Social media crackdown stifles dissent in Pakistan

When Zafar Achakzai, a journalist in the restive Pakistani province of Balochistan, heard a loud, insistent knocking on his door just before sunrise on June 25, he did not quite know what to expect.

When he answered, he was met by about a dozen armed men, some in Pakistani paramilitary uniforms.

"They ordered me to come with them," the 21-year-old reporter told Al Jazeera by telephone. "When we were some distance from my home, they blindfolded me, and then I was held at some unknown place."

For hours, he remained in the dark. Eventually, men came to ask him questions, to confirm his identity and take down details about his work. It was then that he asked them why he had been taken. "I was told that I use Facebook quite a lot. That is all that they said." Achakzai was held without charge and interrogated repeatedly over the next three days. His interrogators, who refused to identify themselves, only said that they were concerned about several Facebook posts he had made that were critical of Pakistan's powerful military. http://widgetcon.com They specifically identified three posts that were critical of the Frontier Corps paramilitary force, which controls much of the law and order in Balochistan, where an armed separatist movement and increasing Taliban-linked violence has raged for over a decade. "I responded by saying that the posts you are talking about come under my right to freedom of expression," he told Al Jazeera. "They said, 'don't talk about rights here'." He was released shortly after he was informed that an official case under the cybercrime act had been filed against him. Achakzai's abduction came soon after the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) issued dozens of summons to people across Pakistan asking them to explain their social media activity and charging them with posting material that was against the national interest. Those targeted included political and social activists, as well as at least one other journalist.

Achakzai and dozen others were accused of maligning state institutions under the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), a law passed in August 2016. PECA allows the government to issue takedown notices for any material deemed to be "in the interest of the glory of Islam or the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan … or public order, decency or morality". The law was passed despite opposition from rights activists, who say the new legislation created overly broad categories for those who could be acted against, was against the principles of free speech, and left major definitions and rules vague or undeclared. At the time, the government dismissed their concerns, saying the law was necessary to regulate a digital space that was not under any specific regulations or legislation until that point. Activists now say that everything they were arguing is coming to pass.

Targeting dissent

Since the law came into effect, at least 147 people have been arrested and 194 cases registered under the law for various offences, including online sexual harassment, according to the interior ministry. "When the law was passed, all the concerns we raised when the law was in the making - those all came true after enactment," said Nighat Dad, a lawyer and executive director of the Digital Rights Foundation (DRF). "All the provisions we said were vague that could be interpreted any way [the authorities] wanted, they have actually have done so."

Dad's organisation, based in the eastern city of Lahore, runs a cyber-harassment hotline, which helps women who are harassed online to file complaints under the law. The government's priority, however, appears to be to act against those expressing dissent, she says. "I am seeing that the priority is not being given to those cases [of sexual harassment]; they are being given to cases that have to do with criticising the state." Farieha Aziz, director at digital rights advocacy group Bolo Bhi, concurred, saying that the FIA and others appear to be targeting dissent. "There is a fixed mindset regarding national security and 'national interest', and that is deeply embedded in our entire system," she said. "The FIA says that people are being paid to say the most vile things about the army, and while that might be true, the line that has been blurred between raising questions and criticising, is very worrying." International rights groups such as Amnesty International also say the crackdown has resulted in a shrinking of space for political and public expression. "The crackdown on freedom of expression in Pakistan is extremely worrying, as it is elsewhere in South Asia. One of the hopes of a return to civilian rule in Pakistan was a restoration of people's rights. However, what we are seeing is a shrinking of civic space that is even worse than under [military rule]," said Omar Warraich, the deputy South Asia director at Amnesty. "People are being arbitrarily detained and even disappeared for peacefully expressing their views, creating a climate of fear that runs counter to the promises of greater political freedoms that the PML-N government made."

Abducted, tortured, forced into exile

One of the first of those to disappear was Asim Saeed, an IT manager based in Singapore who was visiting his home in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore last winter. He was forcibly picked up from his home on the afternoon of January 6, and thrown into an unmarked pick-up truck by men in plain clothes. "They put handcuffs on me and a hood over my head," he said. After a few minutes, during which Saeed says he was slapped and his mobile and other belongings were taken from him, they arrived at an undisclosed location. "They stripped me naked and made me change into a prisoner's uniform. There were other people in the cells there as well," he said. "I asked if I could keep my underwear on, and they said no."

