Developing Shale Gas

Outlook Weekly
May 20

With the increase of green gas emissions, combating climate change has become a common concern across the world. Upping the levels of natural gas in terms of global energy consumption is essential to realize a low-carbon future. For China, developing shale gas is mandatory in this process.

According to British Petroleum predictions, global energy demand will grow by 36 percent from 2013 to 2030, mostly from emerging economies, with China and India accounting for a half. The company also predicts that by 2030, the overall need for natural gas will grow faster than that for other fossil fuels. Thus, developing shale gas can guarantee a nation's energy safety.

The United States has already achieved success in developing its own gas reserves, impacting geopolitics and the global economic order. China should follow suit to safeguard against the lack of energy resources.

In developing shale gas, China can learn from the United States, but instead of relying on foreign technology, equipment and services, the country should work to realize its own breakthroughs and establish a development model fit for its local conditions.

Leading With Innovation

Caixin
May 13

Compared to state-owned company leaders who work at grassroots level before being promoted to their current positions, Ning Gaoning's path to becoming chairman of China National Cereal, Oils and Foodstuffs Corp.(COFCO) is different. He majored in economics at university and received his MBA from the University of Pittsburgh, among the first ones to earn such a degree since China's reform and opening up. Ning is candid and direct in answering questions, unlike many other officials.

He became chairman of COFCO in 2004, after working with China Resources, which had nothing to do with the food trade. Nevertheless, Ning had to assume the task of reforming the former's management system and adjusting strategies.

In recent years, COFCO expanded its business by purchasing a series of agricultural product processing and food producing companies.

How the company positions itself, what role it should take as a state-owned enterprise, which policies and fundraising initiatives it should follow and whether it should compete with other firms are all questions Ning is tasked with answering during his stint as the leader of COFCO.

Addicted to IPads

People's Daily
May 22

While the advance of technology makes people's lives more convenient, it also produces new problems. For example, various touch screen products have extremely addictive qualities, especially for children.

It was recently reported that a British girl aged 4 is the youngest-known iPad addict. She is so obsessed with playing games on her tablet computer that she requires therapy for compulsive behavior. The news triggered concern among parents over the negative effects of such devices on kids. Experts have warned that parents who allow babies and toddlers access to tablet computers and smart phones for several hours a day are in danger of causing "dangerous" long-term effects.

An increasing number of people are worried that new technology might damage traditions. Unlike their fathers and mothers, children today are growing up in a digital age, having access to the Internet almost from birth. Some are adept at using computers, but completely unable to make something like a simple paper model.

However, it's difficult to stop children from using smart devices to play games. In the future, information technology stands to become an essential skill, but if left unchecked, the technology might have harmful effects on future generations.

Side Effects of Medicine

The Procuratorate Daily
May 22

Tongrentang, a Beijing-based century-old pharmacy, recently got itself into trouble for selling heavy metal contaminated medicine.

On May 7, the Department of Health of Hong Kong ordered a licensed wholesaler of proprietary Chinese medicine, Beijing Tongrentang Hong Kong Medicine Management Ltd., to recall a batch of medicine that was found to contain excessive mercury. Later, another two medicines were also found to exceed heavy metal registration criteria set out by the Chinese Medicines Board of the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong.

It is not rare that mercury is used as ingredient in Chinese medicine. For example, cinnabar, which contains mercury, is widely used as a tranquilizer. Excessive mercury can have toxic side effects on patients, however.

Generally speaking, all medicine has some side effects on the human body. The key is to get the dosage balance right. The proportion of ingredients of Chinese medicines depends on the accumulated experience of pharmacists rather than precise scientific research.

Some pharmacies are also found to conceal the side effects of certain ingredients, such as heavy metals, to consumers. Doctor Zhong Nanshan, consultant of Chinese Medical Association, has warned that a few Chinese medicines on the market have side effects on the liver and kidneys, and using them for a long term would be very dangerous. Apparently, many pharmacies deliberately ignore their duties of informing patients about the potential risks of taking certain types of medicine. Patients have the right to know about the side effects of medicine.