Welcome China, please listen up.

Please click the above words “Welcome China, please listen up” to see this entire post.

Welcome China!

Lately my website logs show a huge increase in visits from readers in your country (as well as many other countries around the globe) to my post about Wang Jiuliangs’ film “Plastic Kingdom“. Or this page about a screening of the latest cut of his film.

I met Jiuliang a few years back while he was filming this important and disturbing documentary showing the environmental damage done by the horrible recycling practices of your country.

Prior to this increased interest in my post about Wang’s film, virtually every visit from your country was from someone trying to hack my website in order to conduct nefarious business.

After months of trying to stop this nonsense, I gave up and decided to block nearly all of China from visiting my blog.

This decision did not come easily, as I am well aware that much of the cheap plastic garbage that shows up on the western shore of North America comes from China. Denying access to the maker of so much single-use stuff that ends up being tossed seemed wrong. But every time I left access open to China, your citizens continued trying to hack my blog for their own interests. My simple blog is one of millions of WordPress blogs under siege every day.

With the election of our new president (please note: I had nothing to do with Mr. Trump becoming president), as well as the increased interest in the film “Plastic Kingdom”, I decided to temporarily allow China access, given The Donald’s yuuuuuuge fascination with China (especially Formosa, err I mean Taiwan).

With this newfound access to my most important blog, I ask that you please stop trying to peddle porn, store illicit software or otherwise compromise what I pay for to share my thoughts with my fellow global citizens over the free Internet.

Further, I ask that you:

please treat your people fairly

have a free press

leave Tibet alone

acknowledge and accept his holiness the Dalai Llama

stop producing cheap plastic single-use items (garbage) to export

Thank you.

Plastic China – Film screening and presentation by filmmaker Wang Jiuliang, 20 February, UC Berkeley

My Friend Wang Jiuliang is screening his documentary at the Doe Library on UC Berkeley Campus next Friday the 20th.

I hope to see you all there!

Plastic China.map
Click map for larger image to see where library is, where to park.

Below is what he sent me. All images are his, ©Wang Jiuliang.

February 20, 4-6p.m. ︱ 180 Doe Memorial Library, UC Berkeley

PLASTIC CHINA(Documentary/26 minutes/English subtitles)

Film screening and presentation by the filmmaker

Speaker/performer: Wang Jiuliang, independent filmmaker.

Sponsor: Center for Chinese Studies (CCS)

We live in a spotless, clean environment. The waste that we produce each day quickly disappears from our eyesight. But once the waste disappears from our eyesight, where does it go? Is it recycled properly as we imagine?

PLASTIC CHINA is a story about how plastic waste from all around the world, including the United States , ends up in China . It is because of this plastic waste that water is no longer clean, air is no longer fresh, and food is no longer safe in many areas in China . People living in these polluted areas experience elevated rates of disease and mortality. This film reveals the shocking degree to which we all play a part in this problem. Nowadays, the connections among people around the world is ever closer, and China is in fact not that far from home.

Click images to see a larger version

PLASTIC CHINA 01


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PLASTIC CHINA 04


PLASTIC CHINA 03

Plastic China, a film by Wang Jiuliang

Click the words above, “Plastic China, a film by Wang Jiuliang” to see this entire post.

This film will have a world premier at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival!

Go here to see the trailer of the day, very exciting.

A little over a month ago I received an email message from a young woman who had seen my image of large meta-bottles on Drakes Beach when she stayed at the Point Reyes Youth Hostel. In her message she explained that a documentary filmmaker and photographer from China would be in the SF Bay Area soon. If I was amenable, and had time, she wondered if I could meet with him.

Last Sunday I met the brother I never knew I had.

Arrangements were made and we thought we might have 3 hours together out in West Marin to look at some of my projects as well as visit areas of interest to Wang.

We, Wang (who speaks little English), his friend Xiao (who speaks English and Mandarin), and myself (whose Mandarin is limited to: thank you, you’re welcome, and check please) spent the entire day together. It was fantastic.

I learned about Wang’s first film, “Beijing, besieged by waste“, see movie trailer here.

Wang is now working on a film titled Plastic China. A film about the harm done to the Chinese people that process the infinite amount of recycled material from the rest of the world, of whom the US is a major contributor.
That ounce of pride we take when we place our plastic bottle, metal can or unwanted electronic waste into the recycle bin is seen in a new light in Wang’s latest film.

See a current trailer for Plastic China here.

Much of the day was spent with me on the other side of the camera being filmed by Wang for his new film. It was more than a little challenging looking towards the camera, but not at the camera. All the while trying to answer questions Wang first asked in Mandarin, then Xiao re-asked in English.

Wang and I hope to continue the dialog we began. Perhaps we can forge a conduit whereby the people of our respective countries gain a greater understanding of each other. Such that we can learn to be kinder to the planet, and to each other.

Both Wang and I are disturbed by what we see the majority of the humans doing to our tiny earth.

Please enjoy these images as you ponder what steps you might be willing to take in order to lighten your burden on our planet…

Great Heron

Great Heron

Beauty ushers forth from between a rock and a hard place. Lewisia is one of my favorite flowers of the sierra. Found up high where few dare visit.

Beauty ushers forth from between a rock and a hard place. Lewisia is one of my favorite flowers of the sierra. Found up high where few dare visit.

IMG_0756.cc