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Low-carbon city
January 6, 2012, Friday
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HANGZHOU was honored as one of the "Top 10 Low-carbon Cities in China" at a Beijing ceremony this week.
The city plans to cut carbon dioxide emissions per 10,000 yuan (US$1,587) of GDP to half of the 2005 level in 2020, nearly 10 percentage points more than the national average.
Hangzhou bills itself as the "cleanest city in China" and is taking measures to cut emissions in every sector.
The city is home to the world's largest bike-sharing program with more than 50,000 bikes and 2,050 bike stations. It was selected by BBC in September as one of eight cities in the world with the best public bike services.
According to its New Energy and Industrial Development Plan (2010-2015), Hangzhou will become a hub for low-carbon industries and new energy and solar power enterprises.
Go for 3D TV
Hangzhou's first 3D TV channel started a trial run on January 1 and it will be officially launched during the Spring Festival.
Programs include cartoons, sports, documentaries, dramas, entertainment and live broadcasts of events such as the annual CCTV New Year's Gala and the London 2012 Olympic Games.
To watch 3D programs, viewers need a 3D TV set and high-definition set-top box from Wasu Digital TV Media Group Co.
The first phase of operation will be free.
Electricity gap
Figures from the Hangzhou government show that the electricity gap will reach 600,000 kilowatts this winter.
The Hangzhou power grid is capable of loading 8 million kilowatts, but peak demand this winter is estimated to exceed that number.
The city requests government buildings, banks, schools and office buildings to keep the temperature at no more than 20 degrees Celsius.
When the gap reaches between 600,000 kilowatts and 800,000 kilowatts, factories will be asked to reduce power usage.
Tolls end
Two toll stations between Hangzhou and neighboring Anji City and Huzhou City have been closed to reduce commuting costs.
The Xiaquan Toll Station along the 04 provincial expressway to Anji is the last toll station in Anji, and is the third toll station closed in the city in the past four years. Previously commuters had to pay 10 yuan (US$1.60) to pass the Xiaquan Toll Station.
Car drivers can also save 10 yuan between Hangzhou and Huzhou with the shutdown of the Deqing No. 3 Bridge Toll Station along the 104 national expressway.
The shutdown is part of a government initiative to get rid of tolls to reduce transport costs and inflation. The CPI eased to 4.2 percent in November from last year's peak of 6.5 percent in July, still above the government's full year target of 4 percent.
In the past two years, seven other toll stations around Hangzhou have been closed.
New nursing home
A factory-turned nursing home will open in Xiacheng District after the Spring Festival.
The government-funded nursing home has 22 rooms and 59 beds, with floor space of 930 square meters. It looks like a well-furnished budget hotel, with rooms for reading, rehabilitation, entertainment and laundry. Each bed has an intercom system to summon help.
It features a 500-square-meter rooftop terrace where seniors can exercise and bask in the sun.
More than 20 seniors have registered for a bed. They can move in after the Spring Festival holiday that ends on January 28, the nursing home said.
A double room costs around 1,600 yuan a month.
The city plans to cut carbon dioxide emissions per 10,000 yuan (US$1,587) of GDP to half of the 2005 level in 2020, nearly 10 percentage points more than the national average.
Hangzhou bills itself as the "cleanest city in China" and is taking measures to cut emissions in every sector.
The city is home to the world's largest bike-sharing program with more than 50,000 bikes and 2,050 bike stations. It was selected by BBC in September as one of eight cities in the world with the best public bike services.
According to its New Energy and Industrial Development Plan (2010-2015), Hangzhou will become a hub for low-carbon industries and new energy and solar power enterprises.
Go for 3D TV
Hangzhou's first 3D TV channel started a trial run on January 1 and it will be officially launched during the Spring Festival.
Programs include cartoons, sports, documentaries, dramas, entertainment and live broadcasts of events such as the annual CCTV New Year's Gala and the London 2012 Olympic Games.
To watch 3D programs, viewers need a 3D TV set and high-definition set-top box from Wasu Digital TV Media Group Co.
The first phase of operation will be free.
Electricity gap
Figures from the Hangzhou government show that the electricity gap will reach 600,000 kilowatts this winter.
The Hangzhou power grid is capable of loading 8 million kilowatts, but peak demand this winter is estimated to exceed that number.
The city requests government buildings, banks, schools and office buildings to keep the temperature at no more than 20 degrees Celsius.
When the gap reaches between 600,000 kilowatts and 800,000 kilowatts, factories will be asked to reduce power usage.
Tolls end
Two toll stations between Hangzhou and neighboring Anji City and Huzhou City have been closed to reduce commuting costs.
The Xiaquan Toll Station along the 04 provincial expressway to Anji is the last toll station in Anji, and is the third toll station closed in the city in the past four years. Previously commuters had to pay 10 yuan (US$1.60) to pass the Xiaquan Toll Station.
Car drivers can also save 10 yuan between Hangzhou and Huzhou with the shutdown of the Deqing No. 3 Bridge Toll Station along the 104 national expressway.
The shutdown is part of a government initiative to get rid of tolls to reduce transport costs and inflation. The CPI eased to 4.2 percent in November from last year's peak of 6.5 percent in July, still above the government's full year target of 4 percent.
In the past two years, seven other toll stations around Hangzhou have been closed.
New nursing home
A factory-turned nursing home will open in Xiacheng District after the Spring Festival.
The government-funded nursing home has 22 rooms and 59 beds, with floor space of 930 square meters. It looks like a well-furnished budget hotel, with rooms for reading, rehabilitation, entertainment and laundry. Each bed has an intercom system to summon help.
It features a 500-square-meter rooftop terrace where seniors can exercise and bask in the sun.
More than 20 seniors have registered for a bed. They can move in after the Spring Festival holiday that ends on January 28, the nursing home said.
A double room costs around 1,600 yuan a month.
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