Could not believed that it is the LAST day of January 2012 today!! How time fly!!
"China detains seven over river pollution scandal - AFP 31 January 2012
SHANGHAI: China has detained seven company executives after suspected industrial waste discharges polluted a river with toxic cadmium, threatening drinking supplies for millions, state media said Tuesday.
The discharges have contaminated a 100-kilometre (60-mile) stretch of the Longjiang River in the southern region of Guangxi, sparking panic buying of bottled water in nearby cities, the official China Daily reported.
One company called Jinhe Mining Co. has been blamed for dumping cadmium -- a carcinogen which can seriously damage the kidneys, bones and respiratory system -- into the river, in a spill that was discovered on January 15.
But the government has decided to widen the crackdown to go after other polluters, inspecting more than a dozen factories on the river and stopping production at seven plants.
The initial spill happened in Hechi city but was now flowing downstream, endangering drinking water for 1.5 million people in Liujiang city. It was also approaching Liuzhou city, with a population of 3.7 million, reports said.
Authorities have mobilised thousands of soldiers to dump chemical neutralisers into the river to dilute the cadmium, but levels of the chemical were still more than 25 times higher than the official limit Monday in some parts.
Many waterways in China have become heavily contaminated with toxic waste from factories and farms, in pollution blamed on three decades of rapid economic growth and lax enforcement of environmental protection laws.
Activists say officials often turn a blind eye to industrial pollution or even collude with companies to promote local economic development."
It is EASY to go for the immediate benefits and be BLIND to the threat and irrepairable damages in the future. This is SO when the 'culprits' can walk away from it freely! Of course, the fact that most do not have, or had lost their, conscience!
Lessons for me are:
1. 'short term gain without having to bear the long term pain' will PROMOTE irresponsible behaviours;
2. to stop this irresponsible short term behaviours, commensurate penalties MUST be meted out to those responsibel for the irresponsible short term acts;
3. when the AUTHORITIES themselves are NOT reminding shortermism is forbidden, then the PEOPLE, or the Victims, MUST exert this right. And they will as I alluded to in another piece of writing in this blog when there is NO other place to turn to to air their grivences.
May China's people realize how they can play a pivotal role to STOP the irrepairable pollution and poisoning of their waterway, and eventually the very precious underground water!
About Me
- LU Keehong Mr
- I am a Practitioner of 'The 7e Way of Leaders' where a Leader will Envision, Enable (ASK for TOP D), Empower, Execute, Energize, and Evolve grounded on ETHICS!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
Daily Lessons from Life 30 January 2012 - Nothingness??
There seems to be NOTHING worthy of being commented on on the news headlines today!
So, I just reflect on bumping into a long time friend at Hong Lim food center this afternoon.
Have not seen him for a while and by chance we met at the food center this afternoon. The conversation simply just flow as if we were in constant communication since our last meeting in Beijing 4 years ago!
This is the type of feeling one gets when you meet up with old chums whom you have spent quite a bit of time working and playing sports together!
Maybe it is just bacause we are all over 50 years old! LOL!!
I wil be meeting him before he leaves for Beijing. And I will bring along a few more long time friends whom I am sure will be keen to catch up with him as well.
p/s: no more updates on the 'lady IT sales consultant' who 'brought down' 2 senior civil servants in Singapore on the mainstream news media. Was told that TOC (The Online Citizen) and Temasek Review (TRE) have more updates. What's going on with the main stream media?
So, I just reflect on bumping into a long time friend at Hong Lim food center this afternoon.
Have not seen him for a while and by chance we met at the food center this afternoon. The conversation simply just flow as if we were in constant communication since our last meeting in Beijing 4 years ago!
This is the type of feeling one gets when you meet up with old chums whom you have spent quite a bit of time working and playing sports together!
Maybe it is just bacause we are all over 50 years old! LOL!!
I wil be meeting him before he leaves for Beijing. And I will bring along a few more long time friends whom I am sure will be keen to catch up with him as well.
p/s: no more updates on the 'lady IT sales consultant' who 'brought down' 2 senior civil servants in Singapore on the mainstream news media. Was told that TOC (The Online Citizen) and Temasek Review (TRE) have more updates. What's going on with the main stream media?
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Daily Lessons from Life 29 January 2012 - Six members of opposition Singapore People's Party have resigned
"AsiaOne Jan 28, 2012 - Six members of opposition Singapore People's Party have resigned.
A local news source said their numbers include former civil servant Benjamin Pwee and Wilfred Leung, who many were expecting to succeed incumbent party secretary-general Mr Chiam See Tong.
