Worldchanging ally Junko Edahiro, founder of the NGO Japan for Sustainability , delivered a presentation about Japanese citizen and NGO action in October at the China-Japan High Level Forum on Energy Saving and Environmental Protection Policies, hosted by the Development Research Center, State Council of P.R. China. While in China, she interviewed Dr. Lin Jiabin, the Deputy Director of the Department of Social Development Research at the State Council. The two spoke about China's environmental policies, current Chinese efforts to address global warming, and the ways in which the two Asian nations can work and learn together as they face development challenges that are unique and unprecedented. Below is an excerpt from Edahiro's longer interview. EDAHIRO: When did you start addressing the issue of global warming, and how are you tackling it in China? DR. LIN: We have made positive efforts to tackle it for about four or five years after the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China was held. At that time, the pressure on China increased in the midst of rising international concern over the issue. Two years ago, the Energy Saving and Emission Reduction Leading Group and the Global Warming Countermeasures Leading Group were organized in the central government to comprehensively confront global warming, with Chinese premier Wen Jiabao as the head and representatives of each ministry and agency as members. These two groups set a goal of reducing energy consumption per unit of sales by 20 percent by 2010 and reducing major environmental...

I have a weed problem in my garden. I have a lovely garden that I planted with fresh growing vegetables, flowers, and a meandering stone pathway, but all this work and tender care is under constant threat by ravenously growing weeds. They simply can’t be defeated. Pulling weeds has become almost a ritual in my day. I have pledged to spend at least 30 minutes of my day, every day, working on the weeds, in hopes that this constant and consistent attention will eventually stop the problem. I know that it will never stop though. I know that I will never pull out every last weed, but I have accepted that it is what I need to do in order to keep my garden aesthetically pleasing, and I feel that it is only right for me to dedicate this small amount of time out of my day to my garden. The act of pulling weeds has become my daily meditation. Pulling weeds provides some valuable metaphors for life, and it has become my time to think about where I am, my future goals, and how I can achieve these. I know that this lifestyle is not exactly what I pictured for myself after college. This is hardly the crazy gypsy adventure I envisioned myself having after finishing school. That being said though, I know that I am happy and with conscious thought have acknowledged that what I am doing is exactly what I should be doing in this moment in...