Here's Some Good News About China, the Environment, and California

Cooperation between the world's most populous country and the U.S.'s most populous state yields a bit of cheer.

OK, there is plenty of bad news on all three of those fronts, and this development goes only so far. But it's positive, and it's creative -- and, from my parochial perspective, it also ties together a variety of strands I've been following for a long time. So, here goes:

The Environmental Defense Fund recently drew attention?to a program to establish a carbon-trading market in Shenzhen -- the same factory-dense hub of activity in Southern China I've written about repeatedly over the years. (Sample of early report; sample of later one; sample in between.) From the EDF statement:

Shenzhen, an economically-vibrant city of 15 million on the South China Sea, launched the first of seven Chinese regional pilot carbon market systems slated to begin by the end of 2014.

The Shenzhen market is set include at least 635 local companies that contribute approximately 40% of the city's CO2 emissions, and is expected to result in a 21% decrease in the carbon intensity of the economy in just two years. ?Shenzhen is one of seven carbon trading pilots that represent about 25% of China's GDP and may include thousands of companies emitting hundreds of millions of tons of CO2.

This is good in many ways: As an example of the typical Chinese "try a bunch of experiments, and then do more of what works" governing strategy. As one more sign of the type of international cooperation that matters more than any other on climate issues, joint efforts between the U.S. and China. As an illustration of the Shenzhen area's rapid evolution?out of the low-wage, low-value-added, dirty-job economic model. As evidence that the Chinese government recognizes that "sustainability" in all its aspects is the very greatest challenge to the country's continued development and even the regime's survival.?

And to me it is gratifying in one other way too: Apparently it reflects the fruits of environmental-cooperation efforts between China and California, and specifically the trip to Shenzhen and other cities that?Governor Jerry Brown of California happened to be taking the day after I finished interviewing him for my profile last month. The Shenzhen project and the larger program of which it is part are deliberately modeled on some of the environmental measures that Brown has pushed in California during both his first and his second incarnations as governor.?

As I was finishing my last interview with Brown in his downtown Oakland office, the next person who trudged up to the third-floor loft to see him was ... Liam Casey! This is the same manufacturing mogul of Shenzhen whom I have often used as a guide to that landscape. Here is a picture of him coming in to Brown's office.

Casey announced in a Tweet today that the Shenzhen announcement was the culmination of work done during the California delegation's visit to China in April. Let's take our good environmental and US-China news where we can find it and recognize this step.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/JamesFallows/~3/-yyGUct0qXs/story01.htm

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Weather Blog: If You Can?t Stand The Heat?

By Carol Erickson

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) ? The heat isn?t just in the kitchen this summer.

This week will be the hottest so far in Philadelphia this summer as another heat wave begins.

Expect to find temperatures in the 90?s all week, feeling more like 100 plus as the humidity wraps in.

An excessive heat warning takes effect starting noon on Monday and will probably be reissued throughout the week.

Of all the weather disasters ? tornados, hurricanes, lightning, floods, etc. ? heat is the deadliest.

Pennsylvania made it to number three on a list no state wants to be on; with the most heat related deaths.

Seventeen people died from the heat in 2012, with non air conditioned houses being a major cause.

Take this heat seriously. Invite over friends and neighbors to cool off at your place, make a call, take a call, be there to help.

And, take the safety of your pets just as seriously. They need the same heat precautions as the rest of us. Make it a habit not to take kids and pets in the cars with this heat, unless the car is running and you don?t leave them or forget them for one second.

This is the order of cooling for anything that breathes: air conditioning, fans, all day shade and cool water for consuming and splashing are all required as we trudge through this hot summer.

Uncomfortable is one thing, deadly is another. Keep safe.

Source: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2013/07/14/weather-blog-if-you-cant-stand-the-heat/

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Jason Day close again, ties for 2nd at US Open

Jason Day, of Australia, acknowledges the gallery after putting on the 17th hole during the fourth round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Merion Golf Club, Sunday, June 16, 2013, in Ardmore, Pa. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Jason Day, of Australia, acknowledges the gallery after putting on the 17th hole during the fourth round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Merion Golf Club, Sunday, June 16, 2013, in Ardmore, Pa. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Jason Day, of Australia, reacts after a putt on the 18th hole during the fourth round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Merion Golf Club, Sunday, June 16, 2013, in Ardmore, Pa. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Jason Day, of Australia, reacts after a putt on the 15th hole during the fourth round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Merion Golf Club, Sunday, June 16, 2013, in Ardmore, Pa. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Jason Day, of Australia, reacts to a missed putt on the 13th hole during the fourth round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Merion Golf Club, Sunday, June 16, 2013, in Ardmore, Pa. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

ARDMORE, Pa. (AP) ? Third place at the Masters. Tied for second at the U.S. Open.

And that's just this year.

Jason Day's too young to get saddled with that dreaded Best Player Never To Win a Major label, so he might as well go ahead and win one.

