Category Archives: Green-tech

China, Energy, Environment, Green-tech, Indepth, Life

Four Chinese people’s stories in environmental protection

03/09/2017 北欧绿色邮报网 Leave a comment

By Kou Jiangze, Shi Ziqiang and Liu Chang from People’s Daily

Zou Yi: An enthusiast of environmental protection who takes photos of the sky everyday

Jiankou, a section of the Great Wall located beside Xizhazi village, Huairou district of Beijing, is frequently visited by a group of outdoor sport fans on Saturday, who collect garbage with the white plastic bags tied to their camping bags. The visitors all come from a volunteer group named “Giant Gooo-go Great Wall.”

“I spotted this beautiful place when visiting the nearby Mutianyu section of the Great Wall several years ago,” said Zou Yi, initiator of the volunteer group. The Jiankou Great Wall has seen more and more trash after it gained popularity, therefore Zou started collecting garbage with the volunteers since September 2013. By now, more than 3,200 volunteers have joined the campaign.

He was once asked during an environmental protection activity how he got to the event. After the activity was finished, he received a letter from the organizers which listed a record of the transportation energy they had consumed on the way. This made Zou realize that each social activity involves energy consumption and carbon emission. “Ever since, I have chosen a green lifestyle,” Zou said.

In order to draw more public attention on air pollution control and a green lifestyle, Zou has posted photos of the sky taken by him in the same place every day on social media platforms.

“Although judging air quality by photos is not very scientific, the combination of a year’s pictures is quite informative,” Zou explained. By now, his pictures have been viewed for more than 50 million times.

Zou made his friends realize that environmental issues, such as smog, need joint efforts from both the governments and the public.

Such mindset shift was also echoed by a recent survey about public treatment of smog and environmental protection conducted by People’s Daily. Thirty six percent of the respondents consider smog treatment to be an issue of the governments and polluting enterprises, while 64 percent believe that everyone is responsible for environmental protection.

“We should start from subtle things in our daily life and change the lifestyles that are unfriendly to the environment,” Zou proposed, adding that choosing public transportation, reducing fireworks, as well as saving water and electricity will all contribute to the environment.

Though the subtle change made by each individual only has limited influence, it “will be a great power when united,” Zou added.

Ma Jun: A man devoted to emitters’ information disclosure

The Blue Map is a mobile application that enables users to check real-time monitoring data of discharging outlets of major pollution sources, including pollutant concentration, standard limits, exceeding rate, and emission. Users can also share the information through social media and report each case through the interactive platform of the app.

The application is developed by a non-governmental organization named Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs (IPE). According to Ma Jun, director of IPE, the application has received tens of thousands of reports after it was launched in April 2015.

More than 650 enterprises, including big State-owned companies, were urged for rectification as a result, Ma added.

“Information disclosure is the premise of the public participation in the cause of environmental protection,” said Ma, adding that the public will choose a green lifestyle and control pollution after they are given the information about environment, while a greater participation will improve the environment ultimately.

Currently, a total of more than 9,000 enterprises have publicized monitoring data on provincial governmental platforms as required. Ma also suggested environmental protection departments at all levels to better implement related laws and regulations.

Hebei villager Li Wei: Willing to pay more for cleaner air

After using natural gas for home heating, Li Wei’s family can spend a warmer winter at their house, which forms a sharp contrast to the chilling temperature outside.

Living in a two-storey house in Nanwangqiying village, Gu’an county in North China’s Hebei Province, Li said that natural gas heating has made his life easier.

“There is big space in my house needs to be heated. Before using natural gas, we needed at least five to six tons of coal for heating during the winter. Lighting a fire was inconvenient, because I had to wear a hat and a pair of gloves and usually turned out to be covered by ashes after a fire was lit,” Li said.

Cutting coal use has been given the highest priority to prevent smog in many smog-blanketed northern China in the winter season. Gu’an county, a close neighbor to the south of Beijing specializing in plant nursery, has been forbidden to use coal heating by the Ministry of Environmental Protection last July.

As early as 2014, the Nanwangqiying village has become a pilot village for the program of transformation from coal to natural gas in Gu’an, with 168 households having uninstalled stoves and started to use natural gas heaters.

The cost of using natural gas is a concern for the villagers. Li said that the annual cost of natural gas is nearly 7,000 yuan ($1,018), slightly higher than 6,000 yuan for using coal.

“We first felt unaccustomed to gas heating, which breaks away from our old tradition of using coal,” Li admitted. “But we heard people elsewhere frequently talking about smog. It is not only harmful to our health, but also causes vehicle restrictions and highway blocks that affect our daily life, trips and business,” Li said, saying he and his fellow villagers could understand and accept the extra cost.

In the meantime, the Nanwangqiying village has started to utilize solar heating. Ten households of the village now have access to solar energy, in a pilot program of solar heating carried out in Hebei.

Zheng Tengfei: A ‘returnee’ committed to environmental education

Zheng Tengfei published an article on the internet at the end of last year, in which she urged people to reflect on their own rather than pouring complaints to government in the face of smog. Zheng believes that technological innovations and environmental education contribute to solution of the smog, but everyone must start from themselves.

The article was both praised and criticized. Many blamed her as making excuses for government. Zheng explained that she just wants everyone to realize that the environmental degradation is a result of human demand which has surpassed the tolerance capacity of the environment, and people can do more.

Being an environmentalist, she always collects advertising leaflets in the subways and wasted learning material for children to make paper planes, believing it could save resources. Her children like reading, but she prefers borrowing books from libraries than buying them.

She is willing to pay for such mode of circulation and sharing, hoping more resources could be shared, such as mobile libraries.

In Zheng’s eyes, the Chinese public’s awareness of environmental protection still needs to be improved despite the rapid economic development in recent years. She returned to Shanghai and devoted herself to education after receiving a PhD in chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US in 2014.

