The third stop on my upcoming Fall Sustainability Tour will be Shanghai. While some would think in terms of being drugged and kidnapped, the real meaning is "City of the Sea." If I had to pick three of the most exciting spots in the world, this one would be on that list. There is a frenetic pace of life, a quickly disappearing past and the presence of the future.
At one time, its Mercer Cost of Living Index was relatively low, but is at 0.95 today to Tokyo's (most expensive city) 144. However, #24 in 2008, Shanghai had risen (dropped?) to #12 in 2009. Part of this jump can be attributed to the Shanghai Expo, which opened in May and will end in October. New York City was #8 at 1.00 and Chicago #50 at 0.81.
Governor Linda Lingle opened Hawaii Week at the expo on Monday. The Hawaii Tourism Authority spent $450,000 to sell the state, not literally, but to attract tourists. The Governor invited China and the World to her Asia-Pacific Clean Energy Summit and Expo, which will take place at the Hawaii Convention Center (HCC) from August 30 to September 2. A few days later (September 13-17), Enterprise Honolulu will sponsor the World Congress on Zero Emissions Initiative: Launching the Blue Economy, also at the HCC. Sounds almost like the same thing. Wonder why two similar gatherings are being held in the same place of attraction to an identical Pacific audience?
Across the bay from Shanghai is Zhoushan, an archipelago of 1400 islands and a population of about a million. Zhejiang Ocean University is located on the island of Zhoushan, which finally got connected to the mainland on Christmas Day of 2009 with a 29 mile long bridge costing about $2 billion. There is a lot in common between Zhoushan and Honolulu/Hawaii, and a city sister relationship is being discussed.
Finally, there was a time when Dongtan, Eco-City, was to have been a showcase link to the Shanghai Expo. Politics and the economy derailed progress, but there remains a flicker of life. What a dream: 500,000 in one metropolitan area powered by renewable energy with no waste.
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The Dow Jones Industrials zoomed up 282 to 10,181, with world markets all up. Gold sunk $15/toz to $1217 and crude oil rose to $75/barrel.
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