China: What You May Not Know About It Will Surprise You

Beijing on a clear day.

We have all seen the pictures of the urban smog in many cities in China. In fact, the country is home to 20 of the world’s 30 most polluted cities. Key among the factors involved is that coal produces 70% of China’s energy. The country burns nearly half of the world’s supply.

And it’s not just the air that is of concern. It has been estimated that 90% of China’s urban groundwater is contaminated. Over one third of the fish species native to the Yellow River are now extinct and millions of people in rural areas rely on unsafe water supplies.

Occupational Health & Safety…At Peel, It’s Job #1.

As we continue our review of occupational health and safety practices, we wanted to take this opportunity to pass on some information and tips which we feel might be helpful to our customers, many of whom work on their scrap metal in order to add value to their material.

We have weighed-in on regulations in a previous blog citing the costs and other issues involved for businesses charged with the responsibility of compliance. In the case of regulations surrounding occupational health and safety, they are particularly complex and they span various jurisdictions.

Metal Theft –The Epidemic Grows

Our friend and associate Jim Murray of Onwords & Upwords, who has been working with us for a number of years helping us manage our communications, passed on an Associated Press Article this week  concerning a bronze sculpture which had been stolen from the Johannesburg Art Gallery in South Africa and destroyed for its scrap value. This was not the first such incident and unfortunately, it likely won’t be the last.

Johannesburg gallery where bronze sculpture was stolen and harvested for scrap.

The Symbology of Metals – Where Art & Business Meet

Metals have had a long history of symbolic relationships. Most notably, the attachment of symbols to metals can be traced to the ancient science of alchemy. Among other things, alchemists were interested in turning base metals into gold and silver. Along the way, they created some very intriguing elemental alchemy symbolic codes. An engaging modern day interpretation was designed by the artist Murray Robertson and can be found at:

www.metalprices.com/introduction/symbols_large_with_artists_comments.htm

From his Glasgow Print Studio, Robertson has more recently been involved in the visualization of many aspects of scientific study.

A few of the many beautiful metal visualizations created by Murray Robertson