According to Zheng, the ideas and awareness of the next generation will determine the future, so the children must know how to protect the environment and save energy. To this end, parents should act as an example, and more importantly, children must get close to nature to obtain a deep understanding and love toward the world and life.

Pics

Zou Yi shows his photos of the Beijing sky taken in 2014. (Photo by zhhjw.org)

To encourage low-carbon travelling, Huainan, Anhui province has built a public bicycle rental service system covering 300 sites, 10,000 bicycles and 12,000 lockers in the main sections of the urban area. Local residents can enjoy a one-hour free ride. (Photo by People’s Daily)

In April 2016, an environmental activity was carried out in a community in Xinyu, Jiangxi province. Residents could exchange for plants with any two types of waste batteries. The activity aimed to call upon residents to start from subtle things and pay attention to environmental protection, advocating a green life style. (Photo by People’s Daily)

Business, China, Chinese circle, Energy, Environment, Exchange, Green-tech

China’s bike-sharing industry braces for explosive growth

03/06/2017 北欧绿色邮报网 Leave a comment

By Qiang Wei from People’s Daily

STOCKHOLM, March6(Greenpost)–China’s bike-sharing industry has embraced an explosive growth since last year. Data showed that by the end of last year, millions of bikes offered by over 20 bike-sharing companies have expanded their service to nearly 19 million users.

The bike-sharing service enables users to find, unlock and pay to rent the bicycles through a smartphone app. Mobike and Ofo are among the two largest of a growing crop of private bike-sharing operators.

Ofo, the company behind the yellow two-wheelers, announced on 1^st March that it has raised 3.1 billion yuan ($450 million) in a fresh round of funding. It not only represents the largest single deal in terms of fund raised by a bike-sharing firm, but also swells the firm to the industry’s richest unicorn, a start-up company valued at over 1 billion dollars.

Public bike is not a fresh thing. Many Chinese cities have launched public bikes previously to meet the citizens’ demands for the “last mile” of public transportation, but congested public space and complicated procedures restrained the pace of such efforts.

Unlike the services provided by local governments, users of the newly emerging shared bikes like Orange-hued Mobike can find and pay for bicycles via a smartphone app and then leave them wherever they want. The location of the bike will be recorded by the data platforms, so that the next users can find one easily.

The economical and convenient service also responds to China’s call for green, energy-saving transportation, attracting a host of fans due to its convenience and low price.

These bikes, a combination of sharing-economy, high-technology and market demands, also provide the outside world a glimpse into China’s huge potential in sharing economy.

PwC’s projections show that five key sharing sectors—travel, car sharing, finance, staffing, and music and video streaming—have the potential to increase global revenues to around 335 billion dollars by 2025, over 20 times higher than the number in 2016.

The latest report released by McKinsey & Company on China’s sharing economy revealed that shared transportation is gaining wide popularity in the Chinese market, while office space and technology sharing is rising.

So far, China’s sharing economy is applied in transportation, office space, skills and finance, while segment fields including car-hailing, bike-sharing, car-sharing and apartment-renting are growing in a faster pace.

Shared bikes are lined up outside a subway entrance in CBD in Beijing. (Photo by Qiang Wei from People’s Daily)

China, Energy, Green-tech

Chinese smartphone company climbs technology ladder with self-developed chip

03/06/2017 北欧绿色邮报网 Leave a comment

By Liu Ningning and Li Xiao

STOCKHOLM，March 6（Greenpost）– Xiaomi, one of China’s leading smartphone manufacturers, released its first independently developed smartphone chip on Tuesday, making it the fourth cellphone company in the world that can independently develop processor after Apple, Samsung and Huawei.

Pengpai S1, the fingernail-sized chip, cost Xiaomi over 1 billion yuan ($145 million) in research and development. “Chip is the apex level of cellphone technology. To become a great company, Xiaomi must master the core technology,” Lei Jun, founder and CEO of Xiaomi said on the release conference.

China is a big smartphone manufacturer. Nearly 70 percent of the cellphones around the world are produced by China, but only 5 percent of these phones are equipped with chips independently developed by China.

The innovation of chips, as the heart of smartphones, is the top priority during the R&D process.

But for the manufacturers, their product development and market plans were often affected by the chips, and a new cellphone line even cannot be designed until the chip is delivered. The passive manufacturers found that the chips they offered always fell behind the needs of customers and the market.

After Chinese cellphone companies stepped up self-development and innovation in the core technology in recent years, they have fundamentally improved the quality and influence of “Made in China” and charted the course for enterprise transformation.

In 2012, Huawei successfully launched its first commercial cellphone chip Haisi K3V2 and the Kirin series afterwards underwent constant upgrade. Now, the company is among the frontline of chip development across the globe.

Last year, Huawei released the 1,000-yuan Honor 5C, which carries its own Kirin 650 chipset, building a sharing platform between high-end chipset and 1,000-yuan cellphones chipset and offering better customer experiences.

The People’s Daily, in a signed article under the title “Let Chinese Chips Make New Waves” on March 1, defined chip development as a marathon, saying that product iteration always faces challenges and risks. However, a sparkle of innovation can lead to a wild fire.

“Independent innovation, represented by chip development, adds sufficient horsepower to enterprises like a brand-new engine while pointing out the direction of the transformation of the manufacturing industry,” the paper added.

