所(Buildings Performance Institute Europe,簡稱BPIE)德國計畫負責人史都威(Sibyl D. Steuwer)強調,能源護照能否發揮作用的關鍵在於「可靠度」,有些國家核發護照的專家甚至不用到現場評估。對此,2010年歐盟進一步要求會員國加強EPC的品質控管、罰責和宣傳。然而,各國的實施情況依舊差異很大,有些國家由中央統一掌控,德國則交由地方(邦)政府負責,雖有進行抽樣檢查,但數量太少、難以掌控品質。
圖片來源:Andrea(CC BY 2.0)
至於使用者端,民眾租屋或買房都有多重考量,屋主和房東進行節能翻修的動機,也不只受能源護照影響。德國消費者組織聯合會(Federation of German Consumer Organization)營建與房產諮詢專員米歇爾(Franz Michel)直說,現在德國房屋供給短缺,光要找到好房子(或好價格)難度就很高了,誰還會在意節能程度?因此削減了建築能源護照的影響力。
A huge amount of silt can suffocate corals and ultimately kill coral reefs. Hence, it is necessary to monitor the deposition of marine sediments to ensure that a coral reef can survive in the long-term. To monitor local coral ecosystems in Chaojing (潮境) of Keelung and Fanzaiao (番仔澳) of New Taipei, the Taiwan Environmental Information Association (TEIA) coordinates Reef Check in Taiwan annually. Last year, some sediment deposition were observed at various reefs and this deposition process is still ongoing. Approximately, 5% of reefs in Chaojing are covered by silts. A thin layer of silt was even observed at Fanzaiao, which was 10 meters under the sea surface (FZA 10m).
The health of live corals cover (i.e. both soft and hard corals) range from “Poor” to “Average” across both sites. Specific indicator organisms such as fishes and invertebrates were also recorded.
The corals covered by silts in Chaojing. Photo credits: Lin Yu-Zhu
In July and August 2018, the TEIA worked with its volunteer scuba divers to conduct the Reef Check Taiwan in Chaojing and Fanzaiao. They reported that the total living corals coverage ranged from 21.9% to 35%. The lowest cover was at Fanzaiao 5 meters under the sea surface (FZA 5m), with the highest at Chaojing 10 meters under the sea surface (CJ 10m).
Living corals coverage at FZA 5m and CJ 10m are of average health (i.e. 25%-50%). Of particular interest was that 5% of the reefs at Chaojing were covered by sediments. Also, further observations found that some corals at Chaojing were already covered by silts. While no silts were recorded at FZA 10m, volunteer divers had already observed a thin layer of silts formsing.
The grain size of silt is smaller than sand. Therefore, silt require a longer time to be deposited once they have been disturbed. Suspended stilt thus affects the visibility of seawater, and may also cover the surfaces of coral reefs. The corals are able to activate their self-protective mechanism when the amount of covering silt is small. However, when the amount exceeds their tolerance threshold, the corals will suffocate and die.
In 2009, Taiwan Power Company (TaiPower, 台電) had originally planned to build a coal terminal in Fanzaiao and to retrofit the old coal power plant. This plan was canceled due to protests from local residents, elected representatives, and environmental groups. TaiPower then re-proposed “Alternatives for Shen Ao Retrofit & Expansion Feasibility Study” in 2015. In this plan, TaiPower will build a coal terminal in a CPC Corporation Taiwan owned pier but breakwaters will be built next to Shen'ao Cape (深澳岬). This development could change local ocean surface currents, and dust and bare soils produced by the construction may indirectly affect surrounding ocean ecosystems.
For indicator species for overfishing and aquarium fish collecting, both sites had recorded species such as butterflyfish (Chaetodon spp.), grouper (Serranidae) and moray eel (Muraenidae). The population density of butterflyfish is 1.5 - 3 individuals per 100 m2 with the largest population at FZA 10m; the population density for moray eels ranged from 0 - 0.75 individuals per 100 m2 with the largest population at CJ 10m. It was surprising to have observed groupers at both sites. According to the Coral Check’s manual, only groupers larger than 30 cm will be recorded as large-sized groupers are currently rarely found in natural habitats due to overfishing.
Small amount of sweetlips (Haemulidae) and parrotfish (Scaridae) were similarly recorded.
As for indicator species for overfishing, such as the long-spined black sea urchin (Diadema spp.), sea urchin (Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus), and lobsters were observed at both sites. Sea urchin and lobster are not easily detected because their high economic values. Additionally, banded coral shrimp (Stenopus hispidus) was spotted at CJ 10m.
Based on the 2018 Reef Check Taiwan, the most effective outcome is achieved when an area is both conserved and a strict ban is enforced. Fanzaiao was declared as a part of Rueifang (瑞芳) conservation area by the New Taipei City Government in 2014. Hence fishing and collecting of coral reef species were regulated accordingly. Chaojing was declared as "Wanghaixiang’s Chao-Jing Bay Resource Conservation Area" (望海巷潮境海灣資源保育區) by the Keelung City Government in 2016. Therefore, no fishing activity was allowed beside the harvesting of edible seaweed.
Underwater cliff with high-density soft corals (Dendronephthya sp.) in Fanzaiao. Photo credits: Tang Ming-Gu
Note: The 2018 Reef Check Taiwan is organized by the Taiwan Environmental Information Association, co-organized by the Wild Bird Society of Taipei Guandu Nature Park, and sponsored by the HSBC Bank (Taiwan).
Reef Check is an international non-governmental organization dedicated to the conservation of reef ecosystems of tropical coral reefs and Californian rocky reefs. More information is available at http://www.reefcheck.org
全球生物多樣性資訊機構(Global Biodiversity Information Facility,GBIF)網羅50多個國家和數百個組織,在每個國家設立統一入口網站作為窗口,所有感興趣的民眾或研究員都可以上傳標準化的生物多樣性資訊,並可經由入口網站自由存取資料,讓生物多樣性資訊在全球互相交換和分享。這些集全球之力而成的資料庫,正有助於生物資源永續利用的教學、研究、和政策制定。「台灣生物多樣性資訊機構(Taiwan Biodiversity Information Facility,TaiBIF)」正是GBIF下的一個窗口,負責整合台灣地區的生物多樣性相關資訊。
以「外來入侵種」議題為例,比利時生物多樣性平台得到比利時科學政策辦公室資助,與比利時外來種論壇(Belgian Forum on Invasive Species)合作,藉由蒐集來的數據,追蹤外來種的擴張、影響等資訊,結合生態棲位、氣候等因子進行風險評估、制定優先處理順序、組織研究人員與活動等。若推測是會對產業產生危害的外來種,便會優先被處理。
開放這些調查數據,不是只把原始數據丟上雲端而已,合併使用開放資源軟體如QGIS,增加各軟體間的相容性,將資料放到GIS界的維基百科Open Street Map,讓所有人共同編輯。而比利時生物多樣性平台還提供數據標準化的指導、數據整理的服務或工具、方法、諮詢等;成果以開放和自由的方式提供出版、存取和使用。政務人員就能以此作為政策規劃之科學依據,以擬定相關防治政策,而社會運動者也能據此深入社區倡議。如此以議題為導向的活化工作,更能整合各方、帶動社群活力。
比利時生物多樣性平台同時也經營「比利時生態系統和社會社群(The BElgian Ecosystems and Society community,簡稱BEES)」。BEES是生物多樣性服務與社會經濟系統專家之間的非正式網絡,藉由促進科學家、行政管理人員、政策制定者和從業人員之間的協作、協調和溝通,改善生態系統與社會的互動關係,從「生態資訊服務」轉變成「生態與社會互動」的視角。