GUANDU TEMPLE INSTALLS EXTRACTOR FANS TO IMPROVE AIR QUALITY|北投關渡宮 加裝吸煙設備減少空汙

The Environmental Protection Administration's move to reduce the burning of incense, paper money and setting off firecrackers has resulted in temple and shrines from all over Taiwan taking to the streets in protest. They want the DPP government to respect traditional religious practise. In fact, many temples have already tried to strike a balance between tradition and their environmental awareness. Taipei's Guandu Temple has improved its air quality through these measures: This student is 14 years old and is at the Guandu temple in Beitou with his mother. He says that the air here is better than that at many other temples. ==MR FANG== The air quality here is better because the extractor fan is stronger. In 2006 the temple installed extractor fans by the censers so that the smoke from burning incense did not percolate back into the temple. Many disciples support this move. ==MR ZHONG== It extracts the smoke, so there is not much smoke inside, that is really good. ==MS. CHEN == Before if you came here, like at New Year you would be smoked by the incense and your nose would run, your eyes would water, now it's not like that anymore. Since it improved with the smoke extractors, the smoke is gone. Guandu Temple installed these smoke extractors by the incense censers. The pipes run at a depth of one meter underground and dispel the smoke through an underground pool filter into a drain. From above when you look at the chimney pipe from the device, you can just see white smoke. ==TSAI TIEN-FU Guandu Temple smoke extractor equipment designer== We extract the smoke from there, it passes through water filters and uses a pump to extract it upwards by the time it comes out at the top, it is white smoke, because the toxic substances, like the oil content are extracted by the water. Guandu Temple's paper money furnaces have similar extraction equipment to the censers. The smoke from burning paper is collected and extracted through pipes and filtered through a water tower before being released into the air. ==ZHONG YOU-YE Sec-Gen. Guandu Temple== A lot of it is we tried it ourselves to see how to do it, we didn't think it would be so effective. A lot of other temples come to see our equipment and how we did it, and are really impressed. Through investing time and resources, Guandu Temple has managed to strike a balance between traditional temple customs and environmental concerns. TRANSLATED BY：CLARE LEAR 環保署推廣少金少香，要降低空氣汙染，不過，各地宮廟在今天走上街頭，希望政府也要尊重宗教傳統民俗，其實，已有不少廟宇，試圖在宗教傳統與環保之間，找到折衷方案。來看看台北市北投關渡宮，如何改善廟裡的空氣品質。 今年14歲的方同學，和媽媽一起到台北市北投的關渡宮拜拜，他說來這裡參拜和別的宮廟比起來，空氣乾淨很多。 ==方同學== 因為空氣比較好 (為什麼) 因為那個有吸煙就空氣比較好 關渡宮2006年底在香爐旁邊加裝吸煙設備，讓香火的煙不會散到廟殿裡，而是被吸走，不少信徒也都認同這樣的設計。 ==鍾先生== 有抽風對不對 裡面比較沒有煙 應該是算很好 ==陳女士== 以前如果來 如果過年的時候 是被香的煙薰到 鼻水一直流 眼油也這樣流 現在不會了 現在自從改善下去 那油煙都 那香的煙都排掉了 關渡宮透過這套設備收集香火的煙，再經由地面下一公尺下的管路，抽到一旁的地下水池，再透過地下水池的過濾再排放到空氣中，高處看向這套設備管路末端的煙囪口，看不到一般廟裡的白煙。 ==關渡宮環保香爐設計者 蔡添福== 我從那邊抽出來的時候 經過水過濾過 就用馬達抽上去 抽上去上面 上面上去就變白煙 因為那個毒氣的東西 那個就像說有那個油啦 什麼之類的東西就經過水下去了 關渡宮的金爐也是類似的設計，透過管路收集金爐的廢氣，經由一旁水塔的過濾再排放到空中。 ==關渡宮秘書 鍾右業== 我們很多部份都是 我們自己動手做的一個情況之下 我們也沒有想到說這個方式 竟然可以達到相當的效果 所以很多寺廟後來 來參觀之後 都覺得相當相當的不錯 這樣子 面對點香與燒金紙的宗教傳統與環保之間的兩難，關渡宮表示希望這樣的用心設計，在兩者之間取得折衷的平衡點。 記者 張志雄 張梓嘉 台北報導