(People’s Daily)

Business, China, Chinese circle, culture, Energy, Environment, Exchange, Green-tech, Indepth, Life, News, Opinion, Sport, World News, 中华美食, 中国新闻, 人物专访, 儿童教育, 儿童文学, 北欧体育, 北欧广播, 北欧环境, 北欧电视, 华侨华人, 国际新闻, 头条要闻, 好书推荐, 好微推荐, 好歌推荐, 情感, 文化卫生, 文学, 旅游, 时尚, 杂文，评论, 欧洲新闻, 瑞典新闻, 瑞典生活, 科技教育, 美图欣赏, 诗和远方, 读者来信, 财经新闻

两会·要闻：十二届全国人大五次会议在京开幕

03/05/2017 北欧绿色邮报网 Leave a comment

北欧绿色邮报网报道（记者陈雪霏）：据新华社北京３月５日电　第十二届全国人民代表大会第五次会议５日上午在人民大会堂开幕。国务院总理李克强向大会作政府工作报告时指出，使命重在担当，实干铸就辉煌。我们要更加紧密地团结在以习近平同志为核心的党中央周围，同心同德，开拓进取，努力完成今年经济社会发展目标任务，为实现“两个一百年”宏伟目标、建设富强民主文明和谐的社会主义现代化国家、实现中华民族伟大复兴的中国梦而不懈奋斗。
今天的人民大会堂气氛庄严热烈。万人大礼堂内灯火辉煌，主席台帷幕中央国徽高悬，十面红旗分列两侧。近３０００名全国人大代表肩负人民重托出席盛会，认真履行宪法和法律赋予的神圣职权。
大会主席团常务主席、执行主席张德江主持大会。大会主席团常务主席、执行主席李建国、王胜俊、陈昌智、严隽琪、王晨、沈跃跃、吉炳轩、张平、向巴平措、艾力更·依明巴海、万鄂湘、张宝文、陈竺在主席台执行主席席就座。
习近平、李克强、俞正声、刘云山、王岐山、张高丽和大会主席团成员在主席台就座。
十二届全国人大五次会议应出席代表２９２４人。今天的会议，出席２８６２人，缺席６２人，出席人数符合法定人数。
上午９时，张德江宣布：中华人民共和国第十二届全国人民代表大会第五次会议开幕。会场全体起立，高唱国歌。
根据会议议程，国务院总理李克强代表国务院向大会作政府工作报告。报告共分三部分：一、２０１６年工作回顾；二、２０１７年工作总体部署；三、２０１７年重点工作任务。
李克强说，过去一年，我国发展面临国内外诸多矛盾叠加、风险隐患交汇的严峻挑战。在以习近平同志为核心的党中央坚强领导下，全国各族人民迎难而上，砥砺前行，推动经济社会持续健康发展。党的十八届六中全会正式明确习近平总书记的核心地位，体现了党和人民的根本利益，对保证党和国家兴旺发达、长治久安，具有十分重大而深远的意义。各地区、各部门不断增强政治意识、大局意识、核心意识、看齐意识，推动全面建成小康社会取得新的重要进展，全面深化改革迈出重大步伐，全面依法治国深入实施，全面从严治党纵深推进，全年经济社会发展主要目标任务圆满完成，“十三五”实现了良好开局。
李克强从继续创新和加强宏观调控，经济运行保持在合理区间；着力抓好“三去一降一补”，供给结构有所改善；大力深化改革开放，发展活力进一步增强；强化创新引领，新动能快速成长；促进区域城乡协调发展，新的增长极增长带加快形成；加强生态文明建设，绿色发展取得新进展；注重保障和改善民生，人民群众获得感增强；推进政府建设和治理创新，社会保持和谐稳定等方面回顾了过去一年的工作。
李克强指出，我们也清醒看到，经济社会发展中还存在不少困难和问题。我们一定要直面挑战，敢于担当，全力以赴做好政府工作，不辱历史使命，不负人民重托。
李克强说，２０１７年发展的主要预期目标是：国内生产总值增长６．５％左右，在实际工作中争取更好结果；居民消费价格涨幅３％左右；城镇新增就业１１００万人以上，城镇登记失业率４．５％以内；进出口回稳向好，国际收支基本平衡；居民收入和经济增长基本同步；单位国内生产总值能耗下降３．４％以上，主要污染物排放量继续下降。
李克强报告了做好２０１７年政府工作要把握好的五点：一是贯彻稳中求进工作总基调，保持战略定力；二是坚持以推进供给侧结构性改革为主线；三是适度扩大总需求并提高有效性；四是依靠创新推动新旧动能转换和结构优化升级；五是着力解决人民群众普遍关心的突出问题。
李克强说，２０１７年要重点做好九个方面工作：一是用改革的办法深入推进“三去一降一补”；二是深化重要领域和关键环节改革；三是进一步释放国内需求潜力；四是以创新引领实体经济转型升级；五是促进农业稳定发展和农民持续增收；六是积极主动扩大对外开放；七是加大生态环境保护治理力度；八是推进以保障和改善民生为重点的社会建设；九是全面加强政府自身建设。
李克强还就民族、宗教和侨务工作，国防和军队建设，香港、澳门发展和两岸关系，以及我国外交政策作了阐述。
根据会议议程，大会审查２０１６年国民经济和社会发展计划执行情况与２０１７年国民经济和社会发展计划草案的报告及２０１７年计划草案、２０１６年中央和地方预算执行情况与２０１７年中央和地方预算草案的报告及２０１７年全国预算草案。
在主席台就座的还有：马凯、王沪宁、刘延东、刘奇葆、许其亮、孙春兰、孙政才、李源潮、汪洋、张春贤、范长龙、孟建柱、赵乐际、胡春华、栗战书、郭金龙、韩正、杜青林、赵洪祝、杨晶、常万全、杨洁篪、郭声琨、王勇、周强、曹建明、韩启德、帕巴拉·格列朗杰、董建华、万钢、林文漪、罗富和、何厚铧、张庆黎、李海峰、陈元、卢展工、周小川、王家瑞、王正伟、马飚、齐续春、陈晓光、马培华、刘晓峰、王钦敏，以及中央军委委员房峰辉、张阳、赵克石、张又侠、吴胜利、马晓天、魏凤和等。
香港特别行政区行政长官梁振英、澳门特别行政区行政长官崔世安列席会议并在主席台就座。
出席全国政协十二届五次会议的政协委员列席大会。
中央和国家机关有关部门、解放军及武警部队、各人民团体有关负责人列席或旁听了大会。
各国驻华使节旁听了大会。（完）

Business, China, Chinese circle, Energy, Environment, Exchange, Green-tech, Indepth, Opinion

Investing in China still pays

02/06/2017 北欧绿色邮报网 Leave a comment

By Xuefei Chen Axelsson

Stockholm, Feb.6(Greenpost)– What makes economy grow? Investment. In 1994, I started a program at China Radio International. It was called Investing in China. I chose the music and I wrote every report. At that time, China opened its arms and welcomed any investment she can get.

