WELLNESS FOR PEACE AT HOME: Keep Family Emotionally Safe On-line: Set Internet Rules for the Entire Household to Follow Responsibly

SAMPLE INTERNET RULES TO IMPLEMENT AT HOME: 1. Secure your home Wi-Fi network. Your home Wi-fi allows your kids to access the internet from all over your house, which makes it harder for you to keep an eye on them. If it’s not secured, intruders might use your bandwidth, or worse, compromise your internet security by infecting your PC with malware or sending their malware attacks from your system. So what to do? Make sure your Wi-Fi highly secured: use a strong password for your router (see rule #7); enable wireless encryption to prevent strangers from “seeing” your network and restrict access to it. 2. Read online privacy policies carefully. Social networks or websites that require basic information from you when you create an account with them – Facebook, Google+, Pinterest etc. – have privacy policies. Every time you (or a family member) want to join a new network, read the privacy policy carefully so that you know how/if its creators intend to use your information in any way, and what measures they take to prevent internet security dangers such as phishing and identity theft. 3. Teach your kids and even grandma safe social networking. First off, if your kid is under 13, don’t let him/her subscribe to social networks, unless they’re for kids. Secondly, teach your family members not to use their full names, birthdays and addresses on their profiles. The less personal info, the better for their internet security. Do not talk about your vacation plans prior to leaving, do not share photos with identifiable details (home street, car licence plate etc.) and do not “check in” to public places. Advise your kids to do the same and talk to them about cyberbullying, predators and stalkers. 4. Ensure safe live online gaming for your kids. Live online games, such as Xbox Live, enable kids or teens to interact with their friends in a fun way, but can also expose them to internet security dangers such as: bullying, harassment, and predators. Make sure your kid doesn’t reveal his identity while playing games – have him use a nickname and an avatar; monitor his play and always check who he’s playing with; turn on the safety measures in the game consoles – use the parental controls they offer. 5. Make sure your teenage kid blogs safely. Nowadays, all kids do some form of blogging, if not on blogging platforms, on social networks. While blogging improves writing skills and communication, it may compromise your kid’s internet security and physical security if they keep their posts too personal - stalkers and predators’ favourite type of read. So, find out if your kid blogs, evaluate the blogging service (read the privacy policy and make sure it’s private and password-protected), check and review your kid’s blog and posts on social networks regularly. 6. Install Parental Control on your family computers, just in case. It’s always best to foster open communication with kids, trust them and make them trust you. But extra caution doesn’t hurt. Using a Parental Control tool, just as the one in BullGuard Internet Security, you can block access to inappropriate websites and monitor their activity. Remember: it’s not about spying on your kids, it’s about keeping them safe from online dangers! 7. Create safe passwords for your accounts. A weak password can be easily cracked by any hacker who wants to breach your online accounts and steal precious information or your identity. A basic internet security rule is to create a strong unique password for each online account and change it regularly: make it long (at least eight characters), mix letters, numbers and symbols, and opt for security questions (whenever the possibility is provided) to which only you know the answer. Teach your family members to do the same. 8. Ensure safe browsing for everyone, even for grandma! Web browsing is probably the one thing everybody’s good at in the online world. But bear in mind that cybercrooks know and use this fact to their advantage. They can push up fake web addresses in your search results to make you visit their malicious websites and trick you into giving up personal details or downloading spyware and malware. This is why you need to install an effective Safe Browsing tool, as the one included in BullGuard’s internet security suite – it flags out every malicious link in search results and even on Facebook walls; and whenever that happens, it makes a statement! Grandma would surely be pleased with all the prevention details it offers. 9. Download and install software from trusted sources only. Free games, music, movies etc. are up for download all over the internet. They are also very tempting for children. But some of them contain spyware and other types of malware that can compromise your whole family’s internet security. Make a list of trusted downloading sources and have your whole family stick to it. Also, read carefully the licence agreement before installing a new piece of software and make sure your kids ask for your permission before they download or install something. 10. Look for https:// in the URLs of the websites you make online transactions from. “S” in “https” stands for “secure” and should appear in every bank or online shop address. If grandma or any other family member is a keen online shopper, advise them to always look for this internet security sign and shop from trusted sources. If they find a new cool online shop, have them research it. Also, if you/they bank or shop from your home Wi-fi, make sure it’s secured (see rule #1). 11. Learn how to recognize and avoid phishing scams. Usernames, passwords, bank account numbers, PINs, full credit card numbers and your birthday are the “commodities” cybercrooks are after. They devise all sorts of scam messages and sent them your way via e-mail, messages, comments and posts on social networks. Be especially wary of alarmist messages and threats of (bank) account closures, requests for charity donations, lottery wins and giveaways. Also look for grammar and spelling mistakes in the messages and links you’d have to click on – if they are poorly written, they are certainly part of an internet security scam (e.g. www.goog.le.com) Teach your family members to do the same. 12. Keep all your computer programs up-to-date. Out-dated software has security holes that can easily be exploited by hackers and viruses. That’s why you have to make sure that all the programs on the devices you and your family go online from are up-to-date. A Vulnerability Scanner, like the one in BullGuard Internet Security, can spot the out-dated software versions and find the needed updates. 13. Back up every important file on your computer. You never know when your computer might break down, whether because of malware attacks or some silly accident. You have to make sure that every vital item on it stays safe and sound. Including your precious family photos of your children growing up, family anniversaries and holidays. 14. Have a complete internet security solution installed on your family computers. In addition to the features mentioned above, BullGuard Internet Security 12 comes with a proactive antivirus engine that spots even the newest forms of malware, thanks to the state-of-the-art technology it uses – Behavioural detection combined with Signature-based detection. It also provides you with 5GB of Online Backup and the possibility to protect 3 computers at the same time. 15. Keep yourself informed about internet security threats. Only knowing the “enemy” you can set up a proper “defence mechanism” suited to your family. You don’t have to become a computer savvy; you just need some basic knowledge about online dangers, so that you can talk with your family and teach them how to defend themselves. In BullGuard’s Internet Security Centre you can find lots of information about the most common and newest threats in the online world, as well as some specific tips and tricks on how to stay safe from each threat. http://www.bullguard.com/bullguard-security-center/internet-security/security-tips/family-online-safety.aspx

