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He’s Got a Plan for Cities That Flood: Stop Fighting the Water

Austin Tang — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 19:29:01 +0000

A landscape architect in China has a surprising strategy to help manage surges of water from storms supercharged by climate change.

Kongjian Yu at his office in Beijing. “We’ve been using the conventional drainage infrastructure for 200 years and we haven’t solved the flooding problem,” he said.Credit…Mark Schiefelbein/Associated Press

By Richard Schiffman
Published March 28, 2024
Updated April 3, 2024

Cities around the world face a daunting challenge in the era of climate change: Supercharged rainstorms are turning streets into rivers, flooding subway systems and inundating residential neighborhoods, often with deadly consequences.

Kongjian Yu, a landscape architect and professor at Peking University, is developing what might seem like a counterintuitive response: Let the water in.

“You cannot fight water,” he said. “You have to adapt to it.”

Instead of putting in more drainage pipes, building flood walls and channeling rivers between concrete embankments, which is the usual approach to managing water, Mr. Yu wants to dissipate the destructive force of floodwaters by slowing them and giving them room to spread out.

Mr. Yu calls the concept “sponge city” and says it’s like “doing tai chi with water,” a reference to the Chinese martial art in which an opponent’s energy and moves are redirected, not resisted.

“It’s a whole philosophy, a new way of dealing with water,” he said.

Through his Beijing-based company, Turenscape, one of the world’s largest landscape architecture firms, Mr. Yu has overseen the development of hundreds of landscaped urban water parks in China where runoff from flash floods is diverted to soak into the ground or be absorbed into constructed wetlands.

Mr. Yu said growing up in a village in Zhejiang Province toward the end of the Cultural Revolution showed him how earlier generations in rural China had “made friends with water.” Farmers in his region built terraces, berms and ponds to direct and to store excess water during the rainy season.

That stood in sharp contrast to the urban landscapes in modern China. Traditionally, cities in China would set aside areas capable of absorbing floodwaters. But such nature-friendly urban design largely ended with the Industrial Revolution, Mr. Yu said. More recently, millions of acres have been paved over to build cities, some of them rising up virtually overnight.

Shanghai Houtan Park in 2006.Credit…Courtesy The Cultural Landscape Foundation

The same area in 2018.Credit…Courtesy The Cultural Landscape Foundation

“We’ve been using the conventional drainage infrastructure for 200 years and we haven’t solved the flooding problem,” he said, noting that much of China has a monsoon climate subject to extremely heavy bursts of rain that pose an increasing hazard as climate change advances. That’s because warm air can hold more moisture, resulting in heavier rainstorms.

Currently, 65 percent of urban areas in China experience some degree of flooding each year, according to Mr. Yu. The country is currently the world’s largest producer of greenhouse gases. The United States is the largest historical emitter .

“The concrete drainage systems that came here from the West just can’t handle it,” Mr. Yu said. “We need a new solution.”

The sponge city program was formally inaugurated by President Xi Jinping in 2015 with pilot projects in 16 Chinese cities and has since expanded to more than 640 sites in 250 municipalities around the country.

You can see the concept in Houtan Park, a mile-long strip of greenery along the Huangpu River in Shanghai that Mr. Yu designed on a former industrial site.

Terraces planted with bamboo and native forbs and grasses are bisected by wooden walkways that zigzag between ponds and constructed wetlands. The wetlands filter water, slow the river’s flow and provide habitat for waterfowl and spawning fish.

The goal, at least on paper, is that by 2030, 70 percent of the rain that falls on China’s sponge cities during extreme weather events should be absorbed locally rather than accumulate in the streets.

Whether enough land can be converted is a key question.

Mr. Yu, who studied landscape architecture in China and at Harvard, with hand-drawn landscape designs. Credit…Mark Schiefelbein/Associated Press

Edmund Penning-Rowsell, a research associate at the University of Oxford who focuses on water security, said the scale of the sponge city projects would have to be huge to cope with flooding on their own. “Take New York City,” he said. “How many Central Parks would you need to absorb this kind of problem? You’d probably need half of Manhattan.”

Zhengzhou, in northeastern China on the banks of the Yellow River, was an enthusiastic early adopter of the sponge city concept, spending hundreds of millions of dollars building related projects from 2016 to 2021. But torrential rains inundated much of the city in July 2021, creating scenes of destruction and killing hundreds, including at least 14 in a subway tunnel.

Why were the floods so disastrous in Zhengzhou? Mr. Yu said some of the money earmarked for sponge projects was diverted to other programs and that the land set aside for them was insufficient. If permeable surfaces or green spaces make up 20 to 40 percent of a city’s area, he said, “you can virtually solve the problem of urban inundation.”