"As long as I keep knocking on the door," he said Sunday, "I think I'll win a major here soon."

It sure looks inevitable after watching him this week at Merion Golf Club. Rounds of 70, 74, 68 and 71 can be worn liked a badge of honor at a championship in which the winning score was Justin Rose's 1-over 281. Day finished two shots back, tied with Phil Mickelson.

"At the start of the week everyone thought we were going to rip it up," Day said. "But I just knew that somewhere around even par was going to win it, and I just had to stick in there. So I was very patient with myself and happy with how I handled myself, and now I just got to keep giving myself shots at majors."

The 25-year-old Day has played in five majors. He's finished out of the top 10 only once.

The Australian debuted with a tie for 60th at the 2010 British Open. Since then, his record is the envy of many of his colleagues: tied for 10th at the 2010 PGA Championship, tied for second behind champion Charl Schwartzel at the 2011 Masters, outright second behind Rory McIlroy at Congressional in 2011.

This year, he's the only player to finish in the top 10 in both majors.

Day spent Sunday hovering near the top, unable to break through because he kept canceling himself out. Birdie at No. 4, bogey at No. 5. Birdie at No. 10, bogey at No. 11. He was one off the lead when he got to 18, but he put his approach in the bunker and missed a 5-footer for par.

No shame there. No one birdied the finishing hole over the final two rounds. It was the shortest major championship course in nine years, but the scores were typical U.S. Open.

"I think that every club in the bag got a workout this week," he said. "So I think that it would be sad for it not to come back (here) to a U.S. Open."

His best shot came right after his worst one. He went from rough to creek at No. 11, then nearly put his next shot into the creek as well. But he holed out from the nasty rough for bogey.

From there, he had near misses, when he wasn't scrambling: "Nearly made the birdie on 13. ... Nearly holed a good putt on 15. ... Had two good saves on 16 and 17."

Too many near misses to win. He probably knew it when he tossed his club after the miss at 13. Or when he put both hands over his head after the miss at 15.

All of which means he's still 14 victories behind Tiger Woods when it comes to majors. Day ended his remarks by referencing the world's No. 1 player.

"You got to understand that, late Sunday of a U.S. Open ? and U.S. Open courses are very hard ? you can't do anything but kind of grind (it) out," Day said. "Like Tiger said at the start of the week, you just got to keep grinding those 10 footers and just grind away. So I was happy with how I played."

___

Follow Joseph White on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-06-16-GLF-US-Open-Closing-Day/id-a0e4e14dae23484c90633cbe94bb5180

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True Blood Season Premiere: Grade It!

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Authorities probe deck collapse at Fla. sports bar

NORTH BAY VILLAGE, Fla. (AP) ? Investigators began examining a twisted pile of concrete, metal and wood on Friday to determine why a waterfront deck at a popular sports bar collapsed into shallow Biscayne Bay, injuring two dozen people gathered to cheer the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.

Authorities estimated about 100 people were on the deck at Shuckers Bar & Grill when a support on one end apparently gave way, causing the deck to buckle in the middle and drop about 8 feet into the bay. The scene Friday was a tangle of partly submerged green plastic chairs, tables, umbrellas, and even flip-flops and cell phones lost in the chaos of the night before.

"It was a shock," said Martin Torres, 42, who was in South Florida from Los Angeles to board a cruise. "People were yelling. Nobody knew. People came out all wet. They were crying. For a while, nobody knows what's going on."

Miami-Dade Fire Chief David Downey said 24 people were taken to hospitals. Many had cuts and bruises, though one person suffered a fracture. By midday Friday, only one person remained hospitalized with unknown injuries.

Structural engineer Morgan Villanueva, whose firm contracts with various cities for engineering services, said when he arrived to inspect the debris that it appeared a main support at one end gave way for unknown reasons. It wasn't immediately clear Friday how old the deck was and when it was last inspected or renovated. Shuckers bills itself as a "locals favorite for over 20 years."

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters in San Antonio ? where his team is preparing for Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Spurs ? that he had been there many times.

"It's a great venue. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it and how it happened. But all of our thoughts are with those people, and we hope everybody's OK," Spoelstra said. "That's really scary and I hope it doesn't change people's thoughts on going to those type of venues because they can be fun as long as they're safe."

Villanueva said fans cheering the game could have had an impact on the deck's structural integrity, particularly if it was already weakened.

"If people were excited and jumping, it's going to be an additional load," he said.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue spokesman Griselle Marino said the main restaurant has a safe capacity of 74 people, but rules for the deck would be enforced separately by North Bay Village officials. They said they were still gathering information Friday about any inspections.

"Our building department is actively reviewing the incident, to include review and inspection of the structural damage," the city said in a statement.

Marino said Shuckers passed a fire safety inspection in January. She said it's largely up to restaurant and bar operators to enforce capacity limits.

"We can't be policing every restaurant," Marino said.