After he had changed, he was once again handcuffed, with additional cuffs attached to his legs. He was blindfolded and taken to a basement, sat down at a desk and handed a blank sheet of paper. "I was told to write the story of my life. Everything about myself, when I was born, where I went to school, everything." It took a few hours, he said: "In that building, you lose sense of time." What followed was three weeks of daily interrogation and torture, Saeed says. "They would keep me blindfolded and tie my hands above my head," he said. "And then they would hit me on my back and legs … with a leather strap. Once, I fell unconscious, I fell off the contraption." Every day, they would ask him about his political beliefs and accuse him of running a Facebook page that posted content critical of the Pakistani military, which has ruled the country for roughly half of its 70-year history. "No matter what answer I gave, I was slapped for every answer." Saeed was one of five social media activists to be picked up within days of each other in early January. The men would later be accused of posting blasphemous material online, a charge that can carry both a judicial death sentence and the threat of murder by a mob in Pakistan. The Pakistani government has repeatedly denied having any role in their disappearances. All of them were released by the end of January. Saeed says he was held by members of an intelligence agency alongside at least two of those who were abducted during that time. During his three weeks of incarceration, he says he suffered a fracture in his right hand, a burst eardrum and bruises all over his body. "After you are tortured, you realise there is nothing else that can be done to you - so you become a bit brave," he said. "I asked why are you doing this; put us in front of a court if we have committed a crime." But there was no answer. Saeed and several others were released from custody on January 27, after signing a confession and promising never to criticise Pakistan's intelligence agencies again, or to speak to the media. The next day, he fled back to Singapore, fearful that a mob may kill him over the blasphemy accusations that spread during the time he was in custody. At the time of Saeed's incarceration, his family told Al Jazeera they had received multiple death threats by phone and over SMS.

Government defends policy

The disappearances in January, and the subsequent crackdown by the FIA, has had a chilling effect on freedom of expression in Pakistan, say rights activists. "I absolutely believe that the disappearances were aimed at silencing critiques," said Dad, of the DRF. "We clearly have seen self-censorship. We see people who were very vocal and who have bold opinions about the state machinery and the things they are doing, they have tamed down their voices. There is a lot of self-censorship. Lots of people reached out to us, especially political bloggers and activists, asking us if they say something, whether it comes under PECA." The government, however, disagrees with that assessment, claiming that authorities have been ordered to show restraint when taking on cases of dissent using the law. "We have a policy, that despite the law, that until there is not a post that is at a very extreme level, then we neither allow an inquiry nor authorise any arrests," Talal Chaudhry, minister of state for the interior, told Al Jazeera.

Article 19 of Pakistan's Constitution

"Every citizen shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression, and there shall be freedom of the press, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of the glory of Islam or the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan or any part thereof, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, 30 [commission of] 30 or incitement to an offence."

Asked to define what that "extreme level" would be, Chaudhry said it would entail harsh criticism of the state's institutions, including the military, or material deemed to be blasphemous. "As a policy and as a political party, we believe that there should be freedom of expression. But we have to look at this very carefully. First [there are] our religious beliefs … and second, if a military force is fighting against terrorism, and people are then [criticising] the martyrs of that force and you do not tackle it, then I think the force will be disheartened." Asked if the law and its application have an effect on free speech, the government is clear in its stance. "It is very important to understand that in Pakistan … it is very clearly mentioned in Article 19 of the 1973 [constitution] that freedom of expression is conditional. It is conditional upon four or five things, including [not criticising] state institutions, friendly countries and some religious beliefs." For activists who are facing the full force of the law, however, the implications are clear. "After all of this happened, of course I have been forced to change my online behaviour," said Achakzai, the journalist. "Anything to do with raising questions about the government or law enforcement agencies, I have stopped doing that." Saeed, who has applied for asylum in the United Kingdom over fears for his family's safety, says he, too, has started to self-censor, despite being in a foreign country. "I could only stay [in Singapore] as long as the job existed. If it ended, even after five years, I would have to go back to Pakistan, and these allegations will be with me my whole life. "I would have to go back to Pakistan, but I cannot do that. Killing me is a ticket to heaven for some people."