Niall Kirkwood, a professor of landscape architecture at Harvard who has known Mr. Yu for years, acknowledged that it can be difficult, and sometimes impossible, to convert land in city centers that have already been densely built. Still, he said, Mr. Yu’s impact as a innovator has been incalculable.

“He’s created a clear and elegant idea of enhancing nature, of partnership with nature that everyone, the man on the street, the mayor of a city, an engineer, even a child, can understand,” Professor Kirkwood said.

Where large tracts of land are not available, sponge city projects are replacing concrete and asphalt with permeable pavement, installing green roofs and creating trenches called bioswales that channel storm-water runoff and use vegetation to filter out debris and pollution.

The sponge city concept is not unique to China. One of Mr. Yu’s projects abroad is the Benjakitti Forest Park, a maze of ponds, trees and miniature islands in Bangkok that was opened to the public in 2022 and occupies more than hundred acres on the site of a former tobacco factory.

Separately, in 2007 the Dutch government began a program called Room for the River that consists of more than 30 projects around four rivers, including the Rhine. The idea is to restore natural floodplains in key areas around sites that need protection. The Danish capital, Copenhagen, is using “floodable parks” that turn into temporary ponds during heavy rains. Philadelphia and Malmo, Sweden, also have projects.

The site of Benjakitti Forest Park in Bangkok in 2020.Credit…Courtesy The Cultural Landscape Foundation

The park, which was rehabilitated by Mr. Yu’s firm, in 2022.Credit…Lauren DeCicca for The New York Times

In addition to flood control, these projects have the advantage of being an inexpensive way to recharge local aquifers and a low-tech adaptation to help overheated city neighborhoods, because evaporating water has a cooling effect.

John Beardsley, the curator of the Oberlander International Landscape Architecture Prize, which was awarded to Mr. Yu last year, echoed Professor Kirkwood, saying Mr. Yu’s impact on policy in China, a country that has been more likely to imprison environmental activists than take their messages to heart, has been astonishing.

Mr. Beardsley attributes this to Mr. Yu’s adroit political skills and infectious enthusiasm, as well as the Chinese government’s powerful incentive to appear to be addressing the problem of urban flooding, which has grown alarmingly in recent years.

“Kongjian has managed to be very critical of the government’s environmental policies while still maintaining his practice and his academic appointments,” he said. “He’s both brave and deft in this regard, threading a very narrow needle.”

“Sponge cities isn’t a total solution, but it makes a significant impact,” Mr. Beardsley said. “I mean, we need to start doing something.”

Courtesy The Cultural Landscape Foundation

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Pause for Peace, 4/22 Earth Day & 9/11 & 9/21 Peace Day 2022 Proposal As of 3/17/22

Austin Tang — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 13:44:15 +0000

Pause for Peace 9/11 & 9/21 Peace Day 2022: Executive Summary:

1. Venues: 4/22 Earth Day Times Square (Water & Peace & Ukrainian Benefit), 9/11, 2022 (Historic Day), Central Park/Great Lawn, NY 18,000+persons, 9/21, 2022 Times Square & Celebrity Concert, NY, UN 193 Countries locations
2. Broadcast/Podcasts: Every location will broadcast their event to master control www.peacedayparty.org website, social media, YouTube, Facebook and network/cable/ worldwide broadcasters. 6 International Offices, Management & Crew.
3. Event/Broadcast Format Central Park, Great Lawn, NY. 9/11/22 Announcement Event for September 21, the Official UN International Day of Peace. We prepare for:
ACTS OF PEACE, PAUSE THE WORLD, HUMAN SECURITY, WATER
A. Create an 18,000 Person Human Peace Sign*12 noon est. Moment of Silence/Pause.
B. 193 Participants representing all the UN Countries and their intergenerational family will be dressed in their native attire and will hold the flag of their country. Flags with the NASA Blue Marble Photo from the Moon, representing no boundaries and borders and all things on Mother Earth Animal and Plant kingdoms, Animodules, Hugg A Planets, Marriages, Peace Poles/Lights/Parrots, Balloons, Lion King
C. All will sing Peace and Love Songs, with video and words that will be performed on 7 Screens representing the 7 continents. Additional we will share pre-produced Peaceful Acts, i.e. cleaning a river, building water wells, planting natural garden, children/seniors hugging, children sharing a meal/playing in a sandbox, Live Marriages, volunteers in hospitals/seniors/children, someone turning in an illegal gun, world trade, clean up after hurricane/fire/flood, **UN Human Security, 4 Water Nonprofits, 193 Country Peace Ambassadors selected from Peace Minded Actors, Entertainers, Environmentalist/Scientists, Pets, VETS/Medical/Public Workers, UN Messengers of Peace & Peace Friends will share thoughts: Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Douglas, Jane Goodall, Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick, Shakira, Ringo, Yo-Yo Ma, Lang Lang, Malala Yousafzai, Charlize Theron, Edward Norton, Midori, HRH Princess Haya, Daniel Barenboim, Paulo Coelho, UN Secretary- General Guterres, Interfaith Leaders, President Biden, Governor Houchul, Mayor Adams …
D. After 2 minute moment of Silence we will have a Peace Day Party Worldwide, like this ELO performance https://youtu.be/wh3i3vWgPyk
4. Event/Broadcast – Times Square, NY & Celebrity Concert, NY. 9/21/22
A. 12 noon Moment of Silence, Create Peace Sign, Hold Flags, Entertainment, Hugg A Planets, Concert, rent all Billboards in Times Square for 12 Noon, place Peace Sign on 1 Times Square/Ball Drop. Celebrity Concert Salvation Army TBD. Please take 4.46 minutes to watch our PEACE SIZZLE REEL https://youtu.be/_HJ7SmOjBNM
5. Worldwide Budget: $16 Million, smaller packages available TBD. $500,000 needed by April 15, 2022 to reserve & book: Central Park Great Lawn, Times Square, Centennial Theater, Orchestra/Talent, Press Conference, NY/USA HQ… We have Times Square on Earth Day April 22 for our PR Peace Announcement