WELLNESS FOR PEACE IN WORKPLACES: Generative Work Space must foster Human Dignity, Comfort, Creativity & Collaboration

The idea of Generative Space was developed just over a decade ago and is emerging as a best practice design approach. Possibly its greatest area of influence is in healthcare facility design. Not only are the functional requirements of a space considered, the approach elevates the experience of the people who occupy the space. For a space to be generative, it must foster human dignity, comfort, creativity and collaboration – and actually improve over time. Places where people work, or live, or congregate for public purposes can all be designed to be generative spaces. In conjunction with the Healthcare Facilities Symposium & Expo, being held at Navy Pier, September 29 - October 2nd, The CARITAS Project (a not for profit dedicated to transform healthcare delivery by incorporating generative space principles in facilities design) will be coordinating special tours at three downtown locations Thursday, October 2nd, from 4:00-5:30 pm. Each tour has been developed to give people a taste of generative space design principles and, ideally, become engaged in nurturing the growth of generative designs in their workplaces, healthcare institutions, homes and communities. Tour 1: Gensler’s Chicago Loop Office. Ranked the top architectural firm worldwide, this tour will showcase projects produced by the firm’s health and wellness design practice team and provide a great example of what it’s like to work in an environment designed to be a generative space. A great opportunity for people interested in architecture, design, organizational cultures, and healthcare. Tour 2: Health Walking Tour in Millennium Park. One of Chicago’s most popular destinations reflects core generative space principles. This tour will feature experiences and discussions on how the park satisfies both private and public interests. A chance to become more aware of why this is one of the great public spaces in the world. Tour 3: A Generative Space Tour of the Humanscale’s Mart Showroom. One of the world’s leading manufacturers of ergonomic designs, this tour will focus on products that were developed specifically for healthcare applications; to improve the lives of patients, practitioners and caregivers. An unusual opportunity to see how healthcare delivery can be. There will be no charge for any of these tours although the size of each tour will be limited. For additional information and to register, please go to http://www.eventbrite.com/e/generative-space-week-tours-tickets-13058066027 Registration opens 9/20/14. For information on the Healthcare Facilities Symposium & Expo, visit http://www.hcarefacilities.com/ and for information on The CARITAS Project, visit http://www.thecaritasproject.info . About Generative Space's Pioneer Dr. Wayne Ruga is actively engaged in working with global leaders to build a better world with a new approach to design that Ruga has pioneered, called "generative space". By learning and practicing this approach, it becomes possible to make places for individuals, organizations, and communities to flourish. (source: Harvard Graduate School of Design) http://www.chicagonow.com/arch-x-perience/2014/09/experience-the-transformative-power-of-generative-space/