The early stage investment mostly came from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Japan as well as many other Asian and European and American companies. Mostly overseas Chinese. In 1996, Citrön car from France settled in Wuhan, Hubei Province and Singapore Industrial Park just started to build.

Zhejiang and Jiangsu province were the vanguard of the provinces that attracted foreign investment. It proved that wherever the investment goes, there will be rapid growth.

After five years attracting investment for basic production, China survived Southeast Asian financial crisis. Why? Fan Gang, a famous Chinese economist said China produced a lot of basic products or low end of goods which are necessities, thus it is not affected by economic crisis.

The same is true. My classmate opened a grocery store and sold milk to local Canadian customers. During 2008 financial storm, she continued to earn money and was not affected very much. Whenever there is a crisis, it often affects the luxurious products.

In the current world, the production capacity was too much. Why can that happen? I think there are three reasons. One is the wrong calculation or planning of the National Reform and Development Commission. The other is the corruption which means unnecessary projects carried out due to bad intention. The third is the idea of Great Leap Forward to continue to keep fast growth.

The growth is still very fast in China, but the side effects are huge. The environment is a key side effect. The other is the hectic life style. During the 1980s, Chinese people lived a very cozy, inefficient but kind of slow life while people in America worked 17 hours a day and many democrats didn’t like it.

Now the Chinese worked so hard while people in the west realised that was not sustainable. Many people become old now.

Has China been saturated in investment? I don’t think so at all. There is still room to build schools, kindergartens, hospitals, elderly homes, swimming pools, sports playgrounds and many more. There will be more need in home services, elderly services, psychological services and good parks in the small towns or countryside.

I believe there will be a trend that more people like to go back to the countryside or remain in the countryside. Big cities are too big to be comfortable. Too many cars to avoid smog.

It is also imperative to collect rain water and build artificial lakes wherever possible.

Investment in the poor areas is still necessary. Once every village has safe drinking water, safe decent toilet and good road, swimming pool and playground, or cinema, then I will say China’s development will enter a slow 2 or 3 percent growth. Thus investing in China still pays, in my opinion.

Green-tech, Indepth, News, World News

Crafoord Prize is awarded for fundamental discoveries in immune regulation

01/26/2017 北欧绿色邮报网 Leave a comment

By Xuefei Chen Axelsson

STOCKHOLM, Jan. 25(Greenpost)–Three immunology researchers share 2017’s Crafoord Prize in Polyarthritis, for which the prize money is 6 million Swedish krona, according to a statement by the Crafoord Prize Foundation.

The research being rewarded deals with the discovery of regulatory T cells, cells that can be regarded as our immune system’s security guards.

They put a brake on cells that are overzealous and attack the body’s own tissue. There are hopes that their discoveries will lead the way to new, highly effective treatment methods for autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, MS and type 1 diabetes.

“The Royal Science Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2017 Crafoord Prize in Polyarthritis to

Shimon Sakaguchi, Osaka University, Japan,

Fred Ramsdell, Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, USA

and

Alexander Rudensky, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA,

“for their discoveries relating to regulatory T cells, which counteract harmful immune reactions in arthritis and other autoimmune diseases.”

Autoimmune diseases arise when the body’s immune system malfunctions, attacking normal tissue. Globally, these diseases cause great suffering and premature death for millions of people. Autoimmune diseases include multiple sclerosis (MS), type 1 diabetes and polyarthritis. The latter is a term used for rheumatic diseases in which multiple joints are affected.

There are great hopes that highly effective treatments for autoimmune diseases will be possible, based on new knowledge about the immune system that was gained over the last few decades. Three researchers are now being rewarded for their fundamental discoveries in the field: Shimon Sakaguchi, Fred Ramsdell, and Alexander Rudensky.

The Laureates’ discoveries relate to regulatory T cells, which are the immune system’s security guards. Their task is to keep an eye on other white blood cells that are overzealous in their task of defending the body from intruders and could harm things they should leave alone, such as healthy cells in joints, the pancreas or brain.

Even back in the 1960s, researchers were searching for suppressor cells in the immune system, but the research results were contradictory. Accordingly, over time, the consensus became that no such cells existed. Despite this, Shimon Sakaguchi persevered with the search and, after many years, he succeeded in identifying the cells that are now called regulatory T cells. Some years later, Fred Ramsdell approached the same area from a different direction; he isolated and identified the gene that is linked to severe autoimmune disease in a particular strain of mice. He also demonstrated that mutation in the same gene in humans, now known as FOXP3, causes a severe congenital disease called IPEX. Shortly afterwards, decisive findings were made, linking these two pieces of knowledge together. Alexander Rudensky, Shimon Sakaguchi and Fred Ramsdell each described how the FOXP3 gene is vital to a process that results in some T cells becoming security guards in the immune system. These are the regulatory T cells, which can prevent autoimmune reactions because they detect and suppress overzealous colleagues in the immune system.

A great number of clinical trials are now being conducted globally, with research teams testing various ways of using regulatory T cells to subdue the immune system’s attacks that cause autoimmune diseases. The long-term vision is that of a breakthrough in the treatment of polyarthritis and other autoimmune syndromes, which could be treated more effectively than they are today.

Additional information, a video about this year’s prize and illustrations for editorial use are available at:

http://kva.se/crafoordprize

www.crafoordprize.se

This year’s Crafoord Prize

The Crafoord Prize is awarded as a partnership between the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Crafoord Foundation in Lund. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences is responsible for deciding upon the Crafoord Laureates.