Please take 4.46 minutes to watch our PEACE SIZZLE Reel

CONCEPT – Good News Corporation, nonprofit – Headquartered in New York with Full Time Office. Additional offices in the Middle East, Europe, Asia, South America, Africa. Partners with many corporations/organizations/countries/philanthropists. 193 countries of the UN who agreed to the International Day of Peace – Peace Day and we will work with 193 Good Will Peace Ambassadors from each country or more.

**** BUDGET: $16 Million for Presenter Exclusivity, smaller packages available TBD. $500,000 needed by April 15, 2022 to reserve & book: Central Park Great Lawn, Times Square, Centennial Memorial Theater, Orchestra, Talent, Press Conference, NY/USA HQ.. However, in essence the more money raised, the more we can do to help create a more powerful ACTIONABLE Peace Day and broadcast it. Additionally any money that we don’t use from our budget will go to more marketing for Peace. Every dollar will be accounted for as an honorable nonprofit corporation since 2002. Good News Corporation is working with some of the best production, marketing and advertising companies, that have done almost all the major live concerts in Central Park, as well as The Super Bowl, Times Square, Madison Square Garden, Facebook, Rolling Stones. We are working with the most prestigious Public Relations Firms, including social networking, traditional and digital marketing/advertising for major corporations and events. However, GNC theory is that we are all in this together for Peace and we are happy to share producer credits with all our partners, some of the best in the business.

LOCATIONS/VENUES: Great Lawn in Central Park 9/11, Times Square 9/21 & The Centennial Memorial Theater to the borders of war zones, to the streets of violence, to creating water wells in Afghanistan and feeding children. Daytime event.

More Peace on Earth will occur and our sponsors/patrons/benefactors for sure will be recognized for it. A Moment for Silence at 12 noon will occur on September 21, then after a World Peace Day Party.

BROADCAST AND PRESS: 4 Press Events Live to the World, with a massive press and advertising campaign for the entire project. 7 Hour or 3 ½ Hour Live WORLD Announcement Broadcast on September 10 or rain date September 11 Central Park and 3 Hours in Times Square/Centennial Memorial Theater Worldwide feeds on September 21. In addition to the Live Broadcasts there will be 7 One Hour Broadcasts or 7 Half Hour Broadcasts, plus many shorter segments. There will be a show featuring each continent. Events occur daylight family hours and pre-recorded rolls in from the world
* UN INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE – The International Day of Peace (“Peace Day”) is observed around the world each year on 21 September. Established in 1981 by unanimous United Nations resolution 36/37, the General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to “commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples.” www.UN.org/peaceday

**PEACE SIGN – In the 1950s the “peace sign”, as it is known today (also known as “peace and love”), was designed by Gerald Holtom as the logo for the British Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND),[1] a group at the forefront of the peace movement in the UK, and adopted by anti-war and counterculture activists in the US and elsewhere. The symbol is a super-imposition of the semaphore signals for the letters “N” and “D”, taken to stand for “nuclear disarmament”,[2] while simultaneously acting as a reference to Goya‘s The Third of May 1808 (1814) (aka “Peasant Before the Firing Squad”).[3]

*** HUMAN SECURITY – The United Nations Development Programme‘s 1994 Human Development Report is considered a milestone publication in the field of human security, with its argument that ensuring “freedom from want” and “freedom from fear” for all persons is the best path to tackle the problem of global insecurity