WELLNESS FOR PEACE IN SCHOOLS: Develop and Implement Healthy Food & Healthy Environments for Kids

See Sample Guide on How to do it: Nancy Easton, recently named a “food revolution hero” by chef activist Jamie Oliver and part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Lets Move! initiative, is founder and executive director of Wellness in the Schools, or WITS, a nonprofit organization that encourages healthy eating and fitness for children in public schools. “Since we’ve been doing this, we’ve really seen it become a revolution and a movement,” said Easton at St. Philip’s Episcopal School in Coral Gables on Friday. Her initiative essentially focuses on drastically improving the lunch period, in an effort to improve the overall health of children. Since 2005, her organization has rocketed from helping 16 children in just one school to 30,000 students in 50 schools across New York, Kentucky and Florida. After graduating from Princeton University in 1988, Easton witnessed firsthand in New York City what she considers the impact of poor diet and lack of physical activity on children’s ability to focus. Soon after, she was inspired to start her own organization. She refers to it as a Peace Corps for the wellness world. WITS implements its three-year program in 10 schools each year. The program includes a re-writing of the lunch menu, training for the school lunch workers with the new menu, and outside support getting the least-active kids active and prevention of playground bullying. “We’re essentially a public-private partnership that helps support what’s already happening in the public schools,” Easton said. Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/coral-gables/article2167762.html#storylink=cpy

UPDATE: Sri Lanka called for the developed nations to financially support the developing nations to reduce the dangers posed by the climate change.

Pointing out that the health of the global environment today is in need of serious attention, Sri Lanka called for the developed nations to financially support the developing nations to reduce the dangers posed by the climate change. Addressing the world leaders at the U.N. Climate Summit In New York, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said the danger posed by climate change is a current emergency and the challenge is universal and must be addressed collectively and multi-dimensionally. Responding to a request made by the U.N. Secretary-General to the leaders attending the summit to present a national statement that will outline a vision to achieve the goal to reduce emissions, President said Mahinda Chintana, the policy agenda of the Government, to address climate change has included several strategies. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon hosted the one-day Climate Summit yesterday, to engage world leaders from government, finance, business and civil society to catalyze climate action. Meanwhile, President Mahinda Rajapaksa will be joining former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the 2014 annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative. At the meeting President Rajapaksa will extend Sri Lanka's support to the Elephant Action Network that works toward preventing elephant poaching and ivory trafficking. The 2014 Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting, in New York City convene more than 1,000 global leaders in business, government, and civil society organizations. http://www.hirunews.lk/92896/update-climate-change-urgent-situation-lets-face-collectively-president-video

RENEWABLE ENERGY: 2014 Finalists for Renewable Energy World Projects are NRG Energy’s Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating Station in California, Ontario Power Generation’s Atikokan Generating Station Biomass Conversion Project, the Arizona Solana project built by Abengoa, the Pantex Wind Project in Texas, nominated by the Tennessee Valley Infrastructure Group Inc., and the UN City solar project by SolCell Ltd. Dansk Solenergi Int. in Denmark.

The 2014 Best Gas Project finalists are Kansai Electric Power’s Kansai Himeji No. 2 Thermal Power Station in Japan; and Siemens Energy’s Riviera Beach Next Generation Clean Energy Center in Florida. The Best Coal Project finalists are the Boundary Dam Integrated Carbon Capture and Sequestration Project, owned by SaskPower in Saskatchewan, Canada; and the Columbia Energy Center Air Quality control Retrofit, performed by Black & Veatch. The Best Nuclear finalists are the Kudankulam 1 Nuclear Power Plant, owned by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited in India, and the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in Iran, built by Rosatom. “The world’s appetite for energy continues to grow,” said Richard G. Baker, senior vice president of PennWell’s Power Generation Group. “Companies like those represented by this year’s project finalists are instrumental in meeting the growing demand. Power Engineering and Renewable Energy World magazines are once again pleased to be able to recognize some of the exceptional power generation projects that were completed in the past year.” The winners of the Projects of the Year Awards will be announced during a gala awards banquet on Monday, Dec. 8, at the Odyssey Pavilion at Epcot in Orlando, Fla. as part of the POWER-GEN International Conference and Exhibition and the co-located NUCLEAR POWER International Conference and Exhibition, Renewable Energy World Conference & Exhibition North America, the Financial Forum and GenForum. The finalists will be profiled in a larger story on RenewableEnergyWorld.com in the month of November. http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2014/09/finalists-for-renewable-energy-world-projects-of-the-year-2014-revealed

