The food question

Comment on "Consumer inflation jumps to 11-year high" (China Daily website, September 12)

There are even bigger questions about food prices elsewhere than in China itself. What about the food macro-economy in the rest of the world? Is it significant that the US this year has a record maize harvest, but this maize has been grown for ethanol fuel to be consumed by American cars, not for human food? What about Bangladesh, with half a million people marooned by floods today, and more than 150 million people who need to be fed daily? The UN-FAO reports that China's harvests are relatively good this year, so what is going on in the world's markets to cause food prices to rise steeply in China? Blue-ear pig disease seems an unlikely explanation - there must be other changes too. My guess is that flooding has damaged crops in several densely populated regions of the world, such as Bangladesh, and Central America. This may be causing turbulence in the futures market, affecting prices now.

Martin

on China Daily website

Causes misleading

Comments on "1 million babies with deformities born a year" (China Daily, September 13,)

That (1 million) is a scary number indeed. But pinning the rise on late pregnancy and lifestyle is unconvincing and misleading. Birth deformity is still primarily caused by exposure to toxic substances.

Look

on China Daily website

I too think that the pollution in China is a major factor.

Age could be a factor also but women in Europe and North America are also having babies later even in their early 40's with no major adverse effects.

China, instead of confusing this issue, should look at reducing its pollution.

Ludwig

on China Daily website

Time for action

Comment on Liu Shinan's column "Climate - a problem for all nations" (China Daily, September 12)

We're facing a situation that is probably going to leave entire regions of the world uninhabitable, if not the extinction of our species. It's not the time to argue about who's at fault, it's time for action, no matter how painful that may be to economies. There's a simple equation at play here that every world leader is in denial about: economies will be worthless if we don't have the natural environment to support them.

Ron

on China Daily website

Whose art?

Comment on Raymond Zhou's column "Art is beyond ethnicity" (China Daily, September 8)

We have to admit that nearly every country or nationality has an exclusive attitude more or less. As Raymond told us, when a French architect was chosen to design China's National Theater, many of his Chinese counterparts were displeased.

In a sense, it may be understandable. It may be people's unconsciousness, but there's a deep-rooted mentality in protecting one's own culture.

However, art is quite another thing. Right, it is beyond ethnicity and borders. Every kind can and should be shared worldwide.

Cindy

on China Daily website

(China Daily 09/14/2007 page11)