Plastic beach

16:32, October 20, 2020

• 

  China makes headway on green express packaging

  An express worker processes packages at a delivery station in Qinhuangdao, Hebei province, on Feb 24. (Photo: China Daily)HANGZHOU -- China made remarkable progress on the green governance of express packaging in 2019, with a more environmentally-friendly development framework taking shape, according to a recent report on the green development of Chinas post and express industry.Compiled by the development and research center of the State Post Bureau (SPB), the report reaffirmed the countrys plan to cease the use of non-degradable plastic packaging, plastic tape, and single-use plastic woven bags at postal and express service outlets by 2025.In 2019, 98 percent of delivery packages used electronic waybills to reduce the use of paper equivalents to 61.7 billion A4 sheets.Over-packaging was also less last year in e-commerce, with the utilization rate of recyclable transit bags reaching 75 percent, saving 2.48 billion single-use plastic woven bags, the report read.The report also noted that a total of 200 million packaging boxes were recovered and put back to use in 2019 across the industry, and some 78 million cartons were saved due to the use of recyclable boxes. The industry also promoted low-carbon transportation with 43,000 clean energy vehicles.Shen Hongyan, director of the center, said science and technology are playing a more significant role in propping up the green development of the courier industry with reduced costs and increased efficiency, calling on enterprises to fulfill environmental responsibilities better.In 2019, Chinas express packages posted a 25.3-percent growth to 63.52 billion, ranking as the worlds first for six consecutive years. The country is expected to see over 74 billion parcels in 2020, with a growth of 18 percent year on year, said a report previously released by SPB.The country in January released a plan to ban or significantly reduce the production and use of environmentally-unfriendly plastic products in the nex...

• 

  Observer: US troublemaker in global environmental governance

  As one of the most advanced developed countriesin thisinterconnectedworld, the US should have shown a good demeanor in global environmental governance.Yetafter the Trump administration came to power, the US has not only reversed its environmental protection policies, but also seriously damaged world environmental governance. The bad US record on environmental governance bears out its reputation as a “consensus breaker” and "troublemaker."The US is the worlds largest cumulative emitter of greenhouse gases. At the same time, per capita carbon emissions in the US remain high. In 2017, fossil fuel emissions per capita were14.6 tons of carbon dioxide, which was 3.3 times the global average. The performance of the US in reducing emissions is an important factor inthe effectiveness of global climate governance.To address global climate change, the US signed the Paris Agreement with a number of countries in 2016. However, the Trump administration has repeatedly threatened towithdraw fromthe Paris Agreement since it took office. In 2019, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the US would formally withdraw on November 4, 2020.Ironically, as an important party promoting the conclusion and entry into force of the Paris Agreement, the US has also become the only party to withdraw from the Paris Agreement so far.The US not only refuses to undertake emission reduction obligations, but also refuses to fulfill its promises. The US has the largest amount of arrears in the history of the Global Environment Facility, with total arrears of $111 million, accounting for 95.7%.TheTrump administration even announced it would stop donating to the Green Climate Fund.So far, the US has not yet ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity, which makes it completely outside the global biodiversity conservation cooperation system.The US is one of the largest destinationsand consumer countries for traffi...

• 

  This is Shaanxi: Three New Parks in Xi'an

  A city prospers because of the people, and it is the city parks that organically connect the people and nature. Today, lets check out the three newparks in Xian.Bahe Left Bank Ecological ParkUnlike typical urban parks, the Bahe Left Bank Ecological Park was constructed according to the local topography and ecological landform, presenting the beauty of real nature.Also a real oxygen generator for citizens, the park is equipped with plastic running tracks,surroundingping pong tableand basketball courts.The park is also planted with various flowers and saplings, such as ginkgo, horse chestnut, five-cornered maple, Chinese locust tree, cherry blossoms, etc., among which the velvet crape myrtle, willow leaf verbena and pink daisy grass scale up into three majorflower zones.Qujiang Dahua Community ParkDesigned on the concept of "Romantic Flower, Wizard of Oz, Childrens Park, and HealthGreenway",Qujiang Dahua CommunityParkis correspondingly extended into six sections: the Romantic Flower Forest, Garden of Season, Exploration Garden, LOHASForest, Health Park, and Story Garden.Sitting right at the park entrance, the Exploration Garden is the first and core section of the entire park.The LOHASForest, another major section of the park, delivers a view of dense primordial forest.Qujiang Floral ParkInside the Qujiang Floral Park, gentle slope is closely covered with the flower sea, forming an artistic landscape. The green lawns andsurrounding buildings generate a delightful harmony.With "spring blossoms, summer shade, autumn fruits and winterplants", different views and colourscan be captured in thepark in four seasons.Get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, embrace the beautiful scenery, and enjoy the tranquility in these city parks!