Good News Corporation (GNC), est. 2002, as a nonprofit, invites you to be part of our UN declared International Day of Peace WORLDWIDE CEASE FIRE CELEBRATION, with a Peace Human Security Focus on Our Children and Water. You can share your messages about your Social Responsibility, request donations for nonprofits you support on the screens with the Worldwide Broadcast/Podcast, Social Networks, Print and more from the revered GREAT LAWN IN CENTRAL PARK, 18,000 attendance for a celebrity virtual event (Participants Below) with the creation of the world’s largest Human Peace Sign, billions worldwide viewing on September 10th with rain date on the 11th and in TIMES SQUARE, NY Worldwide Broadcast on September 21, 2022 (UN International Day of Peace, 193 Countries Unanimously Approved, 12 Noon Moment of Silence/Cease Fire and the 1 Times Square Ball Dropping and or Symbolic Occurrence, i.e. Peace Sign).

Additionally, there will be broadcast feeds from other worldwide events, especially from areas in danger, to see the Cease Fire Peace Day Truce or a potential killer turning in their gun. A Special Peace Lights Display in Jerusalem, Israel for all the religions (similar to our 911 Lights) and all the world’s people/animals/plants who live in Peace, is being discussed.

• Participants to date in our Peace Day Activities have been over 100 corporations, organizations, dignitaries and celebrities, UN Peace Messengers who shared Peace messages. We will ask these people to perform and or speak, i.e. Leonardo DiCaprio, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, Michael Douglas, Dr. Jane Goodall, Shakira, Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick, Dr. Mahmet Oz, Dr. Deepak Chopra, Claire Diab, World Peace Orchestra, Pope Francis, NY State Governor Huchul, Mayor Adams, City Council Brewer, Broadway Show Annie, David Lynch Foundation, Harlem Globetrotters, UNESCO, NYC Schools. As well as new talent who care about Children, Water & Peace TBD i.e., Matt Damon, Jay Z, Oprah, Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens in Dubai, Talent from Russia/Ukraine, South/North Korea, Salvation Army, UNICEF, UN Human Security, Religions for Peace International, Global Security Institute, Colleges, High, Middle, Elementary Schools, Water Wells in Afghanistan and more. McKinsey & Co. states that there are 1.6 Billion people who are aware of Peace Day.

Background on Good News Corporation (GNC): Paul Sladkus, will oversee this event, as he has for 20 years. He is a former CBS and PBS Channel 13 TV Executive having worked on over 150 Network TV Shows including: All in the Family, Sonny and Cher, Carol Burnett, AFT Salutes James Cagney and Orson Wells/Frank Sinatra Performing, Love of Life on CBS and The Nature and Brain Series on PBS. After 14 years at the networks Paul founded Milestone Broadcast Corporation, MBC, in 1985 where the Chinese helped to inspire the multicultural marketing and advertising, and broadcasting company, with clients: Citibank, Delta Airlines, IBM, Sprint, US Postal Service, Western Union, Leading AD Agencies. MBC represented most the multicultural media in America and was credited by the NY Times and other media for breaking the Asian Market in America with their research with St. John’s University. MBC know the owners of the media worldwide and had been able to create major “first time ever” campaigns into the African, Asian, European, Hispanic/Latin and Middle Eastern American Communities. These relationship open doors worldwide. GNC will have a great international staff of pro’s.

In 1998, Paul created www.goodnewsbroadcast.com, one of the first video steaming companies, now with over 6,000 shows and sharing Good News every day. In 2002, Paul Founded Good News Corporation, GNC, a nonprofit humanitarian organization helping other nonprofit to create more Good News, the Peace Day activities are part of GNC with their annual www.peacedayparty.org and focus on water with www.worldwaterday.TV, as their associate helped create the UN World Water Day with a Pete Seeger Caring Mission of “Water Not Weapons.”

