In a China Daily article, health inspectors express frustration with the smoking ban, for indoor venues such as restaurants and hotels. Well, they are not alone.
As matter of fact, things are very simple right now:
If you are a smoker, head to a Chinese-managed location. You normally can puff away as you like and simply ask for an ash tray.
If you are a non-smoker and want to avoid second hand smoke, head to a foreign-managed location. No smoking is strictly enforced (and so are a zillion other rules).
The reasons are straightforward: health inspectors always target foreign establishments, trying to find any reason to make problems. You won’t see them in a next-door Chinese place. They could care less (why? think about it…).
If you have any doubts, simply go around in Sanlitun (Beijing) and compare. You won’t find any smoker in Morel’s Restaurant. But feel free to do what you like in a couple of other very well known bars and restaurants, I won’t mention them here.
As usual, Chinese officials single out whatever is foreign. Excellent targets to be pestered.
See the China Daily article: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2013-08/23/content_16915115.htm
“Health inspectors express frustration with smoking ban”, 23 August 2013.
(this comment was also directly sent to China Daily)
Consumer & Environment Issues
consumer analysis and impact on environment
The Study Road 2013 finished!
I wrote about this great adventure in a previous post.
See here their “Final” report:
After 12.500 kilometres of cycling, crossing 7 countries, cycling through deserts, mountains, rain, storm, snow and valleys we made it to Beijing!
On the 6th of August the Study Road team arrived at the Dutch Embassy in Beijing where they were welcomed by the Ambassador. The program continued with lectures about Chinese environmental issues, history of Confucianism, and economy.
Sleeping in tents was not necessary anymore. The Peninsula, one of the most luxurious hotels in Beijing offered a room to each participant. So before everybody continued it’s journey in a different direction they were spoiled in the luxury of one room per person, delicious breakfast, a pool and a gym.
Arrival in front of The Forbidden City in Beijing
It has been a long journey with many adventures. Thanks to the enthusiasm and positive vibes of the team we made the first edition of the Study Road a success. So a big thank you to the pioneers who made the Study Road a reality and not just an idea!
And a big thank you to the participating universities, the guest speakers, the travel agencies and the volunteers that have been helping!
WE DID IT!
– Joya van Hout –
Read the full report: http://tinyurl.com/matpf6t
Climate Panel Cites Near Certainty on Warming
See the full article: 19 August 2013 – By JUSTIN GILLIS, The New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/20/science/earth/extremely-likely-that-human-activity-is-driving-climate-change-panel-finds.html?ref=justingillis
An international panel of scientists has found with near certainty that human activity is the cause of most of the temperature increases of recent decades, and warns that sea levels could conceivably rise by more than three feet (that like 1 m) by the end of the century if emissions continue at a runaway pace.
The scientists, whose findings are reported in a draft summary of the next big United Nations climate report, largely dismiss a recent slowdown in the pace of warming, which is often cited by climate change doubters, attributing it most likely to short-term factors.
The report emphasizes that the basic facts about future climate change are more established than ever, justifying the rise in global concern. It also reiterates that the consequences of escalating emissions are likely to be profound.
“It is extremely likely that human influence on climate caused more than half of the observed increase in global average surface temperature from 1951 to 2010,” the draft report says. “There is high confidence that this has warmed the ocean, melted snow and ice, raised global mean sea level and changed some climate extremes in the second half of the 20th century.”
The draft comes from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a body of several hundred scientists that won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, along with Al Gore.
One more report, to add to the ones cited in my book Toxic Capitalism.
The Study Road arrived from Istanbul in Beijing!
Yes, a crazy bunch of young people made it from Istanbul (Turkey) to Beijing, some 12,500 Km, starting 7 March 2013 and ending 15 August.
See: http://www.thestudyroad.com/
The road: Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Beijing.
The team: Melanie Hoetmer (student in Neuroscience), Ben Seagar (Architect and winemaker), Hedda ten Holder (student in Media and Culture), Zhenbao Jin (Lawyer and Professor in Civil Law) and Joya van Hout (Founding Director), and other. Nationalities: The Netherlands, China, New Zealand.
I was fortunate to meet the team of these great adventurers in Beijing on 8 August and I talked about my book “Toxic Capitalism”, the 2008 Beijing Olympics and more. Location: 2nd floor of Nearby The Tree in Sanlitun.
Their tour is a great promotion for biking, especially in China where bikes are many but not used enough. I do see more and more Chinese young people on expensive and fancy bikes. Cool.
Driving a BMW in China but…
See here from China Daily 1 August 2013:
Quotable
“Driving a BMW but drinking polluted water – that is definitely not the modernization prospect we foresee.”
Zhou Shengxian, minister of environmental protection, was quoted by the People’s Daily as saying on Wednesday. Zhou said progress in building an ecologically responsible society can be guaranteed only by implementing strict environmental regulations and the rule of law.
Actually a nearly similar quote is already mentioned in my book Toxic Capitalism