Jonathan Xavier Weinert 2008

Just wanted to send a little hello from China and tell you what's new.

1. Biggest new thing is: I've changed my research subject!  Instead of researching hydrogen and fuel cells, I am now exploring a relatively recent, and rapidly growing transportation phenomenon in China: the rise of the electric bike.  To find out why and learn more about this, check out my latest blog on this and new e-bike/music video at www.fuelcelltrek.com

2. I've been spending the last few weeks up in Beijing working with some researchers at Tsinghua, so I'm getting to experience a whole new city, college (which is very beautiful by the way), and make new friends which is always fun!  Right now we're working on a project with the World Bank on how to preserve bicycling (and e-biking) as a form of transportation in Shijiazhuang, one of China's capital cities (pop 9 million).  The car is slowly taking over there, but the e-bike may help slow this process.

3. I did an interview with the BBC recently about a really interesting development on a large island next to Shanghai, and how they want to make this island completely energy self-sufficient and environmentally sustainable.  It's called The Dongtan Island project.  If you want to learn more about how Shanghai plans to build the world's first Eco-city (and hear my 2 cents on it), click on http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/costingtheearth_20060427.shtml  (if you don't want to listen to the whole show, I come in around minute 21, but don't mind me throwing a few embarrassing Valley-girl-ish "like"s  here and there).

4. I just partook in my friends wedding... and I was the Best Man!  For those that got my last message last Thanksgiving, weddings are indeed pretty wild, though at this wedding (unfortunately) no one got naked  and (fortunately) there were no wolves.   They DID however haze me worse than any fraternity guy I've ever encountered (best man traditionally winds up very drunk at the end of the night). See attached picture (it's a little bit like a "Where's Waldo" picture isn't it?.)