Incorporated and integral to the Special Peace Shows to date
are educational Peace Video pieces from founders:
§ Peter Yarrow/Operation Respect/Child Bullying
§ David Lynch Foundation/Children’s Meditation
§ Media for Humanity/Child
§ SeniorNet/Communication Digital Divide
§ Pratt Institute/Peace
§ Meera Gandhi/Giving Back Foundation
§ Fathering Forum/Better Parenting
§ Actors Temple/Jewish Children
§ ASMA/Muslim Children
§ St. Francis Food Pantries & Shelters/Feeding Families/Faith Hope Consolo
§ WE The World/Peace Communications/Desmond Tutu Video
§ Universal Peace/Peace Museum
§ Peace Parrots/Children Animals
§ WWRF/Water and Children
§ Hugg-a-Planets/Peace Toys
§ Clearwater NYC/Children and Peace
§ Vigil for International Peace and Ecology/Peace Event
§ Kalarhythems/Children
§ Better World/Wayne Dyer
§ Achilles Kids/Challenged Children
§ Cancer Care/Helping Kids
§ Beacon Paint/Guide Dogs/Schools
§ Captain Planet/Educating Children/Captain Planet was at the show
§ Temple Grandin/Autism Today/ Autism/Asperger
§ National Meningitis Association/Infectious Disease
§ Intrepid Sea
§ Air and Space Museum/Educating Children
§ Montauk Playhouse/Educating Children
§ Quinnipiac University/Medical School
§ Apollo Theater/Children’s Programs
§ Peace One Day/Paul McCartney/Ringo Starr
§ UN Foundation/ Peacekeepers
§ Harlem Globetrotters/“ABCs of Bullying Prevention”
§ St. Damien Hospital in Haiti/Saving Children
§ Why Do I Exist/ Rwandan Genocide Orphans
§ Nigil Barker
§ Dr. Mamet Oz
§ Dr. Daniel Amen
§ Joey Reynolds/Mother Teresa note
§ Tirlok Malik/India
§ Andrew Kaen/Planet Heart
§ UN Foundation/Peacekeepers
§ Arts Olympus/Tarumi Violinist Reilly Amera/Poem for Syrian Children
§ Rotary International
§ Ronald McDonald House
§ IHeartMedia
§ Brooklyn Nets
§ Claire Diab, American Yoga Academy
§ Copacabana
§ peaceday.tv
§ Steve Madden
§ Shack Shack
§ Juniors
§ Lush Cosmetics
§ 39 Steps
§ Peace Prayer Society Deborah Muldow
§ Urban Zen
§ Borough President of Manhattan and Brooklyn
• UNESCO
Lions Club
Jim Luce Foundation
• Hugo Boss
• 1800 FLOWERS
“All we are is what we are with each other.” Zeal § Annie/Broadway Show
· World Peace Orchestra/134 International Musicians/50 countries/Sinatra Choir/Kevin Spacey
§ Susan Lucci
§ Orange is the New Black Cast
§ Montel Williams
§ Deepak Chopra
§ Tommy Tune
§ Rita Cosby
§ Tomaczek Bednarek
§ Scott Noppe-Brandon
§ Tony Lo Bianco
§ Rosanna Scotto
§ Jonny Orsini
§ Phylicia Rashād/Marjorie DeLewis
§ Kathleen Turner
§ Lacey Dunn
§ Peace Thoughts and More Peace Statements from Paul McCartney
§ Ringo Starr
§ Michael Douglas
§ Dr. Jane Goodall
§ Marianne Williamson
§ Ed Asner
§ Diane Ladd
§ Michelle Phillips
§ Edward James Olmos
§ Lou Ferrigno
§ Jerry Rubin
§ Wangari Maathai
§ Olympian Marilyn King
§ Additionally, South spokespeople Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer of Antigua and Barbuda
§ Ambassador John Ashe’s Wife
§ Anilla Cherian
§ Prime Minister of Fiji
§ Frank Bainimarama
§ H. E. Ambassador Francis Lorenzo
§ Consuelo Vanderbilt Costin
§ Erin Brady/Miss USA
§ David Paich
§ Naomi Campbell
§ Yvonne Chaka Chaka… and Zindzi Mandela/Josina Machel who accepted an award for their father Nelson Mandela whose Power of Words are in the show. We also share Peaceful words from Martin Luther King, Jr. (I Had a Dream Speech)
· Albert Maysles and Mahatma Gandhi
· We share a poem by Dorothy Law Nolte
· Children Learn What They Live
§ Sarabeth
§ KIND Snacks
§ Laura Norman Wellness
§ Orpheus Luxury Cruise
§ Pope Francis Message
§ United States Institute of Peace & NY City Schools TBD
• Captain Planet

With respect,
Paul Sladkus, Founder, www.goodnewsplanet.TV, www.peacedayparty.org, www.peaceday2022.org, www.9-21.org, www.worldpeace2022.org, www.pausetheworld.org 212 6471212, cell. 917 687 1790

The post Pause for Peace, 4/22 Earth Day & 9/11 & 9/21 Peace Day 2022 Proposal As of 3/17/22 appeared first on Good News!.

Thought for the Day…

Austin Tang — Thu, 10 Jun 2021 14:29:40 +0000

Nothing in Nature lives for itself
Rivers don’t drink their own water
Trees don’t eat their own fruit
The Sun doesn’t shine for itself
Flowers don’t spread fragrance for themselves
Living for others is the rule of nature

#thought #day #nothing #nature #rivers #drink #water #trees #fruit #sun #shine #flowers #fragrance #living #rule

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最后的部落 THE LAST TRIBES

admin — Wed, 27 May 2015 14:02:43 +0000

Happy Lunar New Year from Good News!!
This film tells the modern lives of the three ethnic groups living in Heilongjiang, namely the Oroqen, Hezhen and Dau. The Oroqens make a living from hunting in the forests of the Greater and Lesser Xing’an Mountains; The Hezhen people mainly live on fishing and hunting along the Songhua, Heilong and Wusuli rivers; and the Daurs living in fertile Sanjiang plain, are good at singing and dancing. They are called the “last tribes” in China’s northeastern Heilongjiang.

