【所長的話】

原文版

【Prelude from IAA Director】

(The English version)

All sentinent beings, blessed with sensory organs, can appreciate the beauty of our

environments, the rhythm of the seasons, and the daily cycle of sun rise and sun set. With

the development of the life sciences and the physical sciences, we human beings can start to

understand that the miracle of life is precious and is dependent on a delicate balance of many

processes. As the first photographs from the astronauts showed, while on their way to the

moon, our earth is a most beautiful and colorful home suspended in the lonely dark void of

deep space. It is our responsibility, for each and every one of us, to help protect our

environments and to conserve the resources for our children and their children and the

generations to come.

In the last two decades, the evidence is irrefutable that human beings, in our quest for

improvements in life, have made huge changes to our environments. Not only are we

consuming the natural resources at an alarming rate, we are polluting the air, the water, and

the earth, perhaps in a permanent way. In this IAAQ, we have invited Professor Yuan Lee to

remind us of the importance of climate change, sustainable development, and the role of a

responsible society. We have also invited Professor Frank Shu to tell us about how we

indeed can help by making nuclear energy safe for humans and safe for the environment,

and also how to reverse the damage to our atmosphere by removing carbon dioxide from the

air and returning them into the earth.

As astronomers, we can particularly appreciate how we occupy a very tiny space in the vast

Universe within a very tiny moment in time. We should use our own unique moments to do

our best, not only to be most responsible for our actions, but to recognize and repair the

damages from our past, in order to improve our future. This begins with a dialogue, with the

pursuit of knowledge, with the commitment to work hard.

（Author/Paul Ho）

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