Tác giả: Đào Thu Hằng
I'm from Hanoi, Viet Nam.
I'm an author of Dot Chuoi Non (dotchuoinon.com/author/hangbelu/), a blog on Positive thinking, founded by Dr. Tran Dinh Hoanh, an attorney in Washington DC.
I'm a co-founder of Conversations on Vietnam Development - cvdvn.net, a virtual think tank. I am a co-founder of two companies in Viet Nam working on children education services. I advise companies on STEAM education, English language education for children and students in Vietnam.
I'm studying the Buddha's teaching and the teaching of Jesus. I practice mindful living including meditation.
I hold a PhD on Sustainable Energy Systems from University of Lisbon and Aalto University.
I graduated from Hanoi University of Technology on Environmental Engineering. I obtained a Master degree of the same major from Stanford University and Nanyang Technological University.
My English-language blog at: hangbelu.wordpress/.
I play table tennis as a hobby.
A Stroll Along Saigon’s Tet Flower Streets in the 1960s
Flowers never go out of fashion.
Along with banh tet, fireworks and red envelopes filled with lucky money, no visual represents the Tet holiday in Vietnam more than fresh flowers. Symbolizing wealth and passionate love, they adorn alters and tables as colorful manifestations of the joy that the Lunar New Year ushers into people’s homes.
In Saigon, the ochna integerrima (Vietnamese mickey-mouse plant) are most common thanks to their preference for hot, sunny climates, while the north’s gloomy growing season ushers in peach flowers and marumi kumquat. Farmers in the Mekong Delta fastidiously tend to the plants for months in the lead-up to the holiday, and to meet demand, Vietnam has even taken to importing them from abroad.
For decades, temporary flower markets have opened in response to every household’s desire to purchase the verdant delights. In these photos taken in the 1960s, one can observe Saigon’s stylish citizens mingling with vendors at one such market. The holiday atmosphere provides an opportunity for shoppers to wear their snazziest outfits and pose for photos amongst the rows of flowers.
Tiếp tục đọc “A Stroll Along Saigon’s Tet Flower Streets in the 1960s”
A Look Back at Tết in Hanoi 100 Years Ago
It is easy to remark on how drastically Tết has changed over the years, but have the core elements really evolved that much?
For many, this most recent Tết probably included meeting friends at fancy bubble tea shops, snacking on junk food in front of Netflix, spending countless hours on social media, and perhaps even traveling to luxury resorts.
Certainly, none of these activities were available to Hanoi residents 100 years ago, but like today, a century ago markets bustled in the days leading up to the holiday, and then the streets emptied; people spent hours preparing special dishes and dressing up for photos and to honor their ancestors; and families spent hours leisurely strolling the streets or lounging in living rooms.
Have a look at these photos below and question how different the Lunar New Year in Hanoi was a century ago:
The bustling market leading up to the holiday.
vendors and buyers everywhere.
Classic calligraphy on the street.
As world drowns in plastic waste, U.N. to hammer out global treaty
by Charles Pekow on 2 February 2022
- After years of largely neglecting the buildup of plastic waste in Earth’s environment, the U.N. Environment Assembly will meet in February and March in the hopes of drafting the first international treaty controlling global plastics pollution.
- Discarded plastic is currently killing marine life, threatening food security, contributing to climate change, damaging economies, and dissolving into microplastics that contaminate land, water, the atmosphere and even the human bloodstream.
- The U.N. parties will debate how comprehensive the treaty they write will be: Should it, for example, protect just the oceans or the whole planet? Should it focus mainly on reuse/recycling, or control plastics manufacture and every step of the supply chain and waste stream?
- The U.S. has changed its position from opposition to such a treaty under President Donald Trump, to support under President Joe Biden, but has yet to articulate exactly what it wants in an agreement. While environmental NGOs are pushing for a comprehensive treaty, plastics companies, who say they support regulation, likely will want to limit the treaty’s scope.
At the end of February, the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) will tackle a challenging task: the creation of a landmark treaty to control plastic pollution worldwide. While most nations have agreed to participate, the scope and timing of such an agreement aren’t settled, with many countries, environmental NGOs, and the plastics industry expressing widely different ideas as to what should be included.
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Vietnam to make historic Women’s World Cup debut
By Quang Dung, Hoang An February 6, 2022 | 05:24 pm GMT+7
Vietnam players celebrate their win at the Women’s World Cup play-off with Chinese Taipei on February 6, 2022. Photo by Asian Football ConfederationVietnam will attend the 2023 Women’s World Cup for the very first time after a 2-1 victory in the play-off against Chinese Taipei on Sunday.