The post 最后的部落 THE LAST TRIBES appeared first on Good News!.

Mother’s Day, Former Oprah Winfrey TV Executive Producer, Lisa Erspamer

admin — Fri, 08 May 2015 19:06:15 +0000

Top TV producer Lisa Erspamer shares celebrities’ exclusive, heartfelt letters to their mothers in MUST HAVE book, A Letter to My Mom
Lisa Erspamer, former co-executive producer of The Oprah Winfrey Show, and creator of the A Letter To My… series is now available for interviews to discuss her blockbuster new book, A Letter To My Mom—which features a number of exclusive letters from celebrities such as Shania Twain, Kristin Chenoweth, Kelly Osbourne, Mariel Hemingway and Melissa Rivers, among many others.
A Letter To My Mom is the third book in Lisa’s breakout series celebrating the joy and emotion of letter-writing. The first two books, A Letter To My Dog and A Letter To My Cat, were huge hits — now the third installment is here and it’s this year’s MUST gift for Mother’s Day.
Would love to schedule an interview for you with Lisa to discuss these letters and this incredible list of talent decided to share their personal letters. We will also have giveaway available for your listeners and a chance to have them submit their letters to for future books in this hugely popular series.
Available now from Crown Archetype, A Letter To My Mom features touching, heartfelt letters and nostalgic photos from sons and daughters expressing their love for their mothers and features everyday people as well as celebrities (full list below).
Lisa is an inspiring, highly-regarded television producer who has helped craft stories and segments for Oprah and many of today’s most influential celebrities.
Celebrity contributors:
Kristin Chenoweth
Cat Cora
Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York
Josh Groban
Mariel Hemingway
Ali Landry
Monica Lewinsky
Lisa Ling
Dr. Phil McGraw
Robin Meade
Nancy O’Dell
Suze Orman
Kelly Osbourne
Ken Paves
Melissa Rivers
Shaun Robinson
Molly Sims
Lennon & Maisy Stella (Nashville)
The Tenors
Christy Turlington Burns
Shania Twain

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Vikas Khanna Launches New Book “Return To The Rivers” in NYC on Jan. 28

admin — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 17:40:39 +0000

Official Book Launch – Tuesday, Jan. 28 at Junoon Restaurant

6 to 8 p.m.

Media Check-In: 5:30 p.m

Return to the Rivers

Recipes and Memories of the Himalayan River Valleys

by Vikas Khanna

with Andrew Blackmore-Dobbyn

Foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Hardcover/444 pages/ ISBN: 978-1891105-53-1

Lake Isle Press

December 2013

In the realm of travel and culinary enthusiasts, few ventures are more sought-after than the adventurous culinary vacation. Food aficionados are leaving the comfort of their own kitchens to travel the globe and cook alongside expert chefs, learning the best techniques in dish preparation, spice selection and the secrets of indigenous ingredients.

For those who are unable to take several weeks off to discover the wonders of international cuisines, Return to the Rivers brings the culinary expedition to YOU! Take a gastronomic tour with Vikas Khanna, award-winning Michelin-starred Indian chef, restaurateur, filmmaker, humanitarian and the host of the TV show MasterChef India. Both a cookbook and a travelogue, Khanna’s newest book takes us on a pilgrimage across the Himalayas as he delves into the culture and tradition surrounding these sacred pathways—everything from finding local ingredients to serving this incredible food.

Vikas Khanna, along with Lake Isle Press, will launch Return to the Rivers at an exclusive event on Tuesday, January 28 from 5:30 p.m. onwards at Junoon Restaurant (27 W 24^th St., between 5^th and 6^th Avenues). Media RSVP is required, and one-on-one interviews with Khanna will be made available.

Return to the Rivers boasts nearly 500 pages, and 100 full-color photographs of plated dishes, exotic travel experiences, and personal and thoughtful musings that preserve the traditions, values and simple gifts that the Himalayan people bestowed upon Khanna.

Khanna’s spiritual and culinary journey through the Himalayan heartland brings foodies and travel enthusiasts some of the best recipes and culture from northern India, Bhutan, Nepal, Tibet and western China.

Khanna’s book explores a wide variety of cultural delicacies, as it is organized by Street Foods; Soups and Noodles; Grains; Vegetables; Fish; Poultry, Eggs and Cheese; Meats; Breads; Condiments; Desserts; and Beverages. There’s even a section dedicated to the ever popular Momo, and the many ways in which to fold these iconic little dumplings.

