Author: Adam Clare

China Bans plastic Bags

taken by Lulu VisionChina has decided to ban plastic shopping bags!

This piece of news caught me off guard, I had no idea that they were even considering such a measure. The ban will come into effect on 1 June 2008 and not only does it forbid the use of plastic bags in stores, but it also forbids the production of the bags. I have no idea whether the ban will impact bags made for export, I hope it does.

China uses too many of the bags and fails to dispose of them properly, wasting valuable oil and littering the country, China’s cabinet, the State Council, said in a notice.

“Our country consumes huge amounts of plastic bags every year. While providing convenience to consumers, they have also caused serious pollution, and waste of energy and resources, because of excessive use and inadequate recycling,” it said.

Worries about pollution are growing among ordinary citizens, as years of breakneck growth take their toll on the country’s air and water, but the new ban may not be universally welcomed.

Late last year the southern boom town of Shenzhen sparked a public controversy by unveiling draft regulations to ban free plastic bags in its shops.

Thanks, Shealyn!

Turn a Lack of Resources Into a Strength

happy

Tim Ferriss, author of The 4-Hour Workweek has some advice for people who are questioning a jump into something new because they question if they have the resources to do it. Granted, he’s talking about starting a business, but I think that his advice can be applied to everyday living as well. He argues that by concentrating on what you have, you can do better – basically think positive to turn a lack of resources into a strength.

Excuses not to jump into the unknown are a dime a dozen. In the case of entrepreneurship, the “I don’t have” list — I don’t have funding, I don’t connections, etc. — is a popular write-off for inaction.

Little do most people know how often lack of resources is the ingredient that creates great companies.

It forces you to be clever, to dissect problems instead of throwing cash at them, and to innovate instead of imitating better-funded competitors.

Starbucks Actually Helps

Starbucks is a massive international coffee chain that is infamous for putting their own coffee shops across the street from one another. They also have a reputation that they drive local independent coffee shops out of business, it seems this reputation is undeserved.

Slate has an article examining how Starbucks helps small coffee shops by giving them new customers.

The first time Herb Hyman spoke with the rep from Starbucks, in 1991, the life of his small business flashed before his eyes. For three decades, Hyman’s handful of Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf stores had been filling the caffeine needs of Los Angeles locals and the Hollywood elite: Johnny Carson had his own blend there; Jacques Cousteau arranged to have Hyman’s coffee care packages meet his ship at ports around the world; and Dirty Dozen leading man Lee Marvin often worked behind the counter with Hyman for fun. But when the word came down that the rising Seattle coffee juggernaut was plotting its raid on Los Angeles, Hyman feared his life’s work would be trampled underfoot. Starbucks even promised as much. “They just flat-out said, ‘If you don’t sell out to us, we’re going to surround your stores,’ ” Hyman recalled. “And lo and behold, that’s what happened—and it was the best thing that ever happened to us.”

Alberta Takes Smoking Ban to the Next Level

Canadian provinces and cities are sticking up to big tobacco and laying down the law to protect the health of people who choose not to smoke.

Alberta has followed previous examples of smoking bans and now has chosen to become the exemplar of smoking bans. The law came into effect on Jan 1, so smokers are obviously still adjusting to the change, and non-smokers are adjusting to cleaner air (I guess).

The new law, one of the toughest in Canada, will ban smoking in any public building, including restaurants and bars.

Many larger cities and towns already have bylaws that restrict smoking, but the new provincial law will ban smoking right across the province.

Anti-smoking groups say the new provincial legislation puts the province ahead of just about every other jurisdiction.

Wii Used for Rehab

Video games can be fun, and they can be educational, and they can also help with rebuilding muscles and control of said muscles. I must admit that I have a Wii and that after a long session of playing my arms can get pretty tired.

CNN has a video report on how the Wii is being used to rehabilitate patients. Unfortunately, CNN doesn’t let me embed the video so you’ll have to go to their site to watch it.