100-year-old Shuidui Village eco-lifestyle protecting trees

With roof tiles, old trees, lopsided cob-built buildings and over 100 years of history, the village of Shuidui (水碓), which is located in Taichung is a rare example of a traditional Taiwanese settlement. Through a great deal of enthusiasm and hard work from local people, the wisdom and knowledge contained within the village is set to be preserved. This is a self-sufficient rural village where the bricks used for the paved red brick paths retain a small gap allowing the land to breath. With regards to carbon reduction and green energy, the wisdom of our ancestors can be clearly seen in Shuidui Village, where in the scorching midsummer heat, the best form of air-conditioning is to relax in the cooling shade of large trees. Secretary-general of the township association Jiang Qing-zhou (江慶洲) said: ‘Shuidui Village currently retains the highest density of old trees in the country. What’s special about this area is the abundance of fruit trees, and the fact that most of the trees here are fruit trees. Year after year, these trees bear fruit in a perpetual cycle of regeneration. It’s important not to forget where the source of life comes from, so we need to give respect to and protect the trees and the environment, only then, can we be assured of a future’.

In this time of chaos and waste, Life could vanish without a trace,Where over-exploitation leading to natural and man-made disasters,May well end the human race.

With increasingly serious global warming, it is clear that planting trees would be an effective way to cool the planet. Therefore in order to reduce carbon emissions it makes even more sense to protect trees before they are cut down.

PeoPo 公民新聞

100-year-old Shuidui Village eco-lifestyle protecting trees (by CJ lai150)
URL: http://www.peopo.org/news/101922

(以下是中文對照)

百年水碓護樹綠化零電能 ( lai150 )

屋瓦、老樹、土壤加入粗糠建造而成的土角厝，位於台中都會，已有百年歷史的水碓聚落，是現在難得一見的鄉村建築，經過地方人士熱心奔走，才能將老祖宗的智慧保留至今。農村生活自給自足，難得一見的百米巷道，用一塊塊紅磚鋪成的地面，磚與磚間保留著一點縫隙，讓土地呼吸，綠能減碳，在水碓就能看見先人的智慧，炎炎仲夏，數蔭下就是最天然的冷氣。原鄉協會總幹事江慶洲表示，「水碓聚落目前保有全國生長密度最高的老樹，這邊的老樹大部分是果樹。這邊的果樹的特色，到都是一串一串，就是多子多孫這樣的意象，希望大家能夠去感恩這個，我們飲水思源吃水果拜樹頭，這樣能夠一直延續下去。」節序錯亂，瞬息無常，過度開發導致天災人禍不斷，隨著地球暖化日益嚴重，與其種樹減碳為地球降溫，倒不如護樹來的更加迫切與需要。

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