Recipes include everything from savory dishes like Durbar Square Chaat Piti, one of the most popular roadside snacks in the Himalayas, to the Vaishno Devi Chickpeas Masala that travelers bring on their pilgrimages to seek favor at the Vaishno Devi Temple. Khanna even gives pointers for the perfect way to cook Spicy Fried Tofu with his own Tibetan Chile-Garlic Paste recipe.

Return to the Rivers also features Lamb Rogan Josh, the signature dish of Kashmir, as well as Saffron-Yogurt Fish Curry and a variety of naans and curries that make use of an eclectic bouquet of spices that defines Himalayan cuisine. Khanna also shares a few exotic delights, as he gives his recipe for Tibetan Steamed Lotus Bread and recounts the journey that led to his affinity for Tsampa Butter Tea. Connoisseurs of sweets and desserts will be smitten by his recipes for Bhutanese Rose Pastries and Kulfi, the Indian ice cream of Khanna’s childhood.

Return to the Rivers Book Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKrsQqO6teg&feature=youtu.be

Vikas Khanna speaks about Return to the Rivers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n08qMRgd1B8&feature=youtu.be

About the Author

Born in India, Vikas Khanna learned to cook from his grandmother and opened his own catering company at age seventeen. After apprenticing under the most renowned chefs of India, he moved to the United States in 2000 and has worked his way up to be one of New York City’s top-rated chefs. He was named one of StarChef’s “Rising Stars” in 2010 and is currently the Executive Chef of the Michelin-starred restaurant Junoon. Known to many as the host of MasterChef India and FOX Traveller’s Twist of Taste, Vikas is equally recognized for his humanitarian work with SAKIV, New York Chefs Cooking for Life and his documentary film series about food and religion, Holy Kitchens. Vikas currently resides in New York City.

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Zhen Joy Lin, Dame of St. John of Jerusalem and president of World Water Rescue Foundation…

editor — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 19:59:03 +0000

Zhen Joy Lin, Dame of St. John of Jerusalem and president of World Water Rescue Foundation and Vice President of Good News Broadcast is feeding white swans for celebration The United Nations World water Day. Water is from divine Water is the secret of life, save water is save life, love water is love life, because life is the most precious.

As days gradually lengthen and the last vestiges of Winter recede, ice and snow begin to melt and the first buds of Spring appear. In many parts of the world the Swan is a symbol of light and considered the harbinger of Spring, and to me one of the most wonderful sights at this time of year are swans floating serenely on village ponds, in parks and on rivers. With their long serpentine necks and pure white plumage, throughout the ages their grace and beauty have inspired the imaginations of poets, artists and musicians alike.

In some cultures the swan is a feminine symbol associated with the Moon, and in others a masculine symbol associated with the Sun. In Greek mythology, swans are associated with Apollo, the God of the Sun, and with Zeus who took on the shape of a swan to get close to Leda with whom he had fallen in love. Greek Goddesses associated with swans include Artemis and Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love who travelled in a swan-drawn chariot.

In Celtic mythology the pagan Goddess Brighid celebrated at Imbolc (02nd February) is also associated with swans. Brighid is a triple aspect Goddess (revered as Maiden, Mother and Crone), who as a Maiden ruled over Poetry, Writing, Inspiration and Music; as a Mother over Healing, Midwifery and Herbalism; and as a Crone over Fire and the working arts of the Smithy. So what better this Inbolc, than to consider the attributes and teachings of the Swan.

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Water Hour 22

editor — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 05:00:00 +0000

River Keepers is a non-profit organization established in 1990 to protect and preserve the integrity and natural environment of the Red River of the North in the Fargo, ND – Moorhead, MN area. In addition, River Keepers is interested in the recreation and sustainable development uses of the Red River. River Keepers promotes a renewed vision for the Red River of the North through workshops, youth service-learning projects and advocacy. The primary goal of River Keepers is to demonstrate to the public that the Red River is an underutilized resource. River Keepers works “hand-in hand” with civic, corporate and political leaders, local watershed groups and the public at-large.

There are many river and water related organizations in the world. Our organization only works with the Red River of the North and its tributaries. See www.waterkeeper.org, www.americanrivers.org, www.river-management.org, www.rivernetwork.org, or www.irn.org for information on river or water groups in your area.

Born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (1978), Ivn Martn is one of the most outstanding artists of his generation in todays spanish musical panorama. He began his musical studies at the age of five with professor Lorenza Ramos, continuing afterwards at Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Conservatory of Music with Nicole Postel and Francisco Martnez as teachers, culminating his studies with the highest qualifications, completing his musical training at Reina Sofa Music School (Madrid) under direction of Dimitri Bashkirov and Galina Eguiazarova and more recently, with polish professor Ireneusz Jagla in Palma de Mallorca.

