Sort garbage, get rewards

The push for garbage classification has advanced sluggishly and mostly fruitlessly in much of China, but Beijing is adopting an innovative way to try and encourage the practice in the capital.

Make practical moves against air pollution, not empty promises

THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION has published the air quality rankings for 74 cities. A People's Daily opinion article reviewed the past promises made by several mayors to improve the air quality because their cities ranked bottom on previous lists, saying such vows have not been fulfilled:

Luxurious public toilets fail to meet public need

A SCENIC SPOT IN YANCHENG, East China's Jiangsu province, has reportedly built four luxurious public toilets, each costing more than 2 million yuan ($310,680). A commentary on scol.com.cn says the money would have been better spent on more less luxurious toilets.

Keep late singer's underwear out of auction

THE PERSONAL belongings of Anita Mui Yim-Fong, the late Hong Kong singer and actress, are on display online for auction from Dec 10 to 22. Since the 3,178 pieces put up for auction by her estate administrator include her underwear, it has invited intense criticism from her fans and sparked a heated debate. A comment on Rednet.cn says:

Hot words

Paris Climate Agreement

Cartoon

Proper use of congestion fee can cut traffic jams

The Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport is considering a trial of congestion charges on vehicles from 2016 to mitigate traffic congestion in the city. The government's priority, as proposed in the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) and the Traffic Congestion Mitigation Master Plan, is to reduce traffic in Beijing, one of the most congested cities in China.

Move will not curb number of vehicles in central district

The concept of a congestion charge is not new. Cities such as London and Singapore introduced congestion charges years ago, and they have, to some extent, eased traffic jams in those cities' central districts.

Improved public transport key to solution

The idea of imposing a congestion charge on vehicles seems logical: With the government making it more expensive to drive, people who cannot afford to pay the congestion fee give up driving. Moreover, the congestion charge will be another source of revenue for the government.

We have a climate treaty - but at what cost?

After two weeks, huge amounts of political rhetoric, and much activity behind closed doors at the Paris climate change conference, we have a treaty. While there will be celebrations among activists, the Paris Treaty will do very little to rein in temperature reductions.

Good momentum of climate talks must be maintained

Global politicians, their teams and advisers in Paris had very good reasons to pack for home in a positive frame of mind, as they have avoided a failure like Copenhagen and successfully reached a legally binding agreement to fight climate woes.

Historical step toward low-carbon future

The 196 parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change made the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris a milestone in the world's endeavors to build a low-carbon future.