The prize is awarded in one discipline each year, according to a set schedule for Mathematics and Astronomy, Geosciences, and Biosciences. The prize for Polyarthritis is awarded only when a special committee has demonstrated that scientific progress in this field has been such that an award is justified.

The prize amount is 6 million Swedish krona to be shared equally between the Laureates.

The award ceremony will be held at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on 18 May 2017, in the presence of H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria.

The Crafoord Days are 15–18 May 2017 in Stockholm and Lund. A detailed programme will be available at http://kva.se/events

Prize lecture: 16 May, Lund University.

Prize symposium: 17 May, Stockholm. Please register via http://kva.se/events

Prize ceremony: 18 May, Beijer Hall, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm.

The Laureates

Shimon Sakaguchi, Professor at Osaka University, Japan. Discovered and documented the occurrence of regulatory T cells by systematically investigating cells that develop in the thymus of young mice, in a series of experiments from 1985 onwards. Born 1951.

www.ifrec.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/laboratory/experimentalimmunology/

Fred Ramsdell, Head of Research at Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, San Francisco, CA, USA. Identified the faulty gene in some mice and children that are born with IPEX, a severe autoimmune disease, in 2001. This gene, FOXP3, has proven to be vital in the development of regulatory T cells. Born 1961.

www.parkerici.org/about

Alexander Rudensky, Professor, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA. Knocked out the FOXP3 gene in mice in 2003, so they were unable to form regulatory T cells and thus suffered from severe autoimmune diseases. At about the same time, Sakaguchi and Ramsdell independently presented evidence that FOXP3 governs the formation of regulatory T cells and, at a stroke, a dynamic new field of research arose. Born 1956.

Business, China, Chinese circle, Environment, Green-tech, Life

Swedish design in pine for the Chinese market at the Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair

01/24/2017 北欧绿色邮报网 1 Comment

By Xuefei Chen Axelsson

STOCKHOLM, Jan. 24(Greenpost)– Swedish Wood, Carl Marlmsten Furniture Studies will present their examples of innovative Swedish design in pine for young Chinese people, in the form of nine prototypes manufactured in China.

DesigninPine is a unique collaborative project between the industry body Swedish Wood, Carl Malmsten Furniture Studies (Malmstens), Linköping University and two Chinese furniture manufacturers. At the Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair on 7-11 February, the students involved will be presenting their examples of innovative Swedish design in pine for young Chinese people, in the form of nine prototypes manufactured in China.

The aim of the project #DesigninPine is to use Swedish design to support the export of Swedish sawn timber. The project is also about promoting Swedish pine as a natural and renewable material from sustainable forestry – a material that is perfect for furniture production in a world with such a strong focus on a sustainable society.

“The ease of use and visual look of pine makes it ideal for forward-looking design which, combined with the sustainability aspect, is a key factor in raising the status of Swedish coniferous wood, both in Sweden and in export markets such as China,” says Charlotte Dedye Apelgren, Director of Interior and Design at Swedish Wood.

Over a few intense weeks in autumn 2016, the third-year students in furniture design at Malmstens worked to design furniture for the Chinese market, using Swedish pine. The project has also involved the Chinese furniture companies Huari Furniture and Fujian Dushi Homelife Group. They provided knowledge of the young Chinese target group and the market and about industrial furniture manufacture, as well as producing the prototypes.

Despite the geographical distance, the project has involved close collaboration, with discussions on materials, surface treatments, sketches and plans enabling the furniture manufacturers to produce the prototypes that will be unveiled for the first time at the Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair.

“Malmstens has long had an ambition to enable the students to work on design assignments in an international arena. This collaboration with Swedish Wood has now made that a reality. In the project #DesigninPine, the students have had to tackle new parameters such as East meets West and the cultural and social differences that entails, as well as adapting their designs for large-scale industrial furniture manufacture,” explains Leó Jóhannsson, lecturer in furniture design at Malmstens.

The furniture project #DesigninPine will be displayed on the Malmstens stand VH01:46 in the Greenhouse during the Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair, 7-11 February 2017.

Swedish Wood spreads knowledge, provides inspiration and encourages development relating to wood, wood products and wood construction. The goal is to increase the use of wood in Sweden and in selected international markets through information and inspiration. Swedish Wood also aims to highlight wood as a competitive, eco-friendly and sustainable material. Swedish Wood is a department within The Swedish Forest Industries Federation. Swedish Wood is supported by the Swedish sawmill and glulam industries.

Carl Malmsten Furniture Studies, commonly known as Malmstens, offers four undergraduate programmes: in Furniture Design, Cabinetmaking, Furniture Upholstery and Furniture Conservation. The learning environment maintains an openness between the programmes. The students’ opportunities to collaborate and seek out new solutions ensure a holistic approach and a good understanding of the various aspects of furniture and professional roles. The students have unique opportunities to develop their craft, art and intellect. There is a shared focus on furniture and wood, based on concepts such as material knowledge, quality and sustainability, factors that in the long term may influence, and in the best case improve, people’s everyday lives.

Malmstens has been part of Linköping University since 2000 and is located on Lidingö.

chenxuefei7@hotmail.com, chenxuefei@greenpost.se

Business, Green-tech, News, Opinion

Video: Swedish Film Institute holds seminar on Virtual Reality

Video 11/20/2016 北欧绿色邮报网 Leave a comment

By Xuefei Chen Axelsson

Stockholm, Nov. 20(Greenpost)–A seminar on Virtual Reality during Stockholm International Film Festival was held on Nov. 18.