The Fundening? Quarter Billion Dollar Gold Fund is Buying Bitcoin

A Bloomberg interview has revealed Old Mutual Gold & Silver Fund has set aside roughly 11 million USD from its holdings since spring of this year to purchase the world’s most popular cryptocurrency, bitcoin. It’s another feather in the decentralized currency’s cap, even as debate rages as to whether it will ever supplant gold’s tradition of being a hedge against tough economic times.   http://wabbo.org  

Bitcoin Paving Way for Reintroduction of Gold as Global Money

Ranjeetha Pakiam reports: “The Old Mutual Gold & Silver Fund, which manages $220 million of mostly precious metal equities, is jumping on the bitcoin wagon.” Fund manager Ned Naylor-Leyland explained to Ms. Pakiam how they’ve been gobbling up bitcoin since April “with a mandate to allocate as much as 5 percent to cryptocurrencies,” Ms. Pakiam writes.

A response back in 2015 from the fund manager, to an individual who viewed bitcoin as too volatile.

“Bitcoin is paving the way for the reintroduction of gold as global money,” Mr. Naylor-Leyland surmised. Rather than viewing bitcoin as a threat to the precious metal, he instead views it as a way to educate investors. “Bitcoin was explicitly designed to be digital gold. So if you’re going to have a small proportion of a fund in bitcoin, it should be in a gold fund, because that’s exactly the point.” It’s a curious end-run toward a broader goal, but no one would blame the fund. Bitcoin is up hundreds of percent this year. And since the fund’s reported buying spree in April, the digital currency has risen from just over 1,000 USD to the current floor of above 8,000 USD. The historic metal has thudded along comparatively during the same interval, up $40 as of this writing.

Bitcoin a Way to Sound Money

“Bitcoin and blockchain resolve” divisibility problems, Ms. Pakiam writes of the fund manager’s thoughts, “[problems of] ownership and speed of transmission.” “We’re going to revert to sound money,” Mr. Naylor-Leyland is quoted. “If you imagine sound money and blockchain together, there’s quite an exciting potential outcome.” It’s a novel approach to bitcoin, for sure. Crypto maximalists suggest it’s simply a matter of time before the digital currency overtakes gold’s position. And as well as bitcoin has done in less than a decade, the precious metal has a four millennia headstart. Something on the order of over 5 billion ounces presently exit, and with an ounce trading above 1,200 USD, that pegs it at a 7 trillion USD market cap, close to 100 fold better than present bitcoin valuations. Still, the better bet seems to be understanding a larger point: the metal’s limitations were the inspiration behind bitcoin’s creation in terms of scarcity, mining, and utility. They’re not mutually exclusive though: both are preferable to the whims of government fiat, sound money advocates urge.

Industries concerned about future in the wake of CPEC

South Punjab comes on top in agricultural economy as it has 96% share in cotton production in Punjab and 80% in the entire country as well as pays more taxes than the industrial hub of Faisalabad, emphasized Malik Asrar Ahmed Awan, President of the Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

He was giving a briefing to the visiting probationary officers of grade-18 of the 24th Mid-career Management Course of the National Institute of Management, Karachi. Awan pointed out that south Punjab offered great opportunities for investment in the areas of agriculture, dairy products, livestock, fruit and vegetable processing and packaging. He cited the surveys conducted by the World Bank and its financing arm International Finance Corporation that ranked south Punjab second in the country for making investment.

However, the region lags far behind upper Punjab in terms of development, which necessitates the need for providing health care facilities and potable water to the people.   Turning to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) — a $57 billion programme of energy and infrastructure projects which would usher in a new era of development and growth, Awan cautioned that it could only be possible if Pakistan’s industry reaped benefits of enhanced connectivity by creating jobs and boosting exports. Saying that policymakers were overly optimistic about CPEC and its potential benefits, he decried that local goods manufacturers, chambers and industry associations appeared to be seriously concerned about their future. http://usaprogressive.com The textile industry, for instance, fears a glut of textile goods from the Chinese region of Xinjiang that may ruin their businesses. He pointed out that Pakistan’s industry was already relying on expensive raw material imports following cotton production shortfall in the country and any increase in raw material demand from China would lead to further price hike and limited availability. Similarly, other industries are worried that they are going to be eaten up by large-scale Chinese enterprises with significant economies of scale. Highlighting the environmental challenges, Awan quoted experts as saying that an open-gate policy for China may bring dirty industries to Pakistan, which would result in environmental degradation.   He pressed the government to shift some mega CPEC projects to south Punjab. Speaking on the occasion, National Institute of Management Director General Roshan Ali Sheikh said grade-19 and 20 officers were being trained to enable them to understand the problems of people and implement government policies. He asked members of the Multan Chamber not to be afraid of CPEC because it would definitely prove a game changer for Pakistan.

