How we can ensure that future generations will have a beautiful and livable natural environment is a topic worth thinking. This week, vloggers @Rose and @Steve continue their ride and take us to Hainan and Guangdong to learn about how our friends there take actions to contribute to the sustainability.

Rethink Plastic, a pilot project “Fishing for Litter”

Location: Changhua Habour, Changjiang, Hainan

When most people are sleeping and it is still dark, by four o 'clock in the morning fishermen had already set out to fish in the vast ocean. Rose joined a group of fishermen in Hainan and decided that she was not "just standing and watching". She took her place onboard. On that day, while sailing the waves, the nets of our angler friends caught a lot of garbage from the ocean. Instead of throwing it back into the ocean, they brought it back to shore and handed it over to recycle. These fishermen are participating in the "Fishing for Litter" pilot project, under the EU-funded "Rethink Plastic" programme. Through awareness campaigns and motivational activities, this pilot project encourages fishermen to work together to protect the ocean. Of course, fishermen are a stakeholder obviously interested in protecting marine ecosystems for future generations.

At 6:30 am, with the sunrise, our fishermen friends returned on shore. After docking, they handed over the garbage to a garbage sorting station. The garbage was sorted carefully and its description was registered with a special form, including details on weight, amount, and type. The fishermen who take part in the "Fishing for Litter" project receive a certificate and prize for their efforts in cleaning the oceans. Additionally, they can earn points in exchange for small gifts.

Lv Shuguo, a researcher at the Hainan Academy of Environmental Sciences and director of the project, said that 23 fishing boats, a quarter of the total boats in Changhua, are involved at present. The pilot project has the goal of engaging all fishing boats in Changhua fishing port in this important project. In addition to funding from the EU, the "Fishing for Litter" project has also received financial support from Hainan Province, with the ultimate goal of involving all fishermen across the island to contribute to ocean conservation.

While on board with the fishermen, Rose experienced herself some of the hardship and fought against sea sickness, vomiting even three times. Nevertheless, she was deeply touched by the fact that the project, although very challenging, it is very important. Collecting marine litter is only a part of the solution to minimize the threat posed to marine life. Reducing ocean pollution is the responsibility of all of us. In order to protect the ocean, we should reduce and reject the use of disposable plastic products. Instead, we can use more recyclable products and contribute to a cleaner and safer living space for marine creatures and human beings.

More on the project: link

Rethink Plastic, a pilot project “Shared recycling packing box and the operation system”

Sharing recycling Packing boxes and operation System

Location: Haikou, Hainan

In China, e-commerce business is developing steadly and is highly favored by consumers because of its convenience. According to the statistics of the postal express industry of Hainan Post Administration, by the end of the third quarter of 2021 the express delivery volume in Hainan exceeded 100 million pieces, two months earlier than 2020. However, this also means that a large amount of packaging waste will be generated earlier. Reducing packages disposal volumes has become an urgent issue.

On the occasion of the "1212" (12 December) online shopping festival, Rose visited a JD logistics center in Haikou that works together with the EU on “source reduction and reusables of plastic packaging in the online express delivery industry”, a pilot project funded by the European Union. This pilot project aims to improve efficiency, to reduce generation of disposable packaging waste, to research and develop standardized sharing of express packaging, recycling guidelines and standards, and to increase public participation in the recycling process. By participating in the project, JD Logistics has piloted a multi-scene sharing model in Haikou, where recycling packaging can be repeatedly used more than 5 times and be transferred between warehouses, sorting centers, logistics outlets and consumers.

JD Logistics staff introduced to Rose an eco-friendly reusable box. Currently, the boxes come in three sizes to replace packaging of different goods. This way it is possible to reduce a big amount of waste and pollution generated by conventional express packaging. 

More on the project: link

EU-China biodiversity Creative Video Competition

Location: Hainan Normal University

Later on, Rose at Hainan Normal University met Gou Huiying and Shi Bingyao, two winners of the Excellence Award in the EU-China Biodiversity Creative Video Competition. Their award-winning video titled "Live up to expectations, no more waiting" was created in the hope that people would pay more attention to the protection of the Dongzhai Mangrove Reserve in Haikou city, Hainan province, the first and largest mangrove reserve in China. Through the video, the two students refer to mangroves’ ecological benefits to , such as protecting wind, typhoons and storm surges, keeping sand, protecting vegetation and purifying water.

This two students believe that environmental protection does not always have to be done by others, rather everyone should act and take their own responsibility, to live up to the animals and plants living in the Nature with human beings.

