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I wish western political leaders would spend a bit more time learning from Taiwan instead of arguing about whether it is part of China, without even having set
by sgu999 3y ago
I wish western political leaders would spend a bit more time learning from Taiwan instead of arguing about whether it is part of China, without even having set foot in any of the two.
Having lived a couple months in Taipei, my only complain really is the bloody ICE scooters. It boggles my mind that they didn't solve this problem yet. The air quality is absolutely horrendous, and you'll have trouble sleeping anywhere near a main road. It is even more shocking when we realise how convenient and efficient their electric counterparts are, Gogoro in particular is doing an amazing job [1]. It made me realise that we're doing something wrong in Europe by not including them as part of the solution for climate-friendly transportation.
The main thing I keep on raving about in Taiwan is the lack of urban sprawl: it's very difficult to find suburb-style detached homes even in the countryside, single-family homes exist but they are usually packed together in hamlets. It means that shops are always close because the settlements are dense enough for them to be viable businesses...
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpOQpwKeSnI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpOQpwKeSnI
- jonatron 3y agoA few weeks ago, standing at an incredibly busy pedestrian crossing in Shenzhen, China, I noticed how strangely quiet it was for somewhere so busy. Then I noticed, every car, bus, and scooter was electric. I went to Taipei after, and the constant roar from mostly scooters was unexpectedly loud. I hope we speed up the shift to electric vehicles.
- actionfromafar 3y agoIt will resolve itself sooner or later, especially ICE scooters will soon not be attractive.
- throwaway4good 3y agoThe electric scooters from China are still far away from being as practical as the ICE scooters; a scooter like you see in Taiwan or Vietnam can carry the whole family and has a top speed of a 120 km/h.
- edu 3y agoProbably it's not a good idea to take the whole family on a scooter...
- csomar 3y agoChina is running light speed toward electrification and renewable because they are concerned of a conflict with the West. Europeans think they are doing it to take advantage over their car manufacturers but they are really thinking inward on this.
- csomar 3y agoThe Chinese were always dense and so had to contend with little space. When the Chinese came to Taiwan they obviously copied what their ancestors did. Americans, on the other hand, were a few and had massive lands. It’s wrong to think one is better than the other, it’s really about density.
- sgu999 3y agoI don't think there is a unique reason for this but the availability of space is definitely a factor. French cities for instance have sprawled outward since the 60s, due to the prevalence of cars and influence of the "american dream" through media. There wasn't an abundance of space to start with... > It’s wrong to think one is better than the other, it’s really about density. One is definitely better than the other if you look at sustainability. American suburbs need cheap and abundant energy to operate, which they may not have in a not-so-distant future.
- csomar 3y agoFrench suburbs are still quite dense comparing to American ones. So space is indeed a major factor. Cheap and abundant energy is here but there is no political and economical will to pursue such an agenda. The US has plenty of deserts and is yet to expand all its renewable potential and these are blue collar jobs!
- defrost 3y agoThanks for that, I'm impressed by the smart battery swap banks with a pull in, pull out, one minute turn around.
- true_religion 3y agoYou experienced urban sprawl and smog. What does any part of your experiences have to do with geo politics and the rights of a people to be a sovereign nation?