What’s Up in Coal Country: Alternative-Energy Jobs

NYtimes_From the mountain hollows of Appalachia to the vast open plains of Wyoming, the coal industry long offered the promise of a six-figure income without a four-year college degree, transforming sleepy farm towns into thriving commercial centers.

But today, as King Coal is being dethroned — by cheap natural gas, declining demand for electricity, and even green energy — what’s a former miner to do?

Nowhere has that question had more urgency than in Wyoming and West Virginia, two very different states whose economies lean heavily on fuel extraction. With energy prices falling or stagnant, both have lost population and had middling economic growth in recent years. In national rankings of economic vitality, you can find them near the bottom of the pile. Tiếp tục đọc “What’s Up in Coal Country: Alternative-Energy Jobs”

Vietnam seeks solutions for problems caused by rapid urbanization

Last update 16:02 | 17/12/2017

Vietnam is facing numerous challenges caused by rapid urbanization, leaving burdens on its technical and social infrastructure and leading to many severe consequences. In this context, finding solutions for sustainable urban development is one of Vietnam’s current top priorities.

Vietnam seeks solutions for problems caused by rapid urbanization, social news, vietnamnet bridge, english news, Vietnam news, news Vietnam, vietnamnet news, Vietnam net news, Vietnam latest news, vn news, Vietnam breaking news

Vietnam is struggling with many challenges caused by its rapid urbanization, which is among the fastest in the region.

There are a total of 800 urban areas across Vietnam with a current urbanization percentage of around 37%. This figure is expected to increase by 50% by 2025. Tiếp tục đọc “Vietnam seeks solutions for problems caused by rapid urbanization”

Germany’s Transition from Coal to Renewables Offers Lessons for the World

Scientificamerican.org  
Germany's Transition from Coal to Renewables Offers Lessons for the World
Credit: Krisztian Bocsi Getty Images

From Ensia (find the original story here), from an article commissioned by Courier; reprinted with permission.

August 1, 2017—Seventy-seven-year-old Heinz Spahn—whose blue eyes are both twinkling and stern—vividly recalls his younger days. The Zollverein coal mine, where he worked in the area of Essen, Germany, was so clogged with coal dust, he remembers, that people would stir up a black cloud whenever they moved. “It was no pony farm,” he says—using the sardonic German phrase to describe the harsh conditions: The roar of machines was at a constant 110 decibels, and the men were nicknamed waschbar, or “raccoons,” for the black smudges that permanently adorned their faces. Tiếp tục đọc “Germany’s Transition from Coal to Renewables Offers Lessons for the World”

Super satellite city planned in Hanoi

Last update 17:20 | 05/12/2017

Hanoi plans to construct a super satellite city by 2030, with a total area of over 17,270ha located in two districts of Thach That and Quoc Oai and Son Tay Town.

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The super satellite city on paper.— Photo tienphong.vn

The Hoa Lac super satellite city will be some 30km from Hanoi’s centre.

The plan is part of the master plan of Hoa Lac Urban Area, compiled by the municipal People’s Committee and recently submitted to the municipal People’s Council for approval. Tiếp tục đọc “Super satellite city planned in Hanoi”

Công an kêu gọi người dân tham gia vụ giữ 38 cảnh sát ở Đồng Tâm đầu thú

Đọc bài quan trọng “Phân tích pháp lý về đất đai trong vu Đồng Tâm
Bộ Quốc Phòng và Công An có vi phạm Luật Hình Sự
trong vụ Đồng Tâm ngày 9/1/2020?

Chuỗi bài Đồng Tâm >>>

Thứ sáu, 13/10/2017 | 22:33 GMT+7

Gửi thư đến từng người, Công an Hà Nội cam kết không bắt nếu người tham gia vụ việc ở thôn Hoành, xã Đồng Tâm, Mỹ Đức ra đầu thú.

Công an Hà Nội ngày 13/10 có “Thư kêu gọi tự thú và đầu thú” đến các cá nhân có hành vi hủy hoại tài sản, bắt giữ người trái pháp luật (từ ngày 15 đến ngày 22/4) trên địa bàn thôn Hoành, xã Đồng Tâm, huyện Mỹ Đức, Hà Nội.