The resignations come ahead of SPP's Party Congress to be held on Sunday, where a new Central Executive Committee (CEC) is to be formed.
The members cited differences in opinion about party leadership styles and the future direction as reasons behind their leaving.
They also said deep and long-term relationships within key CEC members were broken down, the news source reported.
Mr Chiam See Tong said on SPP's Facebook page that the party respects the six CEC members' decision to pursue their own interests.
"There is no change at the moment and it's operations as usual.
"The Party under the leadership of Chiam See Tong will continue to seek new passionate and talented individuals who will pursue the opposition cause cohesively for the betterment of Singapore," the post read."
An unsurprising development in local politics. The 'traditionalists' vs. the 'new upstarts'?
Lessons for me are:
1. SPP is held together by the loyalty of the Potong Parsir voters over the last 2 decades where they consistently voted for their MP Mr Chiam despite carrots and sticks were offered to them by PAP, the ruling party. Some joking said that the voters have guts and are a tough lot that showed the way in Singapore that you can make PAP eats humble pie time and again!
2. at the same time, the PAP has not given up. Their man stuck in and persuaded the party elders to let him do it his way. Changed the approach. No big guns rooting for him during the last GE. Continued to work the ground throughout all these years when Mr Chiam ruled!! The fact that Mrs Chiam was put in Mr Chiam's place to contest the GE made it easier for the PAP man to win - by less than 100 votes, or something close. This is the begin of the end for SPP, the party chaired by Mr Chiam.
3. Mrs Chiam is probably too close to Mr Chiam to accept that SPP will be better off with the new upstarts. She is simply too close. The elders may be too traditional or unable to let go. Much like the old PAP members, some of which are still clinging on to the old PAP way. This probably lead to this situation where 6 of the most promising members of SPP decided to leave the party. This is REALLY the END of SPP. Period. Where does this leave opposition political parties in Singapore? If these 6 members can join the Workers Party (WP), this will be great. It will provide even more challenges to the ruling party. That can only be good for Singapore as long as ALL involved keep the civil manner in which ALL have demonstrated during the last GE and in the new parliament.
Indeed, it is good bye Mr Chiam. Good bye SPP!!
A local news source said their numbers include former civil servant Benjamin Pwee and Wilfred Leung, who many were expecting to succeed incumbent party secretary-general Mr Chiam See Tong.
The resignations come ahead of SPP's Party Congress to be held on Sunday, where a new Central Executive Committee (CEC) is to be formed.
The members cited differences in opinion about party leadership styles and the future direction as reasons behind their leaving.
They also said deep and long-term relationships within key CEC members were broken down, the news source reported.
Mr Chiam See Tong said on SPP's Facebook page that the party respects the six CEC members' decision to pursue their own interests.
"There is no change at the moment and it's operations as usual.
"The Party under the leadership of Chiam See Tong will continue to seek new passionate and talented individuals who will pursue the opposition cause cohesively for the betterment of Singapore," the post read."
An unsurprising development in local politics. The 'traditionalists' vs. the 'new upstarts'?
Lessons for me are:
1. SPP is held together by the loyalty of the Potong Parsir voters over the last 2 decades where they consistently voted for their MP Mr Chiam despite carrots and sticks were offered to them by PAP, the ruling party. Some joking said that the voters have guts and are a tough lot that showed the way in Singapore that you can make PAP eats humble pie time and again!
2. at the same time, the PAP has not given up. Their man stuck in and persuaded the party elders to let him do it his way. Changed the approach. No big guns rooting for him during the last GE. Continued to work the ground throughout all these years when Mr Chiam ruled!! The fact that Mrs Chiam was put in Mr Chiam's place to contest the GE made it easier for the PAP man to win - by less than 100 votes, or something close. This is the begin of the end for SPP, the party chaired by Mr Chiam.
3. Mrs Chiam is probably too close to Mr Chiam to accept that SPP will be better off with the new upstarts. She is simply too close. The elders may be too traditional or unable to let go. Much like the old PAP members, some of which are still clinging on to the old PAP way. This probably lead to this situation where 6 of the most promising members of SPP decided to leave the party. This is REALLY the END of SPP. Period. Where does this leave opposition political parties in Singapore? If these 6 members can join the Workers Party (WP), this will be great. It will provide even more challenges to the ruling party. That can only be good for Singapore as long as ALL involved keep the civil manner in which ALL have demonstrated during the last GE and in the new parliament.
Indeed, it is good bye Mr Chiam. Good bye SPP!!
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