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).
All posts in Environment
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[/crab] Fishing in China, pt. II
[Pt. I of this multi-part series, in which the blogger goes shopping for tackle at what amounts to a giant carp fishing mall, can be found here.] A friend from Minnesota, a walleye fisherman of some repute, once told me: “The only thing that comes close to the thrill of catching a fish is not…
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.”…
More on Apple and manufacturing in China.
Last week I posted on the bizarre spectacle of Apple’s fanboys rallying to the defense of their favorite computer company on the occasion of a negative Daily Telegraph story on Apple’s safety, environmental, and labor record in China. To my surprise, the post generated a significant amount of traffic and – best of all –…
The Miracle Cure for All that Ails China
[UPDATE 1/8: The Red Plus Yellow blog has just posted a wonderfully useful item on how to winterize your Chinese apartment without replacing the windows. If you’re cold, you should read it. Great stuff.] This morning I woke up shivering in my bed, too cold to go back to sleep, and logged onto my laptop…
Christmas Leftovers, Scrap Edition.
As much as I hate people and organizations who show me how much damage my lifestyle is doing to the environment just when I’m in the midst of enjoying myself … below, two images of American Christmas lights piled up in a Guangdong scrap yard. To the left, the pile, to the right, a close-up.…
Obama in Beijing, through a Copenhagen Lens
Last month, in the wake of President Obama’s first visit to China, the White House and its supporters in the commentariat lashed out at reporters – like me! – who had judged the visit a failure on the basis of a lack of tangible accomplishments. It was suggested that reporters – like me! – who…