* 7 ngày biến cố tại Đồng Tâm

Công an nhân dân đưa tin, nội dung thư ghi rằng: Trong cuộc sống, đôi khi vì sai lầm trong nhận thức, hành động có thể làm cho cá nhân có hành vi vi phạm pháp luật thậm chí phạm tội… Cha ông ta đã có lời chỉ dạy “đánh kẻ chạy đi, không đánh người chạy lại”… Cơ quan Cảnh sát điều tra Công an Hà Nội và VKSND Hà Nội viết thư này, đề nghị các cá nhân đã tham gia vào việc hủy hoại hoặc cố ý làm hư hỏng tài sản, bắt, giam hoặc giữ người trái pháp luật ở thôn Hoành, xã Đồng Tâm “không bỏ lỡ cơ hội để được hưởng lượng khoan hồng của pháp luật, hãy dũng cảm, đối mặt với sự thật”…

Tiếp tục đọc “Công an kêu gọi người dân tham gia vụ giữ 38 cảnh sát ở Đồng Tâm đầu thú”

VN shifts away from agriculture

vietnamnews

Update: October, 10/2017 – 09:00

Proportion of working age laborers in rural areas. – Source: GSO’s national census on rural areas, agriculture and fishery in 2016. – VNS Inforgraphic Khánh Dương
Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI – The economic structure in Việt Nam’s rural areas has been transformed in the past five years, with fewer people working in the agriculture, forestry and fishery sectors and more in construction, industry and services, according to the 2016 national census on rural areas, agriculture and fishery. The report was issued yesterday by the General Statistics Office (GSO). Tiếp tục đọc “VN shifts away from agriculture”

FDI flow into real estate: a cause for concern?

Last update 08:00 | 26/08/2017
VietNamNet Bridge – Real estate ranked fourth among the most attractive business fields for foreign investors, with registered FDI capital of $1.15 billion in the first half of the year.vietnam economy, business news, vn news, vietnamnet bridge, english news, Vietnam news, news Vietnam, vietnamnet news, vn news, Vietnam net news, Vietnam latest news, Vietnam breaking news, FDI, real estate market, HOREA
According to Savills Vietnam, the increase in FDI in the manufacturing sector has prompted investors to pour money into projects to develop industrial infrastructure.

Thai company Hemaraj Land & Development and Vietnamese firm Cienco 4 last May confirmed cooperation to set up a joint venture to develop an IZ on an area of 3,200 hectares in Nghe An province, capitalized at $1 billion.

Many deals were made in the first half of the year. Japanese firm Nishi Nippon and Hankyu joined forces with Vietnamese firm Nam Long to develop Mizuki Park residential quarter on an area of 26 hectares in Binh Chanh district, HCMC, capitalized at $351 million.

Meanwhile, Aeon Mall has teamed up with BIM Group to develop Aeon’s second shopping mall in Hanoi, covering an area of 16.7 hectares in a $200 million project. Son Kim Lan has successfully called for $100 million worth of investment capital from a Japanese investor.

The increase in FDI in the manufacturing sector has prompted investors to pour money into projects to develop industrial infrastructure.

Housing projects continue attracting attention from investors. Chinese firm Fortune Land Development has bought Lotus Dai Phuoc shares from VinaCapital, worth $65.3 million. This is a residential quarter project covering an area of 198.5 hectares in an area of Dong Nai province adjacent to HCMC.

A 65 percent stake in Times Square complex worth $41 million has been transferred by VinaCapital to Elite Capital Resources Limited.

Analysts have predicted that FDI flow into the real estate sector will continue in the time to come thanks to open policies and the great potential in tourism development. However, they warned that the amount of capital into the market needs to be measured by disbursed capital, not registered capital.

Many registered projects have not been implemented. Booyuong Mo Lao project in Ha Dong district, for example, has been left unimplemented for years.

Nguyen Tri Hieu, a respected banking expert, commented on Dau Tu Bat Dong San that  more FDI capital is good news, but that is necessary to reconsider the situation if too much capital flows into the real estate sector. If the capital only goes to high-end real estate and resort projects, it will only heat up the market and lead to oversupply in the market segment, and not propel socio-economic development.

Phan Huu Thang, former head of the Foreign Investment Agency, now chair of the Vietnam Real Estate Association, affirmed that FDI real estate projects would still be welcomed. The problem is that Vietnam needs to supervise project implementation to ensure sustainability in investment and development.

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Vietnam’s FDI in first 7 months reaches nearly $22 billion

Over $600 million of FDI poured into VN property in 5 months

Chi Mai

Vietnam builds energy efficiency expertise

Cu Nguyen Khanh leading a session during a recent HVAC training under the USAID Vietnam Clean Energy Program.
Cu Nguyen Khanh leads a recent HVAC training session under the USAID Vietnam Clean Energy Program. – USAID VCEP

USAID Engineers and architects learn new ways to save energy

“I really would like to contribute to sector development by promoting energy efficiency principles and methods.”

 
September 2016—Energy efficiency in the building sector is becoming a key area of interest in Vietnam, where energy consumption is growing quickly as a result of increasing industrialization and urbanization. In 2012, the building sector accounted for 38 percent of the country’s power consumption, and energy demand is expected to increase as the urban population continues to grow. Tiếp tục đọc “Vietnam builds energy efficiency expertise”

14 ex-officials prosecuted for Đồng Tâm land violations

Đọc bài quan trọng “Phân tích pháp lý về đất đai trong vu Đồng Tâm
Bộ Quốc Phòng và Công An có vi phạm Luật Hình Sự
trong vụ Đồng Tâm ngày 9/1/2020?