UPDATE: NY: INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE SEPT 21 BIGGEST CLIMATE CHANGE INT'L DAY OF ACTION ATTENDED BY UN

NEW YORK (Reuters) - An international day of action on climate change brought hundreds of thousands of people onto the streets of New York City on Sunday, easily exceeding organizers' hopes for the largest protest on the issue in history. Organizers estimated that some 310,000 people, including United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, actor Leonardo DiCaprio and elected officials from the United States and abroad joined the People's Climate March, ahead of Tuesday's United Nations hosted summit in the city to discuss reducing carbon emissions that threaten the environment. The New York rally, the largest single protest ever held on the topic of climate change, followed similar events in 166 countries including Britain, France, Afghanistan and Bulgaria. "The march numbers are beating our wildest expectations," said Ricken Patel, executive director of activist group Avaaz, which organized the march. "In 2,500 marches from Paris to Bogota, we've blown past expected numbers. Climate change is not a green issue anymore, it's an everybody issue." The march wound down at 6:30 p.m. ET (2230 GMT) and cleaning crews moved in as police reopened the street to traffic. A few handfuls of people remained on sidewalks, singing and chanting in the evening, but most participants were headed home. A New York Police Department spokesman said there were no arrests or incidents during the demonstration. The police department does not provide crowd size estimates. Organizers said another 270,000 people had participated in related events outside New York. During the demonstration the crowd, including U.S. senators Bernard Sanders, an independent from Vermont and Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, marched along the city's Central Park, through midtown Manhattan to Times Square and stopped for a moment of silence at 12:58 p.m. (1658 GMT). Ban, wearing a T-shirt that read "I'm for climate action" marched arm-in-arm with British primatologist Jane Goodall and French Ecology Minister Segolene Royal. "This is the planet where our subsequent generations will live," Ban told reporters. "There is no 'Plan B,' because we do not have 'Planet B.'" The march resounding with drums, horns and chants that had echoed off skyscrapers easily dwarfed the raucous 2009 demonstration on climate change in Copenhagen, which drew tens of thousands of people that resulted in the detention of 2,000 protesters. http://news.yahoo.com/york-climate-march-draws-hundreds-thousands-002224813.html

SEPT 21 UN INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE CELEBRATION: CLIMATE CHANGE PEACE BUILDING PROGRAM W/ AMB ZARA JANE JUAN, SAILING FOR PEACE

Join! Public Forum via web on Sept 21 GMT 10:00AM. You are needed because your opinion matters about climate change and peace building. Opinions are powerful and can help shape the world to end the culture of hate and make way for the culture of peace. As the climate is changing, peace is now a basic necessity. People have the right for peace at home, schools and workplaces. So, come! Share your thoughts. How will you work for Peace?