He has offered numerous concerts in the most important halls of Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Germany, Czech and Slovac Republic, Albania, South Africa, South America, Mexico, USA, etc. He has performed with orchestras such as Gran Canaria Philharmonic, Tenerife Smphonic, Galicia Symphonic, National Spanish Orchestra, Santiago Royal Philharmonic, Castilla y Len Philharmonic, Asturias Symphonic, Bilbao Symphonic, Radio-Television Spanish Orchestra, Sevilla Symphonic, Balearic Symphonic, Spanish National Youth Orchestra, Zagreb Philharmonic, Praga Virtuosi, Strasbourg Philharmonic, Helsinki Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, Montevideo OSODRE Orchestra, Santiago de Chile Symphonic, Sao Paulo Symphonic, Monterrey Symphonic (USA), World Symphony Orchestra, etc, collaborating with conductors such as Maurizio Benini, Max Bragado, Justin Brown, Christoph Eshenbach, Pedro Halffter, Christoph Knig, Jean Jacques Kantorow, Kirill Karabits, Max Kugi, Adrian Leaper, Miguel ngel Gmez Martnez, Juanjo Mena, Roberto Montenegro, John Neschling, Josep Pons, Alejandro Posada, Alfonso Scarano, Michael Schnwandt, Maximiano Valds, Oldrich Vlcek, Toni Bilic or Josep Vicent, and participating in highlights festivals such as International Piano Festival La roque dAnthron (France), International Music Festival La Folle Journe (France and Spain), International Keyboard Festival (New York), Orford International Music Festival (Canada), Canaries International Music Festival, Granada International Music Festival, Scherzo Festival (Madrid), Internacional Cervantino Festival (Mexico) or International Piano Festival (Santiago de Chile), where he is continuosly invited, obtaining always excellent reviews and great audience successes.

Likewise, he has participated in several masterclasses offered by professors such as Joaqun Achcarro, Michelle Campanella and Paul Badura-Skoda (Accademia Chigiana, Siena), Andrzej Jasinski, Claude Frank, Karl Ulrich Schnabel, Ralph Gothoni, Rosalyn Treck, Ramn Coll or Josep Colom.

He is winner of several piano competitions as Infanta Cristina, Marisa Montiel, Juventudes Musicales, “Frechilla-Zuloaga” Piano Competition, Antoni Torrandell, Pedro Espinosa, Mozart Competition, Arenas School, etc. He has received scholarships from Real Musical (Gran Canaria) and Rotary Club Internacional. He has recorded numerous programs for radio and television in Spain, France, Italy, Brazil, Uruguay and The United States.

As a composer and musical investigator, he has been a founding member of Aula de Msica Actual (Las Palmas Conservatory of Music), giving masterclasses concerning new technologies for Gran Canaria University, and likewise, he has achieved various premieres such as Landscapes comissioned by Italian Radio Television (RAI), or Ictus piano series collaborating with british painter James Lambourne, premiered at Valldemossa International Chopin Festival. He has offered several piano masterclasses for New York Keyboard Festival and Institute, Montevideos Spanish Cultural Centre and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Conservatory.

He recently made his debut as a conductor performing Bach and Mozart piano concertos with Bach Project Orchestra founded by himself with support of Spanish Jeunesses Musicales and Teatre del Liceo Chamber Orchestra (Barcelona), and performed a debut recital in La roque dAnthron International Piano Festival and International Keyboard Festival of New York, and in the cities of Monterey, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Washington, obtaining a great response from critics and audience. He has also completed a concert tour with Jeunesses Musicales World Simphony Orchestra and conductor Josep Vicent that led him through the most important halls such as Berliner Philarmonie, Amsterdem Muziekgebouw or Palau de las Arts Reina Sofa (Valencia, Spain). Future engagements include presentations at the renowned New York Carnegie Hall, United States, Canada, South America, France, Germany, Austria, Swiss, Italy, and Spain, performing piano solo recitals and collaborating with several orchestras and conductors such as Gerd Albrecht or Gnther Herbig. Likewise, he is preparing his first recording project for Warner concerning spanish composer Antonio Solers piano works.

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The Water Hour 22!

editor — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0000

Good News Water Hour Show # 22. Good News Speaks with the Riverkeeper about keeping the rivers clean. Lineup: Andrew Willner, Executive Director NY/NJ Baykeeper –
http://www.nyn/baykeeper.org
Captain Bill Sheehan, Hackensack Riverkeeper –
http://www.hackensackriverkeeper.org
Ivan Martin, Madrid University Las Palmas To watch The Water Hour # 1 – 21 please visit:
www.wwrf.org/thewaterhour.htm

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