As for sustainability, Gou Huiying believes that above all it is about "sharing", not only between human beings, animals and plants, but also between people of today and of the future.  It is also about "beauty", because everyone wants to live in a healthy, happy and beautiful environment. Shi hopes that more people will understand the importance of biodiversity conservation and be active in protecting the environment. She also believes that Hainan has ban on plastic bags is a very meaningful action to reduce the use of plastics and carbon emissions and to protect the environment.

More on the EU-China Biodiversity Creative Video Competition, please follow their weibo @解码欧洲

2^nd Spanish-speaking researchers communication conference in South China region

Location: Guangzhou, Guangdong

Steve attended "the 2^nd Spanish-speaking researchers communication conference in South China region" by the Spanish researchers association in China (RICE). This event aims to promote exchange of experiences and promote contacts between the scientific and academic communities of Spanish-speaking countrie and Chinas . The conference topics included "the role of big bay area in China’s development: diplomacy and sports", "material science: two-dimensional materials," "Molecular Biology and Virology," and "Southern China from the Perspective of a Spanish researcher."

Steve had the chance to chat about Asian elephants with Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz, a professor of Ecology from Spain. The northbound herd has been a hot topic on the Internet this year, with its journey of hundreds of kilometers to Kunming attracting countless onlookers. According to Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz, the once-endangered Asian elephants have increased in China in the past 20-25 years after undergoing a series of economic, social and environmental changes, while in other parts of Asia, the Asian elephant is disappearing and should be protected.. China is in a window period at the moment, and Xishuangbanna is setting a good template for other Asian countries, such as Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia.

As humans continue to expand their presence into natural lanscapes, elephants and tigers have a hard time finding safe areas away from people. If we want to see them in the future, we need to promote sustainable development. Even if some people do not like elephants nor tigers, these animals play a very important role in the ecosystem and ecological regulation.Their extintion will change the ecological trajectory and ultimately affect us human beings. Therefore, human beings need to learn how to live without endangering elephants.

More on this project: http://www.ric-e.net/vpage/1/0/sobre-nosotros/en

Euraxess networking night

Location: Guangzhou, Guangdong

Saying goodbye to Professor Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz, Steve rode from the Airport Centre to Happy-Monk to participate in Euraxess Global European Research Network Platform Exchange night. The journey lasted 3 hours and 27 minutes and reduced carbon emissions by 11300 grams.

Mr. Halldor Berg Hotoli, Senior Country Representative, said that Euraxess is committed to building a bridge between China and Europe, by connecting researchers, enabling Chinese and European researchers to build links, both for Chinese researchers to go to Europe to do research or research on Europe, and for European researchers to come to China. Euraxess is trying to do four things: disseminate information, build working relationships, do scientific communication training, and help researchers apply for horizon Europe funding through Euraxess methods. In the exchange night, after listening to presentations of scientific researchers from various industries in China and EU, Steve felt that he developed a new perspective of sustainability!

More on this project: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/

LN Hotel Nansha Garden Hotel – a project of 3LHD, an architectural design team from Croatia

Location: Guangzhou, Guangdong

After enjoying an authentic Cantonese morning tea, Steve embarked on the cycling journey again. He completed a 65 km cycling challenge from Tianhe Stadium in downtown Guangzhou to LN Hotel Nansha Garden Hotel. He cycled the whole journey for 6 hours and  saved 19,800 grams carbon emissions.

Tang Yong, the deputy General Manager of Nansha Garden Hotel, showed Steve around the Hotel and explained that LN Hotel Nansha Garden Hotel incorporates the concept of environmental protection from the beginning of investment. This hotel asked 3LHD, an architectural design team from Croatia, to embody the concept of "sustainability" in every detail of the hotel. For example, the sunrise and sunset can be seen from the lobby of the hotel. The lobby, without a major chandelier, features only pure natural lighting, not only allowing large savings of electricity, but also gives guests the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful scenery of sunrise and sunset from inside the hotel.

For example, when the sun rises, the sun shines through the largest art installation in the hotel. It is the "Echo of light and shadow", created by the German artist Ivana with 1,618 pieces of glass triangular prism that refract to the ground to form a colorful rainbow. It gives a feeling of being in the Nature. We also listen a “fish song”, inspired by fishing nets and produced by the nets that hang over the restaurant. They are made of woven with iron chains and symbolize reunion and family happiness.

In such an environment where LN Hotel Nansha Garden Hotel and Nature are harmoniously combined, Steve felt that life can be so pleasant!

More on this project: https://www.3lhd.com/en/project/hotel-ln-garden

Next stop, Rose will go to the city of Spring, also known as the paradise of cycling enthusiasts. Can you guess where it is? Steve will also explore new projects. Follow their rides in search for the beauty of sustainability and how people can live in harmony with Nature.