Energy, Environment, Exchange, Green-tech, 北欧环境, 华侨华人, 科技教育

我家装修过程中的回收利用

09/30/2016 北欧绿色邮报网 Leave a comment

北欧绿色邮报网报道（记者陈雪霏）－－在实现可持续发展的过程中，有一个重要环节那就是回收利用，再利用，以节约资源。这样做是否省钱呢？也不一定，但一定的是，它节约了资源。

例如，我们家进行装修，时间持续了很长。但是，我们计划的时间长，有利于循环利用。五年前我们计划装修时，先把冰箱捐给了教会。把沙发捐给了一个信誉比较好的二手店，相信，有人能够再利用这个名牌沙发。装修的主要原因是因为水管子漏水了。年久失修，必须换管子。这样就借机装修了。

我们的新烤箱因为可以蒸饺子，多花了一万多块钱，但还是接受了。

其实我们的橱柜也不错，古色古香的古典式样。在网上二手店放出，很快就有一个人要买，放到他们的乡下厨房。我们的炉子烤箱被一个摩洛哥的商人买去了。临走那天，他给我们500克朗，说他要把这个烤箱拉到摩洛哥去。不管怎样，在瑞典扔垃圾是要付费的。而我们找到了一个愿意使用我们烤箱的人，不但没有向我们要钱，还给我们一点儿小费。我们感到很高兴。

瓷砖想了半天还是全用白色了，因为这样，可以随便换花样。如果固定成蓝色，就不好再换别的颜色了。

最后，只有地板是全扔了，因为实在是太旧了。女儿的卧室，原来也是厨房。我父母原来说把它挪到新厨房去。但我们已经决定全部换新的了。虽然价格不菲，但都是我们喜欢的，精心挑选的，从长远考虑的。因此，最后还是决定把橱柜放到二手店网站上，结果一个来自Nynasam郊区的夫妇俩给了我们500克朗，他们租了一辆车，把所有的柜子都拉走了。回去一安装，还是满不错的。都是白色的。我还擦洗了一番。

这个线型柜橱是丹麦的设计。从第一眼就喜欢了，因此，也多花了一万多块克朗。

炉子卖给了一个曾经参与洛阳文物展项目的对中国友好人士。冰箱卖给了另一个人。虽然扳手有点儿问题，我爱人修好了。就这样，只剩下地板了。我原来想地板干脆也全换新的。但是，我爱人坚持要保持原样儿。所以，只把炉子底下和橱柜底下的一小块儿换新地板。其他地方保留。

今天，另一位师傅把地面用机器一扫，抛光，结果和新的一样。尽管一开始我还不太同意老公的执着，现在看到结果，我也很高兴。因为我们不用买新地板，不用多用材料了。不是钱的问题。其实，如果换新地板，可能花费的钱没有这样多。但是，就为了保持原样，为了少用新材料，宁可多花一点儿钱给工人。但是，整个过程，没有一点儿浪费。真的感觉很开心。

这里的工人工作完了，都用吸尘器把尘土和垃圾一起吸走。留下的就比较干净了。当然上次刷漆的工人没有这样做，一来他没有设备，二来，他觉得马上有人来收拾地板，所以他没必要管。当然他只管房顶和墙壁，地板确实也不是他的事。

瞧这地板不和新的一样吗？都是真正的木材。

女儿喜欢蓝色，所以，我们就选择了蓝色的油漆，刷到墙上。屋顶还是白的。

China, Chinese circle, culture, Exchange, Green-tech, Indepth

Ambassador Chen Yuming Talks about China and the World in Figures

09/28/2016 北欧绿色邮报网 Leave a comment

By Xuefei Chen Axelsson

STOCKHOLM, Sept. 28 (Greenpost)–A grand celebration of the 67th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China has been held in the Chinese Embassy in Stockholm.

Chen Yuming, Chinese Ambassador to Sweden spoke highly about remarkable achievements China made over the past 67 years with interesting figures.

“67 and 6.7. China has traveled a remarkable journey in the past 67 years, increasing its per capita GDP from 35 to 8 thousand US dollars amid the population growth from 400 million to 1.3 billion.” said Chen.

“China has lifted more than 700 million people out of poverty, and increased the size of our middle income group to over 100 million people. China has accomplished just in a few decades what has taken other countries several hundred years to achieve. As the engine for global growth, how the Chinese economy is doing is a topic of great interest.”

China’s growth rate of 6.7 percent in the first half of the year is still among the fastest in major economies despite of the slowdown.

China’s economic aggregate has exceeded 10 trillion US dollars, steadily contributing about 25 percent to global economic growth.

Ambassador Chen said China will continue to deepen reform and further open up with more efforts being put on innovation, being in harmony, being green and open and share the development put forward by the new five-year plan.

Ambassador Chen also mentioned the 20 referring to the G20 Hangzhou Summit recently held in China. With the theme of Towards an innovative, invigorated, interconnected and inclusive World Economy, Hangzhou Summit has achieved fruitful results. The G20 Leaders’ Communique Hangzhou Summit and 28 specific outcome documents were issued during the summit. President Xi Jinping attaches more importance to action than mere talking. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon applauds the G20 Hangzhou Summit for its two historic breakthroughs in promoting the sustainable development agenda and tackling climate change.

Ambassador Chen said this year marks the 66th anniversary of the establishment of dilomatic relations between China and Sweden.

“Chinese people often say, a double six brings success. Several days ago at the China-Swedish Entrepreneurs Round-table, Prime Minister Stefan Löfven said it is the spirits of innovation and cooperation that makes Sweden one of the richest countries in Europe. He hopes that businessmen from China and Sweden can continue to work together. China also looks forward to enhancing cooperation with Sweden in such fields as politics, people-to-people links, trade and investment, innovation, and social governance. ”

He said China is ready to cooperate with Sweden which has joined the UN Security Council in deeper cooperation. The establishment of the China Cultural Center in Stockholm just 28 days ago will serve as a bridge connecting Europe and Asia for better mutual understanding of the two peoples.

Ambassador Chen also quoted Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s speech at the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly that only development can root out the cause of poverty, refugee crisis, war, conflict and terrorism.

He said China firmly uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, take political solutions as the right path to tackle hotspot issues, including Syrian and the Korean Peninsular issues. China supports international efforts to address the refugee issue, and will provide 300 million dollars worth of humanitarian assistance.

China is among the first to ratify the Paris Agreement. Chinese peacekeepers are risking their lives for world peace.

