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Category: Governmental News
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Published: Monday, 12 March 2012 13:32
Fu Qiping, representative of National People's Congress and the Party Secretary of the Tengtou Village in Fenghua, has submitted a proposal to the Fifth Session of the 11th National People's Congress, calling for legislation against rural land pollution control.
Statistics show 1300 square kilometers of rural land in China are either occupied or destroyed by solid waste. The wastewater irrigated area reaches approximately 50,000 square kilometers, and is still expanding.
Fu attributes the current situation to several reasons. Firstly, industrial wastewater, solid waste and acid rain are major pollution sources to rural land. Secondly, certain chemical fertilizer and pesticide result in land pollution. Every year, China consumes 4124 tons of chemical fertilizer as well as 30 million tons of pesticide. Most of the chemicals accumulate in the soil with only 30% being absorbed by crops, leading to the contamination of rural land. Thirdly, livestock and poultry industry cause pollution. Without proper sewage treatment, manure and sewage are directly discharged, resulting in air and land pollution. Fourthly, the wide use of plastic mulch and other residues of agricultural production also cause land contamination.
"We already have certain regulations on the prevention of rural land pollution in the Criminal Law, Land Administration Law, Water Pollution Control Act, and Air Pollution Prevention Act, but most are fragmented and lack of clear regulations for some specific pollution problems.” said Fu Qiping. "To prevent rural land pollution, we need to take factors such as air, water, food, human behavior into consideration, and we need to establish an overall legislative system on rural land pollution control laws and regulations."
He added, "we should establish a series of standards on rural land resource, rural soil quality, environmental impact assessment, clean agricultural production, soil remedy, and soil protection. We also call for public participation to battle rural soil pollution."
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Category: Governmental News
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Published: Monday, 12 March 2012 13:32
Ningbo municipal government has began the evaluation of priority headquarters enterprises in 2012. One hundred enterprises will enter the list and get awards from a special fund.
"We are going to choose 40 modern manufacturers, and 50 modern service enterprises (including 10 growing enterprises), 10 modern agricultural enterprises or other types according to their score ranking." An official in charge of headquarters economy development said yesterday.
The evaluation standard varies for different industries. A qualified manufacturer is required to achieve or partly achieve the separation of headquarter and production base. It should have a certain number of functional agencies or branches and make a tax payment of 35 million yuan at least.
A modern service headquarter enterprise must have at least three subordinate functional agencies or branches, with one or more subordinate enterprises outside Ningbo, and makes a tax payment of 10 million yuan or more.
A modern agricultural headquarter enterprise is required to have separate headquarters and production base, with a certain number of functional institutions or branches; and makes a tax payment of 500 million yuan or more. Other enterprises including the construction industry have to reach 30 million yuan as tax payment.
"Our evaluation standard include size, tax payment, business growth, R & D investment, output per unit land, energy saving, and industry-ranking. Weight coefficients are set for different types of enterprises. " the official added.
Reportedly, the 100 priority headquarters enterprises will get financial award from a special fund set by the municipal government. 30% of the award is required to put into personnel and business management, and 70% for brand innovation, R & D investment, IT, marketing, network construction and other key areas
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Category: Ningbo News
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Published: Monday, 12 March 2012 13:31
On March 4, the National Volunteer Day, Ningbo Youth League and Ningbo Volunteers Association officially launched a volunteer program in honor of Lei Feng, the late soldier of the People's Liberation Army. The program, which lasts to this December, offers various free services to the elderly, children, migrant workers, disabled and other needy people.
On march 4, more than 300 volunteers took their oath in the rain in a public square in Beilun district, showing their determination to learn from Lei Feng and revive the spirit of Lei Feng.
On the opening ceremony, Ningbo Youth League and Ningbo Volunteers Association opened six new volunteer bases in Beilun District. Meanwhile, they awarded prizes to six excellent volunteer teams in Ningbo.
After the ceremony, the volunteers began to offer services in areas like financial consultation, legal advice, and medical care. More volunteers choose to work in residential areas and on campus.
The organizers said the volunteer program will last to this December and they call for more citizens to participate in the volunteer works.
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Category: Health News
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Published: Monday, 05 March 2012 09:57
On the morning of March 2, a day before the 13th National Ear Care Day, Ningbo CDPF, together with the Ningbo Rehabilitation Hospital and Disabled Persons' Federation of Jiangdong District, offered free consulting services on hearing rehabilitation to citizens.
Under the theme of ‘Reduce noise and protect your ears”, the organizers publicized knowledge about taking care of ears through posters, brochures distribution. They also offered free consultation service on noise prevention and hearing health. Meanwhile, they gave off free anti-noise earplugs to those who work long hours in the high-decibel workplace.
Experts say, noise may irritate people and loud noise even do harm to human health. However, noise exists everywhere in our daily life. Loud noise can cause discomfort of human body. Long-term exposure to environmental noise as high as 90 db can lead to severe hearing damage and cause neurasthenia, headache, hypertension and other diseases. According to the second National Sample Survey on Disability, hearing disability caused by noise is steadily on rise.
Experts offer the following advices to the public. Do not stay too long in a loud noise environment. If necessary, use the anti-noise earplugs. Besides, developing good habits with the ears can effectively reduce noise damage.