Emerging technology could make China the world’s next innovation superpower

During China’s 19th Party Congress in October, President Xi Jinping placed innovation at the center of China’s national strategy. His remarks called for building China into a “science and technology superpower,” particularly as an “aerospace superpower” and “cyber superpower.” He highlighted notable achievements, including Mozi, the world’s first quantum satellite, and China’s space lab, Tiangong. His remarks underscored that, under his leadership, China has pursued a strategy of innovation-driven development and sought to leverage the potential of the internet, big data and artificial intelligence (AI). If successful, China’s emergence as a leading power in innovation could shift the strategic balance. http://spinstheworld.com Xi Jinping has recognized that innovation is a critical determinant of national power and competitiveness. This techno-nationalism is not new, but rather there is a long history of China’s pursuit of indigenous innovation. The “Two Bombs, One Satellite” project of the 1960s and ‘70s, through which China built its first atomic bomb, hydrogen bomb and satellites — at a time when such achievements seemed well beyond its reach — remains a resonant historical example of successful “moonshot” projects that enhanced national power. Today, China is devoting itself to a similarly ambitious agenda through a series of mega-projects, including in artificial intelligence and quantum information science, while avidly pursuing advances in such strategic emerging technologies as nanotechnology and biotechnology.

China has declared its intention to lead the world in AI by 2030, seeking to become the “premier global AI innovation center.” The New Generation AI Development Plan, reportedly a multibillion-dollar initiative, charts an ambitious course to build a $150 billion AI industry by 2030. The plan will also support research and development of next-generation AI technologies that could result in paradigm shifts in the field, including brain-inspired neural network architectures and quantum-accelerated machine learning.   To date, China has established new national engineering laboratories focused on deep learning, virtual and augmented reality, and brain-inspired intelligence, along with over a dozen for big data technologies and applications. Concurrently, China is positioning itself to lead the second quantum revolution, which will enable such transformative technologies as quantum communications, quantum computing, and quantum metrology. Within the foreseeable future, China’s most sensitive military, government, and commercial communications could be secured through quantum cryptography. Chinese scientists are also striving to reach the forefront of the global advances in quantum computing, looking to achieve the milestone of quantum supremacy as soon as 2018. China is also building the National Laboratory for Quantum Information Science, which will become the world’s largest quantum research facility. This new national laboratory will pursue advances in quantum computing and reportedly engage in research “of immediate use” to China’s military. Traditionally, innovation has been a core aspect of U.S. national competitiveness and military power, but today the U.S. confronts the risk of an “innovation deficit” due to declining investment in basic science. Certainly, such dynamic innovation ecosystems as Silicon Valley and Boston remain critical centers of innovation. However, the time horizons — and resources — of the private sector often don’t extend to such ambitious “moonshot” projects as China is now pursuing. Historically, the U.S. government has played a vital role in enabling innovation, whether in the space race or the invention of the Internet. As international competition in critical disruptive technologies intensifies, the trajectory of American leadership will again depend on our ability to leverage such strategic competition as an impetus for rapid advances. In response to China’s emergence as an innovation superpower, the U.S. must pursue a long-term, whole-of-nation strategy to ensure future competitiveness. The U.S. should take action to mitigate illicit and problematic technology transfers, such as through the proposed reforms to CFIUS. However, being on the defensive is not enough. The U.S. must actively invest in key technological domains integral to future economic dynamism and military power — including artificial intelligence, quantum information science, and biotechnology — while leveraging public-private partnerships. Since talent remains a key aspect of American advantage, it is vital for the U.S. to continue to compete to attract the world’s top talent. The U.S. must also focus on education and training to create a robust human capital pipeline. In the AI revolution, data, too, is a strategic resource, and its availability, as determined by policy and regulatory parameters, a key enabler of innovation. Looking forward, the future prospects for U.S. power will depend this decision: the choice of whether to compete, or risk ceding technological dominance to an ambitious rising power. Elsa B. Kania is an adjunct fellow with the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, where her research focuses on Chinese defense innovation and emerging technologies.