How to do it? Here is an Initial Step-by-Step Guide from Wellness for Peace Education on Climate Change, 2011 Philippine Contribution to UN International Day of Peace by Amb Zara Jane Juan: First, we can Educate Peace via Wellness for Peace Education - Include in your policies and programs the need for Wellness in Mind, Body, Spirit, Environment & Economics to Achieve Peace within Self and Share it to Others for Nation-Building. Second, we can Innovate Peace via Climate Change Peace Building Adaptation Businesses & Job Opportunities - Include in your Business clubs a business forum wherein the agenda is to open up new businesses that supports climate change peace building programs. This include Opening up of Investments on Renewable Energies, Discussion on Carbon Credits, Brainstorming on the Various Services to be Provided during Disaster, Climate Change Friendly Entrepreneurship, Virtual Business Offices for Global Internet Connections, etc. The business possibilities and employment opportunities are endless and we can face the changing climate with grace by preparing our family and our community peacefully to the effects that goes along with it. Third, we can Initiate Peace via Interfaith Interracial Intercultural Prayers for Peace - Set a Prayer meeting whatever is your religion or congregation on Sept 21. Pray for Peace and join the worldwide prayer for peace @ 12:00noon. For a moment of a prayer, we are all united globally as one on Sept 21 regardless of race, creed, gender, culture, or faith. We initiate Peace through Prayers and we become Peace Leaders! For any more inquiries, please e-mail ambassadorzara@gmail.com or text/call +63 926 678 7938. For instruction on how and where to join the Public Forum via web, please navigate to https://www.facebook.com/events/353928184710649/500487316721401/?notif_t=event_mall_comment Also, follow or add the Author via facebook for the updates: https://www.facebook.com/ambassadorzara For Attendees and Participants in Manila. Here is the venue in the Philippines: UNO International Main Office, 355 Ortigas Ave., Brgy. Wack-Wack, Mandaluyong City, 1555 Manila, Philippines. Time: 8AM-12:30PM. THIS SERVES AS YOUR FREE INVITE: FOR PUBLIC ATTENDEES, JUST COME! FOR RSVP PLEASE CALL / TEXT: MS. PIERRE HERNANDEZ +63 9189488463 or call/text UN INT'L DAY OF PEACE + 63 9266787938 Thank You! Peace & Love:-) God bless you! https://www.facebook.com/events/353928184710649/500487316721401/?notif_t=event_mall_comment

WELLNESS FOR PEACE @ SCHOOLS: Restricting access to high sugar beverages as School Policy makes Students healthy and discipline too!

The CDC’s website offers a comprehensive overview of school wellness polices at www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/npao/wellness.htm. While there’s still much work to be done, evaluations indicate schools have been establishing environments that better support nutrition and physical activity. Examples include: Restricting access to high-sugar beverages and other less-healthful foods from vending machines, school stores, cafeterias, fundraisers and in some cases even class parties. Offering nutrition education at each grade level. Offering physical education classes that promote a physically active lifestyle or focus on personal fitness. Integrating physical activity throughout the school day, such as offering activity breaks in the classroom.

WELLNESS FOR PEACE @HOME: PREVENT FALLING, FAILING & GETTING OLD

Select your mindset. Choose to be aware and cautious rather than fearful of falling. Be proactive and mindful by modifying certain activities and environments to prevent falls, but don’t let the anxiety of falling rule your life. Check the surface. When walking in new places, check the type of surface you will need to travel on or across. Make sure to choose sidewalks and roads with minimal cracking and buckling. Also, be wary of walking in the grass as dangerous divots and bumps easily hide. Consider using a steady partner if walking in the grass. The softer the surface, the greater the challenge to balance. Tidy up. Check your home for fall hazards. Remove unnecessary clutter from the ground, place cords away from walking paths, and pick up area rugs to ensure a safe living environment. Focus on lighting. Vision plays a key role in balance. Keep your home well lit and place night lights in hallways, bedrooms, and bathrooms. When traveling to dimly lit places or events, again consider using a steady buddy for safety. Stay active. Perhaps the most important way to prevent falls, staying active is crucial to maintaining health and well-being. A consistent exercise regimen prevents the natural decrease of strength and mobility that accompanies the aging process.

WELLNESS FOR PEACE @WORKPLACES: Wellness Programs Encourages Workers and Employees to be More Healthy

Many use financial incentives to motivate workers to monitor and improve their health, sometimes through lifestyle-modification programs aimed at lowering cholesterol or blood pressure, for instance. Some programs offer a carrot, like discounts on health insurance to employees who complete health-risk assessments. Others use a stick, penalizing poor performance, or charging people more for smoking or having a high body mass index, for example. Wellness programs are popular among employers. An analysis by the RAND Corporation found that half of all organizations with 50 or more employees have them. The new survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 36 percent of firms with more than 200 workers, and 18 percent of firms over all, use financial incentives tied to health objectives like weight loss and smoking cessation. Even more large firms — 51 percent of those with 200 workers or more — offer incentives for employees to complete health risk assessments, intended to identify health issues.

UPDATE: Ozone Layer is recovering because of the phase-out of certain chemicals that harm it.