Playing in DY Patil Stadium in India, Vietnam opened the score in the seventh minute as Chuong Thi Kieu accurately headed the ball into the rival’s net after receiving a corner pass from Tuyet Dung.
The goal boosted the fighiting spirit of the Vietnamese women for the remainder of the match.
Tiếp tục đọc “Vietnam to make historic Women’s World Cup debut”
Investor–state disputes in the fossil fuel industry
Photo: haglundc / CC BY-NC 2.0
IISD | 31 December 2021
Investor–state disputes in the fossil fuel industry
By Lea Di Salvatore
Executive Summary
The fossil fuel industry is the most significant contributor to climate change. As the consequences of burning fossil fuels become increasingly evident, policy-makers across the globe are stepping up their efforts to curb emissions.These actions inevitably aim at curtailing fossil fuel activities. However, under current international investment law (IIL), foreign investments in fossil fuel projects are granted special protection and access to investor–state dispute settlement (ISDS). Through this system, investors can bring claims to international tribunals regarding regulatory measures adopted by a host state that they allege breach their investment privileges under IIL.
This report analyses the trends in investor–state disputes initiated by investors in the fossil fuel industry to understand the extent to which this industry relies on ISDS to protect its investments.The emerging picture is that the fossil fuel industry has been a pioneer of the ISDS system and has been using it extensively to protect its investments. This protection can hinder the development and implementation of measures to tackle climate change and can present a major obstacle for countries seeking to phase out fossil fuels.
Tiếp tục đọc “Investor–state disputes in the fossil fuel industry”
How Peatlands Can Advance Climate Action in Southeast Asia
Topic Forest and Landscape Restoration Region Asia
Southeast Asia is home to over 54% of the world’s peatlands — tropical wetlands which have a major role to play in climate action. But they are being deforested rapidly: Around 25 million hectares of tropical peatlands in Southeast Asia have been deforested and drained over the last three decades alone, and only 6% of peatlands remain untouched.
This is a major blow to the region. These terrestrial wetland ecosystems help regulate water flow by capturing rainwater during the wet season and slowly releasing it during the dry season. They are also key habitats for endangered and rare species of both plants and animals, and are essential for the livelihoods of local communities.
Additionally, they are an important carbon store in the global carbon cycle; more than three-fourths of global peat carbon stocks (52 Gigatons) are stored in Southeast Asian peatlands. Their destruction warrants global attention.
Tiếp tục đọc “How Peatlands Can Advance Climate Action in Southeast Asia”
Xin đẻ sớm vì sợ… con tuổi Dần
25/01/2022 05:38 GMT+7
Chỉ trong buổi sáng ngày 24/1, bác sĩ sản khoa nhận hàng loạt đề nghị được mổ chủ động, sinh con sớm. Lý do chung của các sản phụ là để “né” năm Nhâm Dần đã gần kề.
Đó là tâm lý của không ít sản phụ có ngày dự sinh vào những ngày đầu năm Nhâm Dần. Đặc biệt, nếu mang thai bé gái, tâm lý này nặng nề hơn.
“Trong số 3 sản phụ yêu cầu được mổ sớm, có 2 trường hợp mang thai bé gái”, Tiến sĩ, bác sĩ Nguyễn Hữu Trung, Trưởng khoa Phụ sản, Bệnh viện Đại học Y dược TP.HCM cơ sở 2 chia sẻ với VietNamNet.
International Day of Education – 24 January
Children learn with tablets and computers in the Public Melen School of Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon. The CONNECT MY SCHOOL initiative aims at building and expanding sustainable models for improved access to primary & secondary education through ICT.PHOTO:UNICEF/Frank Dejongh
The time has come to reignite our collective commitment to education.”UN Secretary-General António Guterres
Changing Course, Transforming Education
As it was detailed in UNESCO’s global Futures of Education report, transforming the future requires an urgent rebalancing or our relationships with each other, with nature as well as with technology that permeates our lives, bearing breakthrough opportunities while raising serious concerns for equity, inclusion and democratic participation.
This year’s International Day of Education will be a platform to showcase the most important transformations that have to be nurtured to realize everyone’s fundamental right to education and build a more sustainable, inclusive and peaceful futures. It will generate debate around how to strengthen education as a public endeavour and common good, how to steer the digital transformation, support teachers, safeguard the planet and unlock the potential in every person to contribute to collective well-being and our shared home.
Liberal Illusions Caused the Ukraine Crisis
The greatest tragedy about Russia’s potential invasion is how easily it could have been avoided.
By Stephen M. Walt, a columnist at Foreign Policy and the Robert and Renée Belfer professor of international relations at Harvard University.