New York City truck attack suspect indicted on terrorism, murder charges

A federal grand jury has indicted the man accused of driving a truck along a pedestrian path in Lower Manhattan, killing 8 people and injuring 12 on Halloween, on charges of terrorism and murder. A grand jury handed down a 22-count indictment against Sayfullo Saipov, 29, of Paterson, New Jersey, who police say was inspired by ISIS videos to plan an attack in the United States. The goal: to “kill as many people as he could.” The charges in Tuesday’s indictment include:

• • Eight counts of murder in aid of racketeering. Maximum sentence of life imprisonment or death on each count.
  • Eleven counts of attempted murder in aid of racketeering. Maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment on each count.
  • One count of providing and attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, resulting in death. Maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
  • One count of violence and destruction of motor vehicles resulting in death. Maximum sentence of life imprisonment or death. http://nyc-dop.com

(These are maximum potential sentences; final sentencing of Saipov will be determined by a judge.)

Multiple bikes are seen crushed along a bike path in Lower Manhattan after a man driving a rented pickup truck mowed down pedestrians and cyclists on a bike path in New York. Photo by REUTERS/Brendan McDermid.

“As alleged in this indictment, Sayfullo Saipov murdered eight innocent people and injured many more in a calculated act of terrorism in the heart of one of our great cities,” Attorney General Sessions said in a statement. “People have a right to safety walking down a sidewalk or riding a bike, and we will not change our resolve to confront these threats both at home and abroad. I am especially proud today of the law enforcement officers who acted quickly and courageously to respond and to protect people from further harm. We continue to offer our assistance, our support and our prayers to the victims of this attack and to all the people of New York City.” Prosecutors say the Uzbeki national drove a rented Home Depot truck from New Jersey over the George Washington Bridge into New York City. As he drove down the West Side Highway, he turned onto a popular bicycle path and pedestrian walkway, striking several people before colliding with a school bus. Saipov exited the vehicle with what appeared to be handguns, officials said, before being shot by a law enforcement officer. The Department of Justice said “Saipov requested to display ISIS’s flag in his hospital room and stated that he felt good about what he had done.” It added that ISIS has created materials to encourage its supporters to carry out vehicle attacks. One magazine, for instance, praised those behind the truck attack last year in Nice, France, which killed more than 80 people and injured more than 300 others.