Swedish EU Affairs and Trade Minister Ann Linde and State Secretary Annika Söder attended the reception.

Swedish Sinologist Cecilia Lindqvist and Stockholm Business Region’s CEO Olof Zetterberg and many dignitories from other embassies in Stockholm attended the reception.

A total of 300 people including Chinese prominant figures and leaders from various associations attended the reception.

Environment, Exchange, Green-tech, Indepth, News, World News

The Alternative Nobel Prize is announced in Stockholm

09/22/2016 北欧绿色邮报网 Leave a comment

Xuefei Chen Axelsson

STOCKHOLM, Sept.22(Greenpost)–The Laureates of this year’s Right Livelihood Award, widely known as the ‘Alternative Nobel Prize’, has just been announced at the Swedish Foreign Office International Press Centre .

Syria Civil Defence(The White Helmets) won the prize for their outstanding bravery, compassion and humanitarian engagement in rescuing civilians from the destruction of the Syrian civil war.

Egypt’s Mozn Hassan and Nazra for Feminist Studies, Russia’s Svetlana Gannushkina and Turkish Cumhuriyet, or Republica in English won this year’s awards for their brave action in defending human rights.

The announcement was made by Ole von Uexkull, Executive Director, and Dr Monika Griefahn, Chair of the Right Livelihood Award Foundation.

The international Jury convened in Überlingen, Germany from 8-11 September to select the recipients of the 2016 Right Livelihood Award from a total of 125 nominations from 50 countries.

Established in 1980, the Right Livelihood Award honours and supports courageous people and organisations offering visionary and exemplary solutions to the root causes of global problems.

In addition to presenting the annual award, the Right Livelihood Award Foundation supports the work of its Laureates, particularly those who may be in danger due to the nature of their activities.

Today, there are 162 Right Livelihood Award Laureates from 67 countries who have been recognised for their outstanding vision and work on behalf of people and the planet.

Previous Laureates include environmentalists David Suzuki (Canada) and Vandana Shiva (India), human rights activists Jacqueline Moudeina (Chad), Dr Denis Mukwege (DR Congo) and Bianca Jagger (Nicaragua), as well as Swedish children’s book author Astrid Lindgren and high-profile US whistleblowers Daniel Ellsberg and Edward Snowden.

Please follow us.

www.greenpost.se

Business, China, Energy, Environment, Exchange, Green-tech, News

Hebei environmental delegation visits Sweden

09/12/2016 北欧绿色邮报网 Leave a comment

STOCKHOLM, Sept. 12–About two years ago, Sweden-China Bridge in cooperation with Swedish Royal Seaport, Hammarbysjöstad and Enköping Kommuns environmental department invited two Chinese delegations to visit Sweden. Their visits were real fruitful visits.

两年前的10月14日－20日，河北代表团刘永乾经理，李云霞经理，秦志晖经理访问瑞典的哈马碧，皇家海港新城和恩雪平环境部。

10月20-26日河北环境和清洁能源代表团的李立景经理，李蕾和李闪经理考察了哈马碧，皇家海港新城和恩雪平。

The first delegation, composed of Liu Yongqian, Qin Zhihui and Li Hongxia, visited Sweden on October 14-20 and the second delegation, composed Li Lijing, Li Kan, and another Li.

The following are photos of the visiting.

垃圾桶好像橱柜，干净整洁。Rubbish bin looks like a furnature, clean and tidy.

老城改造的典范。

秋天来了，天气不冷不热，飞禽来皇后岛的草坪来吃草。看这些家伙平时以为是鹅，因为它们晃来晃去。但是，想走的时候，它们就都会飞了，穿过河流，湖海，落到它们想落的地方。它们走过的地方，人就很难在走了，因为它们名留下一片片青屎！

皇后岛在深秋，格外肃穆，安静，美丽。

秋老虎的太阳很毒。我被晒成了这样。

蓝天绿草和清水，让人心醉！

小熊因为老婆生孩子，没有赶上大队，只好自己来了。

林荫道宽敞明亮。

中国宫在皇后岛的密林深处。

‘

在这里，我们都吃得干干净净，没有一点点的浪费。

斯德哥尔摩的赛格广场，地标性建筑，就像是北京的天安门了吧。

图文／陈雪霏

Energy, Environment, Green-tech, News, World News

Swedish Princess Victoria calls for attention to water

Video 09/05/2016 北欧绿色邮报网 Leave a comment

Xuefei Chen Axelsson

STOCKHOLM, Sept.5(Greenpost)–Swedish Princess Victoria spoke at 2016 World Water Week.

https://siwi-mediahub.creo.se/world-water-week/2016-water-for-sustainable-growth/crown_princess_victoria_speech_at_world_water_week_2016

Business, China, Chinese circle, Energy, Environment, Green-tech, Life, News, World News

DayMe Home AB Participates in Maison Object in Paris

09/05/2016 北欧绿色邮报网 Leave a comment

By Xuefei Chen Axelsson

Stockholm, Sept. 5(Greenpost)-As a home design company in Sweden, DayMe Home AB are participating in Maison Object in Paris for the first time and its environmentally friendly home products are welcomed by many dealers at the ongoing exhibition.

DayMe Home AB pays great attention to Chinese market development and cooperation. Last year, its CEO Jasper Zhang began to try to combine the Swedish design with Chinese traditional dyeing technology to realise mass production with modern technology and provide the public with many environmentally-friendly home products.

”C’est tres jolie! C’est beau!” It’s really beautiful! Many French people exclaimed when they saw the children’s clothes and touched them gently.

The staff of DayMe felt very proud to tell the dealers that babies can ”eat” these clothes without any worries of chemicals.

During the exhibition, DayMe’s children and home products characterised by environmentally-friendly concept and fashion design attracted a lot of dealers from many countries including Danmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Russia, South Korea, Spain and the United States.

Janice Liang, Operation Manager of DayMe explained to Green Post in a written interview that the cotton used to make these clothes is 100 percent natural and organic from the field. It has won GOTS certificates.