North Bay Village is a small series of islands in Biscayne Bay with a strip of restaurants, hotels, houses and condos that is attached by causeways to the mainland and also to Miami Beach.

North Bay Village Mayor Connie Leon Kreps went to the scene afterward and said she was grateful that no one had died.

"This is a real tragedy," she said. "Shuckers has been here for many, many years. People come from all around to enjoy the view and the food. This is really unfortunate."

____

AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds in San Antonio contributed to this story.

____

Follow Curt Anderson on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Miamicurt

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/authorities-probe-deck-collapse-fla-sports-bar-172928461.html

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Obama Invokes Christian Scripture and God During Interfaith Service ? and Pledges Boston Terrorists ?Will Face Justice?

President Barack Obama joined religious leaders on Thursday for an interfaith service at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston, Massachusetts. During his address, he delivered an inspirational message that invoked Christian scripture, while also pledging to find and punish the parties responsible for Monday's attack.

"Scripture tells us to run with endurance the race that is set before us," Obama said, referencing Hebrews 12:1. "On Monday morning, the sun rose over Boston, the sunlight glistened off the statehouse dome and the common and the public garden. Spring was in bloom."

US-ATTACKS-BOSTON-OBAMA-PRAYER

President Barack Obama attends the 'Healing Our City: An Interfaith Service' dedicated to those who were gravely wounded or killed in the Boston Marathon bombing, at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston, Massachusetts, on April 18, 2013.?Credit: AFP/Getty Images

After describing the day's start as a bright and?beautiful?one, he noted that the spirit and excitement of Patriots' Day (the celebration marking the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first military clashes of the Revolutionary War)?and the Boston Marathon was quickly cut short by unimaginable horror.

"And then in an instant the day's beauty was shattered -- a celebration became a tragedy," the president said. "And so we come together to pray and mourn and measure our loss -- but we also come?together?today to reclaim that state of grace. To reaffirm that the spirit of this city is un-daunting."

Noting that every American has been touched by the tragedy, Obama praised Boston as an "iconic city" and one of the most welcoming locations for immigrants and outsiders, alike. Citing his own experience as a student at Harvard Law School and his wife Michelle's as well, the president noted a personal connection to the area.

"You welcomed me during a convention when I was still a state senator and very few people could?pronounce?my name right," he quipped, referring to his experience at the 2004 Democratic Convention.?"For millions of us, what happened on Monday was personal."

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US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama (C) attend the 'Healing Our City: An Interfaith Service' dedicated to those who were gravely wounded or killed in the Boston Marathon bombing, at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston, Massachusetts, on April 18, 2013. Credit: AFP/Getty Images?

Obama mentioned the victims who perished by name and offered prayers for the injured -- many of whom are still hospitalized and undergoing surgeries.

"We will all be with you as you learn to stand, and walk and run again -- of that I have no doubt you will run again. You will run again, 'cause that's what the people of Boston are made of," the president continued. "Your resolve is the greatest rebuke to whoever created this heinous act."

Watch this portion of Obama's address, below:

The president also issued a message for the terrorists behind the attack, saying that they will be found -- and that their acts will be met with punishment. Obama quoted scripture, again, noting that it teaches that "God has not given us a spirit of fear of timidity, but of power, love and self discipline" (referencing 2 Timothy 1:7).

"Yes we will find you and yes you will face justice. We will find you, we will hold you accountable, but more than that our fidelity to our way of life -- to our free and open society will only grow stronger," he added. "We may be momentarily knocked off our feet, but we'll pick ourselves up, we'll keep going. We will finish the race."

Obama concluded his speech, again mentioning the Hebrews verse about running with endurance -- an appropriate Biblical mention, considering Monday's tragic events.

"Scripture tells us to run with endurance the race that is set before us. As we do, may God hold close those who have been taken from us too soon," he said. "May He comfort their families. And may He continue to watch over these United States of America."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-invokes-christian-scripture-god-during-interfaith-pledges-165247380.html

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Boeing completes final certification test of new 787 battery system

On Friday, Boeing completed the final certification test required by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for approval of the company?s lithium-ion battery modifications for the 787 Dreamliner aircraft. The test flight was made using a Boeing-owned production airplane built for LOT Polish Airlines with the company reporting that the test was ?straightforward and the flight was uneventful.?

The flight marks the latest phase in the events following the grounding of the 787 fleet earlier this year after battery overheating problems occurred aboard a number of the aircraft. With a crew of eleven aboard, the test flight took place from Paine Field, Everett, Washington and lasted for one hour and 49 minutes with the craft being put through normal and unusual flight conditions. Its purpose was to see how well the new battery and battery compartment modifications stand up in real world conditions.

Boeing says it will gather and analyze the test flight data and send it on to the FAA for final approval in the next few days. If all goes well, the 787 Dreamliners could re-enter service shortly.

Source: Boeing

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Source: http://www.gizmag.com/boeing-battery-final-certification-test/26956/

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