IFCE Activities Briefing- May 2005 

• IFCE invited six environmental professionals/entrepreneurs from China to attend Waste Expo 2005 from May 2-5 in Las Vegas. Dr. He Ping and IFCE Beijing program officer Ms. Long Xiaolin introduced a number of US businesses to them at the Expo. The invitees visited a medical waste treatment facility near Washington DC under accompany of an officer in US DOC.  They also visited the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, a recycling promotion organization in DC.

• IFCE, joined by Wuhan Environmental Protection Bureau, Wuhan Education Bureau and Chinese Environmental Cultural Promotion Council,  is organizing a web cartoon design contest among college students in Wuhan. The theme of the design is ‘Environment Protection is With Me’. The purpose of the contest is to promote environmental awareness among college students. The contest will be completed in September. Four levels of prizes will be awarded to winners.

• Dr. Ping He was invited by Sierra Club to introduce environmental NGO in China and 4th NGO Forum on Apr. 9 at the Club’s international committee meeting. Sierra Club is one of the oldest and largest environmental NGOs in US. The Club is interested in extending its experience in grassroots organizing to help China in solving the environmental problems. They will send a delegation to 4th NGO Forum to initiate contact with Chinese NGOs and seek collaborative opportunities.

• Dr. Ping He attended annual meeting of Committee of 100 on Apr. 7 in Washington, DC. The Committee of 100 is a national organization composed of prominent American citizens of Chinese descent. The meeting discussed issues in the making of China policy in the U.S, national security issues and their economic impact on international trade, U.S.-China economic integration, etc. Results of American Attitudes toward China Survey commissioned by Committee of 100 were also unveiled at the event. IFCE’s advisor, Ms. Anna Chennault was one of four honorees at the Gala dinner.

• IFCE, joined by Chinese Association of Science and Tech (USA), hosted a farewell dinner for Science Counselor of Chinese Embassy, Mr. Jin Xiaoming. Dr. Ping He present a certificate of ‘Friend of IFCE’ to Mr. Jin to express thanks for his support to IFCE in the past four years. Mr. Jin returned to Beijing and presently serves as the director general of the department of international cooperation in the Ministry of Science and Tech of China.

• IFCE’s advisor, Director of Asia Studies of Council on Foreign Relations, Ms. Elizabeth Economy delivered a speech at The Brookings Institution on Mar. 10. She addressed China’s responses to its environmental challenges. She especially discussed emerging of Chinese environmental NGOs. The NGOs contributed significantly in a sequence of environmental events occurred in China recently, including halting 30 major construction projects. Around fifty people from the State Department, EPA and other research institutes attended the event, including IFCE’s advisor Mr. Lester Brown and IFCE president Dr. Ping He.

• Ms. Leanne Mitchell, Director of Communication of the Worldwatch Institute (WWI), visited IFCE to discuss possible cooperation at the 4^th NGO Forum. The WWI is translating its ‘State of the World 2005’ to Chinese. They are considering organizing a workshop and launching the book at the Forum.