Earth's protective ozone layer is beginning to recover, largely because of the phase-out since the 1980s of certain chemicals used in refrigerants and aerosol cans, a U.N. scientific panel reported Wednesday in a rare piece of good news about the health of the planet. Scientists said the development demonstrates that when the world comes together, it can counteract a brewing ecological crisis. For the first time in 35 years, scientists were able to confirm a statistically significant and sustained increase in stratospheric ozone, which shields the planet from solar radiation that causes skin cancer, crop damage and other problems. From 2000 to 2013, ozone levels climbed 4 percent in the key mid-northern latitudes at about 30 miles up, said NASA scientist Paul A. Newman. He co-chaired the every-four-years ozone assessment by 300 scientists, released at the United Nations. "It's a victory for diplomacy and for science and for the fact that we were able to work together," said chemist Mario Molina. In 1974, Molina and F. Sherwood Rowland wrote a scientific study forecasting the ozone depletion problem. They won the 1995 Nobel Prize in chemistry for their work.https://ph.news.yahoo.com/scientists-ozone-layer-recovering-181611231.html

RENEWABLE ENERGY: CHILE: 115 MW wind plant has the capacity to power 200,000 homes in the region

Michelle Bachelet, the president of Chile, together with Jean-Paul Luksic, chairman of Antofagasta Minerals SA (“AMSA”) and Mike Garland, CEO of Pattern Energy Group Inc officially opened operations at the 115 MW El Arrayán Wind facility in a grand opening ceremony at the project site, which is located 400 km north of Santiago on the coast of Chile. The El Arrayán Wind facility, which completed construction in June, will generate clean, renewable power equal to the needs of approximately 200,000 Chilean homes each year, according to the World Bank. The facility is utilizing 50 Siemens 2.3 MW wind turbines, which Pattern Energy is also using at other wind projects in Canada and the United States. El Arrayán Wind connects to the Sistema Interconectado Central's 220kV transmission system. The facility is located on approximately 15,320 acres of coastal land on a long-term lease with a single landowner. Pattern Energy owns 70% of the El Arrayán Wind facility, which it also operates. AMSA owns the remaining 30% minority stake. The project sells approximately 70% of its output to Minera Los Pelambres through a long-term fixed-for-floating hedge. The facility sells its remaining output into the Chilean spot market at the prevailing market price at the time of sale. In addition to its minority interest in the facility, AMSA is the controlling party of Minera Los Pelambres. "This project is important for our present and future energy needs, President Bachelet said. "El Arrayán is the biggest wind farm in Chile, and we are pleased at what we can achieve when we use the natural resources the earth has to offer. This project is another step toward meeting our energy agenda objectives." 1

CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION: Eat less red meat to help save the planet, say academics

People should eat no more than two portions of red meat per week to help the environment and meet increasing global food demand, scientists have found. A study by Cambridge and Aberdeen universities found that population growth and the trend for Westerners eating more meet means that soon farmers will not be able to raise enough livestock. And researchers warn that attempting to produce more meat could be devastating for the environment. Increased deforestation, fertiliser use and livestock methane emissions likely to cause greenhouse gas emissions from food production to rise by almost 80 per cent by 2050, experts from the University of Cambridge and University of Aberdeen warn. The authors warn that without radical changes to diets the food industry alone would spark dangerous climate change, even if every other industry was to cut carbon emissions to zero.

UPDATE: China's national carbon market to start in 2016 -official

China has pledged to reduce the amount of carbon it emits per unit of GDP to 40-45 percent below 2005 levels by 2020. It has already launched seven regional pilot markets in a bid to gain experience ahead of a nationwide scheme. "We will send over the national market regulations to the State Council for approval by the end of the year," Sun Cuihua, a senior climate official with the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), told a conference in Beijing on Sunday. The national market will start in 2016, although some provinces would be allowed to start later if they lacked the technical infrastructure to participate from the outset, she said. The Chinese market, when fully functional, would dwarf the European emissions trading system, which is currently the world's biggest. It would be the main carbon trading hub in Asia and the Pacific, where Kazakhstan and New Zealand already operate similar markets. South Korea will launch a national scheme on Jan. 1, 2015, while Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam are drawing up plans for markets of their own. The Chinese market will cap carbon dioxide emissions from sources such as electricity generators and manufacturers. Those that emit above their cap must buy permits in the market.