”The dyeing process uses natural plants-extracted dyeing material and even its additives are extracted from plants and minerals,” said Janice.

”Those who are familiar with textile industry call it an environmental technology revolution in textile industry. China’s traditional herbs Radix is an important component in dyeing material. Different colors are extracted from different plants, but almost all the dyeing materials use radix, thus it not only has no heavy metal, fragrances, formaldehyde or fluorescent agents, but also can somewhat resist bacteria,” said Janice.

”The virtue of our plant dyeing technology is obvious. First, it avoids the discharge of poisonous waste water because it uses supersonic vibration technology in dyeing process. It substantially reduced the environmental impact from the production process and in a way protects the earth we all rely on. Due to the use of radix and turmeric herbs as dyeing material, the products can resist bacteria to certain degrees, ” said Janice.

”I thought only Chinese people knew that some herbs can resist bacteria. But when I talked with many dealers from various countries, I found they all have recognised that some herbs have the function of resisting bacteria. Mothers don’t need to worry about their babies ’eating’ the clothes because there is no chemicals in it,” Liang said it with a kind of pride.

”Secondly, it’s also a blessing for allergic children because it doesn’t have any source to cause allergy,” said Liang.

Liang said from the design perspective, it has the Nordic style of being simple, practical and taking users’ experience into consideration.

”Sweden is a country that pays great attention to environmental protection. As a Nordic brand of children clothes and home products, to be environmentally friendly and comfortable are our priorities, and maybe that’s why many dealers pay attention to us at Maison Object exhibition,” said Liang.

Janice Liang shows dyeing process with natural dyeing material in Stockholm exhibition. Photo by Xuefei Chen Axelsson

Earlier this year, DayMe Home products aroused great attention from Swedish industries when it participated in the Formex exhibition in Stockholm.

And now it is participating in the Maison Object exhibition in Paris to introduce its new technology and products to its European dealers for the first time.

Maison Object in Paris is a famous home products exhibition in the world and has a long history.

Photos provided by Janice Liang.

Business, Chinese circle, Environment, Exchange, Green-tech, News, World News

U.S. Professor Rose receives her Stockholm Water Prize

09/01/2016 北欧绿色邮报网 Leave a comment

By Xuefei Chen Axelsson

Stockholm, Sept. 1 (Greenpost)–Professor Joan B. Rose from American Michigan State University received her Stockholm Water Prize from the hands of the Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf in Stockholm City Hall on Wednesday.

Rose won the prize for her tireless contributions to global public health; by assessing risks to human health in water and creating guidelines and tools for decision-makers and communities to improve global wellbeing.

She was treated as a good example of translating scientific achievement into policies and applied in communities.

In its citation, The Stockholm Water Prize Nominating Committee said that “The nexus of water-related microbiology, water quality and public health is rife with uncertainty – in both theory and practice. The world is blessed with few individuals who can tackle the increasing and changing challenges to clean water and health, starting from state-of-the-art science through dedicated and original research, then moving to professional dissemination, effective lobbying of the legislative arena, influencing practitioners, and raising the general awareness. Joan Rose is the leading example of this extremely rare blend of talents.”

After she received the Prize, Professor Rose said she was honored.

“As an individual it is an honour and I am overflowing with gratitude. But it means even more, because it is a prize that honours water, it honours the blue planet and it honours the human condition. Therefore, I am very proud”.

Joan Rose is widely regarded as the world’s foremost authority on the microorganism Cryptosporidium. In 1993, the largest outbreak to date of the intestinal parasite Cryptosporidium affected more than 400 000 people in Milwaukee, US, who got sick from contaminated drinking water. 69 people died in the outbreak. Cryptosporidium, which exists in both humans and animals, cannot be killed by chlorine, and lives for several months.

Professor Rose and her team, whom she calls “water detectives” investigate waterborne disease outbreaks globally, to determine how they can be stopped, and prevented. She was the first person to present the widespread occurrence ofCryptosporidium in water supplies in 1988.

“More than two billion people still lack adequate sanitation, and over one billion lack access to safe drinking water. Hundreds of thousands of deaths from diarrhoeal diseases each year could be prevented by improved water, sanitation and hygiene. Joan Rose, our water hero, is a beacon of light in the quest for securing a better, healthier life for this and future generations,” commented SIWI’s Executive Director Torgny Holmgren.

Talking about what she believes is the world’s greatest water challenge, Professor Rose said: “I think it is going to be the reversal of water quality problems around the world; the algal blooms in fresh water and coastal waters, and the pollution, not just associated with humans, but also with disease outbreaks among our wildlife, like amphibians and fish. I also think reconnecting water and food security will be a major challenge. We are starting to do it but it will definitely continue to be a challenge.”

Professor Rose was key in establishing the 2004 WHO Drinking Water Standard, setting out a new WHO paradigm with direct impact on virtually all countries; Rose also worked in Malawi and Kenya to help translate these into local regulation. UNESCO’s International Hydrological Program asked for her leadership in meeting its goals of resource management and capacity building for Member States. She chaired a specialist group within the International Water Association to ensure understanding and incorporation of updated standards at the state and national level in engineer standards around the world. Her expertise in identifying and prioritizing issues of water quality led to codification of the Great Lakes Water Quality agreement. She Chairs Singapore’s Water Audit Panel of the influential Public Utilities Board; Canada and Korea sought her guidance. And to use today’s technology, she established an online collective of 140 scientists in the Global Water Pathogens Project.

The Stockholm Water Prize is a global award founded in 1991 and presented annually by Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) to an individual, organization or institution for outstanding water-related achievements. H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden is patron of the prize. The Stockholm Water Prize Founders, united in their strong conviction to drive sustainability in the water sector, are: Bacardi, Borealis & Borouge, Europeiska ERV, HP, Kemira, Poul Due Jensen Foundation, Ragn-Sells, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), Snecma/Safran, Water Environment Federation (WEF), Xylem and Ålandsbanken.