What a Difference A Day Makes in Ningbo.

In the interest of expanding the English-language discussion of China’s air quality situation beyond Beijing, I give you two photos taken, roughly 24 hours apart, from the 27th floor window of a hotel in downtown Ningbo. Let’s begin with yesterday. Next, today’s image (that’s my shirt shimmering in the foreground glass – sorry).

China to Consider Lifting Ban on Imported Electronic Wastes

This afternoon an influential leader in China’s multi-billion dollar recycling industry gave strong indications that China will soon loosen its ban on the importation of waste electronic devices such as computer circuit boards. The import of such devices is a sensitive issue in China, particularly due to the intense foreign media interest on so-called “toxic…

The Dancing Beauty and other tales of carp fishing [equipment] in China, Pt. 1.

According to my sources, there are over 20,000 fishing tackle shops in China – a commercial phenomenon that defies many foreign stereotypes about China, not least of which is that you can’t find any good fishing in China. Over the next couple of months, and in a few different venues, I’m going to do my…

The Mighty Gross Huangpu River

Late this afternoon, while leaving the Puxi side of the Expo 2010 (World’s Fair) grounds, I happened to pause at a bus stop which – to my great surprise – provided this (presumably) inadvertent commentary on Shanghai’s Huangpu River. It’s true: despite monumental efforts to improve Shanghai’s riverfront (including wonderful work at the Expo site),…

The Fruits of Recycling: Cancerous Take-out Containers.

Late last week the China Daily and other news outlets reported on a recently released study by the Hong Kong-based International Food Packaging Association (IFPA) showing that roughly half of the disposable dishware (think: plastic and paper take-out boxes) is substandard, and often can be found “with excessive amounts of chemicals that can cause cancer.”…