15 Major Current Environmental Problems

1. Pollution: Pollution of air, water and soil require millions of years to recoup. Industry and motor vehicle exhaust are the number one pollutants. Heavy metals, nitrates and plastic are toxins responsible for pollution. While water pollution is caused by oil spill, acid rain, urban runoff; air pollution is caused by various gases and toxins released by industries and factories and combustion of fossil fuels; soil pollution is majorly caused by industrial waste that deprives soil from essential nutrients. 2. Global Warming: Climate changes like global warming is the result of human practices like emission of Greenhouse gases. Global warming leads to rising temperatures of the oceans and the earth’ surface causing melting of polar ice caps, rise in sea levels and also unnatural patterns of precipitation such as flash floods, excessive snow or desertification. http://notquitehippie.co 3. Overpopulation: The population of the planet is reaching unsustainable levels as it faces shortage of resources like water, fuel and food. Population explosion in less developed and developing countries is straining the already scarce resources. Intensive agriculture practiced to produce food damages the environment through use of chemical fertilizer, pesticides and insecticides. Overpopulation is one of the crucial current environmental problem. 4. Natural Resource Depletion: Natural resource depletion is another crucial current environmental problems. Fossil fuel consumption results in emission of Greenhouse gases, which is responsible for global warming and climate change. Globally, people are taking efforts to shift to renewable sources of energy like solar, wind, biogas and geothermal energy. The cost of installing the infrastructure and maintaining these sources has plummeted in the recent years. 5. Waste Disposal: The over consumption of resources and creation of plastics are creating a global crisis of waste disposal. Developed countries are notorious for producing an excessive amount of waste or garbage and dumping their waste in the oceans and, less developed countries. Nuclear waste disposal has tremendous health hazards associated with it. Plastic, fast food, packaging and cheap electronic wastes threaten the well being of humans. Waste disposal is one of urgent current environmental problem. 6. Climate Change: Climate change is yet another environmental problem that has surfaced in last couple of decades. It occurs due to rise in global warming which occurs due to increase in temperature of atmosphere by burning of fossil fuels and release of harmful gases by industries. Climate change has various harmful effects but not limited to melting of polar ice, change in seasons, occurrence of new diseases, frequent occurrence of floods and change in overall weather scenario. 7. Loss of Biodiversity: Human activity is leading to the extinction of species and habitats and and loss of bio-diversity. Eco systems, which took millions of years to perfect, are in danger when any species population is decimating. Balance of natural processes like pollination is crucial to the survival of the eco-system and human activity threatens the same. Another example is the destruction of coral reefs in the various oceans, which support the rich marine life. 8. Deforestation: Our forests are natural sinks of carbon dioxide and produce fresh oxygen as well as helps in regulating temperature and rainfall. At present forests cover 30% of the land but every year tree cover is lost amounting to the country of Panama due to growing population demand for more food, shelter and cloth. Deforestation simply means clearing of green cover and make that land available for residential, industrial or commercial purpose. 9. Ocean Acidification: It is a direct impact of excessive production of CO2. 25% of CO2 produced by humans. The ocean acidity has increased by the last 250 years but by 2100, it may shoot up by 150%. The main impact is on shellfish and plankton in the same way as human osteoporosis. 10. Ozone Layer Depletion: The ozone layer is an invisible layer of protection around the planet that protects us from the sun’s harmful rays. Depletion of the crucial Ozone layer of the atmosphere is attributed to pollution caused by Chlorine and Bromide found in Chloro-floro carbons (CFC’s). Once these toxic gases reach the upper atmosphere, they cause a hole in the ozone layer, the biggest of which is above the Antarctic. The CFC’s are banned in many industries and consumer products. Ozone layer is valuable because it prevents harmful UV radiation from reaching the earth. This is one of the most important current environmental problem. 11. Acid Rain: Acid rain occurs due to the presence of certain pollutants in the atmosphere. Acid rain can be caused due to combustion of fossil fuels or erupting volcanoes or rotting vegetation which release sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere. Acid rain is a known  environmental problem that can have serious effect on human health, wildlife and aquatic species. 12. Water Pollution: Clean drinking water is becoming a rare commodity. Water is becoming an economic and political issue as the human population fights for this resource. One of the options suggested is using the process of desalinization. Industrial development is filling our rivers seas and oceans with toxic pollutants which are a major threat to human health. 13. Urban Sprawl: Urban sprawl refers to migration of population from high density urban areas to low density rural areas which results in spreading of city over more and more rural land. Urban sprawl results in land degradation, increased traffic, environmental issues and health issues. The ever growing demand of land displaces natural environment consisting of flora and fauna instead of being replaced. 14: Public Health Issues: The current environmental problems pose a lot of risk to health of humans, and animals. Dirty water is the biggest health risk of the world and poses threat to the quality of life and public health. Run-off to rivers carries along toxins, chemicals and disease carrying organisms. Pollutants cause respiratory disease like Asthma and cardiac-vascular problems. High temperatures encourage the spread of infectious diseases like Dengue. 15. Genetic Engineering: Genetic modification of food using biotechnology is called genetic engineering. Genetic modification of food results in increased toxins and diseases as genes from an allergic plant can transfer to target plant. Genetically modified crops can cause serious environmental problems as an engineered gene may prove toxic to wildlife. Another drawback is that increased use of toxins to make insect resistant plant can cause resultant organisms to become resistant to antibiotics.

The need for change in our daily lives and the movements of our government is growing. Because so many different factors come into play; voting, governmental issues, the desire to stick to routine, many people don’t consider that what they do will affect future generations. If humans continue moving forward in such a harmful way towards the future, then there will be no future to consider. Although it’s true that we cannot physically stop our ozone layer from thinning (and scientists are still having trouble figuring out what is causing it exactly,) there are still so many things we can do to try and put a dent in what we already know. By raising awareness in your local community and within your families about these issues, you can help contribute to a more environmentally conscious and friendly place for you to live.

What happens next on Trump's super-sized state visit to China?

What are Trump’s plans?

