Save water and energy

Having enough water and energy is one of the big challenges for China during the coming years.
Every way to save water and electricity is tested and today in many restaurants in Beijing You find that the hand-basin do not have any taps - the water is controlled by photocells. This not

just to save water but also for sanitary reasons to avoid contact and to spread bacterium.

In our apartment all use of water, gas and energy is measured and we simply pay for what we use.
The method is very "hightech" copared to what I am used to from Sweden.
We have meters every where... In the kitchen wo meters for there is the gas-meter and two meters for water (hot and cold). In the bathroom whe have meters for hot water and for toilet water (water of lower quality!). Finally, out in the hall you find the electricity meter.

You have two "credit cards" with chips and when you put them into the meter you can see how much water or gas you have left to use. To "upgrade" you take your cards and go down to the lobby and pay either in a machine or in the office. Back in the apartment you put the cards into the meters again and your new balance will be updated into the meter. A smart way to let everybody self pay for what they use. If you want to save energy and money you can!

Big brother is watching

There is a lot in media about China beeing an open country before the Olympics. But there is still a long, long way to go. Almost every day CNN news in TV is censored and You have a black TV screen for some seconds. Blogspot and other blogs are closed down so we can not see what we put on our blogs.
And all these TV and Video cameras everywhere - in streets, shops, stations, trains, buses, elevators, parks ... Yes, they are everywhere!
In Guangzhou, in south China, another 100 000 video cameras are to be installed in public places to a cost of 200 million Yuan. When finished there will be 230 000 cameras in that town. According to the local police, between January and July, the surveillance cameras provided the police with 800 clues which were used to help crack 570 cases...