Chuỗi bài Đồng Tâm >>>

vietnamnews

Update: July, 05/2017 – 16:00

Hà Nội People’s Committee chairman Nguyễn Đức Chung (centre, white shirt) meet Đồng Tâm Commune residents to resettle land dispute last April. — VNA/VNS Photo
Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI — Mỹ Đức District Police in Hà Nội on Tuesday announced they were prosecuting 14 former officials of the district and of Đồng Tâm Commune.

The officials were allegedly involved in land violations in the commune.

The accused will appear in court this month, facing charges of “abusing power while on duty” and “irresponsibility causing serious consequence.” Tiếp tục đọc “14 ex-officials prosecuted for Đồng Tâm land violations”

Giant projects transform the face of Phu Quoc

Last update 17:16 | 22/05/2017
VietNamNet Bridge – To date, Phu Quoc – Vietnam’s largest island – has attracted US$16.7 billion of investment into a range of international-scale projects, which not only give the island a new face, but also attract other projects as well as tourists. Among them, Sun Group’s projects in the south of the island are one of the engines of change.

Billion-dollar projects taking shape

Giant projects transform the face of Phu Quoc, vietnam economy, business news, vn news, vietnamnet bridge, english news, Vietnam news, news Vietnam, vietnamnet news, vn news, Vietnam net news, Vietnam latest news, Vietnam reaking news

Phu Quoc used to be an almost unknown island, but in recent years, the southern beaches of the island have turned into a worldwide vacation paradise thanks to the investment of many domestic and foreign companies. One of the biggest investor is Sun Group, with up to VND20 trillion ($881 million) of investment capital. Tiếp tục đọc “Giant projects transform the face of Phu Quoc”

Những làng chài… tuyệt chủng

– 109 THANH HẢI 9:22 AM, 14/05/2017

Những giếng Chăm, những miếu mạo, đình chùa ở Nam Ô đang được kiến nghị giữ lại. Dẫu vậy, những di tích này sẽ không còn “sống” bởi đã bị tách khỏi cộng đồng.Ảnh: T.Hải

Đà Nẵng vốn hình thành từ những làng chài như Nam Ô, Nam Thọ, Hà Khê, Nại Hiên, Hải Châu… nhưng theo thời gian, cùng với sự phát triển kinh tế xã hội, các làng chài đang bị xoá dần đến mất dấu tích. Quá trình đô thị hoá thần tốc thời gian gần đây, những làng chài cuối cùng đã phải nhường đất cho các dự án đô thị, du lịch…

Tiếp tục đọc “Những làng chài… tuyệt chủng”

Tranh chấp đất đai: cái gốc không phải là vấn đề sở hữu

Thứ Năm,  4/5/2017, 07:12 (GMT+7)
Với khiếu kiện đất đai, cái gốc của vấn đề không phải là chế độ sở hữu mà do khó có thể xác định được mức đền bù thỏa đáng, sự không minh bạch và tham nhũng, cũng như thiếu vắng sự tham gia thực chất của người dân. Ảnh: MAI LƯƠNG

(TBKTSG) – LTS: Hiện nay, các vụ khiếu kiện và tranh chấp liên quan đến đất đai không chỉ nhiều mà còn diễn biến phức tạp, gây ra những căng thẳng xã hội. Các cuộc thảo luận đang diễn ra xung quanh vấn đề đâu là nguyên nhân chính của tình trạng này. TBKTSG nhận được bài viết của chuyên gia kinh tế Huỳnh Thế Du về vấn đề này. Bài viết thể hiện quan điểm riêng của tác giả, xin giới thiệu để bạn đọc tham khảo.

Tiếp tục đọc “Tranh chấp đất đai: cái gốc không phải là vấn đề sở hữu”

Lotte to build smart complex in Thủ Thiêm

vietnamnews

Update: May, 04/2017 – 11:41

HCM City People’s Committee has selected Lotte group as the investor of a smart complex project in the city’s Thủ Thiêm New Urban Area. — Photo alotrip.com
HCM CITY – HCM City People’s Committee has selected Lotte group as the investor of a smart complex project in the city’s Thủ Thiêm New Urban Area.

The project is set to cost the investor VNĐ20.1 trillion (nearly US$884 million), excluding site clearance expenses.

It aims to develop a multifunctional finance-trade-service and residential centre, in which finance, trade and service functions play a crucial role in the core area of Thủ Thiêm. Tiếp tục đọc “Lotte to build smart complex in Thủ Thiêm”