Trump has already been treated by Xi inping to a personal tour of the Forbidden City and a night at the opera complete with cheering schoolchildren on the first day of his “state visit-plus”. That lofty designation meant China’s nominally communist rulers welcomed the world’s most famous capitalist with a show-stopping display of pomp and circumstance designed to flatter his ego and win, if not his heart then at least his acquiescence. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the red-carpet welcome was payback for the “considerate” reception offered to Xi Jinping earlier this year at the US president’s Mar-a-Lago estate: “We Chinese people believe that courtesy calls for reciprocity.” http://livefromsilvercity.com

'Extraordinary elevation': Trump kowtows to kingpin Xi

“You can believe it will be to the tenth power,” Orville Schell, a veteran China watcher who is chronicling Trump’s Asian journeys for Vanity Fair, says of Trump’s reception in Beijing. On Thursday, Trump will hold a series of face-to-face meetings with Xi, with whom he has enjoyed an on-off bromance since his inauguration in January. Before arriving, Trump said he had high hopes for the China-leg of his tour. “I like him a lot. I call him a friend. He considers me a friend,” he said of Xi, although the Chinese leader is not known to have ever referred to the US president in such intimate terms.

Why is China rolling out such a red carpet?

Experts say China’s leaders are hoping to woo their American visitor with a headline-grabbing, ego-massaging show of respect that Trump can use to project power back home in the US. But Beijing is also hoping to make itself look great again – both within China and around the world – through Trump’s presence on Chinese soil.

“China wants good photo ops to show the domestic audience that Xi is equal to Trump, and China is almost guaranteed to get that,” says Jeff Wasserstrom, a professor of modern Chinese history at the University of California, Irvine. Last month Xi proclaimed the start of “a new era” of Chinese power at a major Communist party convention in Beijing. Trump’s visit represents another high-profile chance to trumpet the rise of China – and Xi – to the world. “Xi and Trump have the opportunity to jointly open a new chapter in history,” an editorial in the state-run Global Times said on Wednesday, championing Trump’s visit as a chance to show off “the rising China”. “For Xi it’s about his own image and trying to flatter and cajole Trump to play nice with China,” Ely Ratner, a China expert at the Washington-based Council on Foreign Relations, told AFP.

What will Xi and Trump talk about?

North Korea and economic issues will hog the agenda. Trump and his secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, are expected to push Xi to take further action to rein in Kim Jong-un’s nuclear ambitions. Meanwhile, Wilbur Ross, the US commerce secretary, will spearhead potentially thorny negotiations over trade. However, experts are pessimistic on both fronts. Having already backed two rounds of United Nations security council resolutions against Pyongyang, most doubt Beijing has much more to offer. Observers also suspect Trump will return from China with little more than tweet-able, short-term business deals.

Analysis Trump's Asia tour: what lies ahead for the president – and the countries he visits

The US leader will visit five nations in 11 days and on his agenda are some of thorniest of issues

“Nobody expects a lot to come out of this trip,” says Bonnie Glaser, director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “The Trump administration hopes for some deliverables but they don’t have anything lined up yet, the whole thing is a work in progress.”

What won’t they be talking about?

Human rights activists and even members of Trump’s own party have urged him to challenge Xi over the crackdown that his five years in power has seen unfold in China. In a letter to the president, two prominent Republicans urged him to raise the “forced isolation” and ongoing surveillance of Liu Xia, the wife of late Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo and call for the release of political prisoners including the jailed Uighur scholar Ilham Tohti. They also petitioned Trump to challenge Xi’s alleged erosion of Hong Kong’s political freedoms. Few truly expect such topics to be raised by the US’ deal-making president who has expressed admiration for authoritarian leaders including Vladimir Putin, Rodrigo Duterte and Xi himself. Observers believe Trump is also unlikely to complicate talks by raising the territorial disputes in the South China Sea and Beijing’s controversial militarisation of the region.

What could go wrong?

In democratic South Korea, Trump has faced some noisy street protests, at which critics have held up banners reading: “Trump not welcomed” and “Say no to Trump”. His time in authoritarian China is likely to be entirely dissent-free. Instead, the most likely source of risk may come from Trump himself and his habit of firing off early morning Twitter salvos with a tendency to outrage or offend. The billionaire’s favorite means of communication is blocked in China but Trump is unlikely to have any difficulty tunnelling under the Great Firewall of China to vent, should he so desire. Chinese officials will be anxiously scanning Trump’s feed for any rogue tweets that might put their leadership’s nose out of joint.