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A new post over at Rectified.name about my latest trip to Yunnan. Sad to see how much that province has changed over the past decade. While tourism brings many benefits to local communities, the effects of so many people trampling through the hills and valleys of this beautiful place cannot be ignored. Can the government, with the help of local and international NGOs, find a workable solution for the environmental challenges associated with the development of the region? A wind farm along the highway outside of Urumqi, Xinjiang. Taken September, 2010 I like sleeping with the windows open. Summer. Winter. Whatever. I guess I am a bit of a fresh air freak. Which begs the obvious question: Why oh why do I live in the perpetual haze and permanent dust storm that is the Chinese capital? Last night was windy and this morning I awoke to a fine layer of dust and soot covering all surfaces of our apartment and my morning run was like jogging in a particle accelerator. I came back and turned on the News Hour with Jim Lehrer which had…Ah! The curse of coincidence…a feature on China’s Olympic preparations. I’ve been thinking a lot about expectations lately, and I’d be the first to admit that compared to five years ago the air in Beijing is–marginally–cleaner and more breathable. (I met my Dad once at the airport and he suggested that the plane might have had a fire. I shook my head and told him that, “No, it always smells like this.”) But the old coal smoke and industrial smog have been replaced by construction dust and the exhaust of conspicuous consumption. The athletes, fans, and journalists who hit town in two months won’t have the benchmark of It’s been a busy week here in Beijing. The Olympic year is not yet two weeks old and China is already doing its damnedest to serve up a whole stir-fry of crazy. First off, 2008 has thus far not been kind to CCTV. While the state-run station has never really considered itself either yellow or violent, this reliable source of unintentional comedy for those of us living in Beijing has done its best to force that phrase into the cultural lexicon. (Plastered T-Shirts needs to get on this right away, how could they not?) EastSouthWestNorth has also provided a handy list of the top ten ‘very yellow, very violent’ websites for your surfing convenience. Not to be outdone by the news division, CCTV sports, or, as it is now known, The Olympic Channel, staggered out of the gate when the amorous wanderings of sportscaster Zhang Bin drew the ire of his wife at the official kick-off ceremony. Hell hath no fury like a women scorned with access to cameras, microphones, and a soundstage. The money quote in my book: “Until China is able to start exporting its values, it won’t be able to become a great power. For us to It’s enough to make you want to go kosher. Or halal. Or vegetarian for that matter. A mysterious illness is decimating Guangdong’s pig population causing pork prices to spike and the former head of China’s FDA was just convicted and sentenced TO DEATH for taking bribes. I’m not implying there is a causal link, but these are NOT two stories you want to read one right after the other before dinner. Yikes. The fascinating blog Beijing Newspeak has a chilling look behind the scenes of China’s Porkygate. There’s been no confirmation on the extent of the epidemic or the full story behind the rise in pork prices, but it’s definitely a situation worth watching. As Beijing Newspeak says, there are many factors here, but to deny that the disease is playing a role is disingenuous at best and dangerous at worst. Other than that, I’ll let Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta, and Quentin Tarantino have the last word on this one: Jules: Pigs are filthy animals. I don’t eat filthy animals. Vincent: But bacon tastes good, pork chops taste good… Jules: Hey, sewer rat may taste like pumpkin pie, but I’d never know ’cause I wouldn’t eat |
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