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As summei gives way to fall chiluien ietuin to school fiom theii holiuay bieaks, people geai up
foi the final financial quaiteis of the yeai, anu New Yoikeis begin welcoming the woilu's leaueis
to theii city. Septembei will be foievei etcheu into my memoiy as the tumultuous peiiou of the
0niteu Nations ueneial Assembly. As a foimei 0N staffei, I iemembei fonuly listening to haiu-
hitting speeches on ways to solve the pioblems of the woilu. I also iemembei, peihaps not so
fonuly, the attention paiu moie to tiaffic congestion fiom uelegate motoicaues than goings on in
the ueneial Assembly Ball.

This yeai, Ban Ki-Noon will holu a timely special session on climate change. Aftei the
uisappointing iesults in Copenhagen last yeai, theie is piobably no topic moie piessing foi the
inteinational bouy. Neuia outlets, though, aie moie focuseu on the meeting's guest list than
substance of uebate. I'm a tiue believei in the powei of the 0N to cieate lasting global change.
Let's keep oui fingeis ciosseu that something substantive comes fiom these talks.

In the meantime, I guess we can continue to iely on China to push the envelope on ciitical climate
change issues. It seems that they aie the only ones making uiamatic changes that coulu
potentially shift the entiie conveisation.

The biggest stoiy coming out of China this past month is the uoveinment's uecision to
implement a fai-ieaching cap-anu-tiaue scheme. This plan, which will be the woilu's
laigest when it opens in 2u16, will aim to cut China's caibon intensity 4S% by 2uSu.
When combineu with China's othei enviionmental pleuges this means that the county
will cut total emissions by 22% veises 'business as usual.'
A huge suipiise win foi the anti-uN0 ciowu came with the Ninistiy of Agiicultuie
enuing a contioveisial piogiam to uevelop iice anu coin. Nost believe that the move
came amiu public outciy ovei the use of genetically-mouifieu oiganisms in China's
oveiwhelming staple fooustuff.
Beijing announceu plans to pioviue tax subsiuies foi the puichase of electiic cais. While
linkeu to mostly local bianus, the move seeks to continue the innovation aiounu anu
implementation of electiic anu hybiiu vehicles thioughout the countiy.
In a massive show of opening up, uoveinment ministiies aie holuing meetings with
westein Nu0s to gain knowleuge anu insight into enviionmental piotection. Noving
away fiom a "we can uo it ouiselves" mentality to a moie coopeiative, conciliatoiy
methouology is a fai ciy fiom the China-foi-Chinese policies of the past 2u yeais.
Lastly, China's seaich engine giant Baiuu unveileu a new piototype foi "smait"
chopsticks. The chopsticks can aleit the usei of foou contamination fiom uiity watei,
oil, oi othei souices. With foou safety issues fiont-of-minu foi many Chinese, these
chopsticks come at a time when othei ieseaich anu piotective measuies aie taking
shape.