Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

Thomas L. Friedman, the author of bestseller “Hot, Flat, and Crowded”, met with 100 environmentally concerned high school students during a talk on January 12. Friedman praised the participants for their eagerness and interest in this important issue.
One of the students asked Friedman about how the international community should implement energy conservation and environmental protection measures. The writer suggested two approaches: “Earth Day” and “Earth Race”. He preferred the second approach, noting that friendly competitions between major nations such as the US and China on energy issues will definitely attract the attention of the global community.
Friedman remarked that nature is the summation of factors including chemistry, biology, and physics. Human beings cannot afford to be arrogant, and nature is never lenient. The global community should do everything possible to prevent the exacerbation of global warming. An increase of 2-degree Celsius in average temperature would spell disaster for everyone.
He believes that the promotion of alternative and clean energy cannot rely solely upon legislations. Market mechanism should play a role, and the desire to make money is a powerful incentive for most people.
Speaking to the students, Friedman encouraged them to obtain the fundamental knowledge, such as how power companies operate and how electricity bills are calculated. While the process could be trying at times, understanding how the system works would be useful for formulating future strategies and solutions.