JANUARY 19, 2022, 5:49 AM
The situation in Ukraine is bad and getting worse. Russia is poised to invade and demanding airtight guarantees that NATO will never, ever expand farther to the east. Negotiations do not appear to be succeeding, and the United States and its NATO allies are beginning to contemplate how they will make Russia pay should it press forward with an invasion. A real war is now a distinct possibility, which would have far-reaching consequences for everyone involved, especially Ukraine’s citizens.
Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh passed away (11.10.1926-22.01.2022)
This morning, the 22 of January 2022 Thay, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, has passed away peacefully at Từ Hiếu Temple in Huế, Vietnam, at 00:00hrs, at the age of 95.
Quick Links
Dear Beloved Community,
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China’s Digital Silk Road and the Global Digital Order
China’s Digital Silk Road is an ambitious vision to catalyze global digitalization. What will it mean for digital governance?
By Richard Ghiasy and Rajeshwari Krishnamurthy – April 13, 2021
China’s Digital Silk Road (DSR) was launched in 2015 as a component of Beijing’s vast vision for global connectivity, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Like the BRI, the DSR is not monolithic and involves many actors at all levels across the Chinese public and private sectors. It is amorphous and the line between official and unofficial DSR projects is often blurry. Comprehensive data on DSR investments is difficult to come by. According to one estimate, by 2018, DSR-related investments in digital infrastructure projects outside of China had reached $79 billion.
Tiếp tục đọc “China’s Digital Silk Road and the Global Digital Order”
What Does “Net-Zero Emissions” Mean? 8 Common Questions, Answered
The latest climate science is clear: Limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees F) is still possible. But to avoid the worst climate impacts, global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will need to drop by half by 2030 and reach net-zero around mid-century.
Recognizing this urgency, a rapidly growing number of national government, local government and business leaders are making commitments to reach net-zero emissions within their jurisdictions or businesses. To date, over 80 countries have communicated such “net-zero targets,” including the world’s largest emitters (China, the United States, the European Union and India). On top of that, hundreds more regions, cities and businesses have set targets of their own.
Tiếp tục đọc “What Does “Net-Zero Emissions” Mean? 8 Common Questions, Answered”
Key Themes for the Global Energy Economy in 2022
We start with a review of short-term issues in the oil, gas and electricity markets. Bassam Fattouh and
Andreas Economou consider the outlook for oil demand over the next 12 months and discuss the ability
of OPEC+ producers to manage a gradual increase in production to balance the market, even as
demand growth is expected to soften. Their conclusion is that the oil price will remain within a $70-90
per barrel range, while refilling depleted storage will be a key issue. Price volatility, in light of
considerable uncertainty about both supply and demand, as well as political responses to high prices
will remain dominant issues in 2022. Anupama Sen, David Robinson and Rahmat Poudineh then
discuss government responses to current electricity price volatility, using the UK and Spain as examples
of different responses to providing protection for low-income consumers. They see the issue becoming
increasingly relevant as the energy transition progresses and suggest that government intervention
could become less and less effective unless energy policy is well designed.
In a somewhat similar vein, Mike Fulwood and Jack Sharples consider the outlook for gas prices and
supply to Europe and the implications for the global LNG market. Replenishing European storage will
be a critical issue in 2022, with LNG supply, Asian demand and pipeline exports from Russia being key
drivers to watch.
Tiếp tục đọc “Key Themes for the Global Energy Economy in 2022”
This is the real story of the Afghan biometric databases abandoned to the Taliban
By capturing 40 pieces of data per person—from iris scans and family links to their favorite fruit—a system meant to cut fraud in the Afghan security forces may actually aid the Taliban.By
August 30, 2021
ANDREA DAQUINO
As the Taliban swept through Afghanistan in mid-August, declaring the end of two decades of war, reports quickly circulated that they had also captured US military biometric devices used to collect data such as iris scans, fingerprints, and facial images. Some feared that the machines, known as HIIDE, could be used to help identify Afghans who had supported coalition forces.
According to experts speaking to MIT Technology Review, however, these devices actually provide only limited access to biometric data, which is held remotely on secure servers. But our reporting shows that there is a greater threat from Afghan government databases containing sensitive personal information that could be used to identify millions of people around the country.
MIT Technology Review spoke to two individuals familiar with one of these systems, a US-funded database known as APPS, the Afghan Personnel and Pay System. Used by both the Afghan Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Defense to pay the national army and police, it is arguably the most sensitive system of its kind in the country, going into extreme levels of detail about security personnel and their extended networks. We granted the sources anonymity to protect them against potential reprisals.
Related Story
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