Today's data selection: 40℃ high temperature makes air conditioners sell out; pearl prices soar. This year|China|High temperature

Pearls return to the fashion circle, sales are booming and prices soar. How to identify "real" pearls becomes a problem

"Poor on the third night of September, the dew is like pearls and the moon is like a bow." As an ancient jewelry ornament, pearls have been active in Chinese people's fashion life since the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. After being popular all over China in the last century, this trend receded and pearls became "earth". But in recent years, together with Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer's masterpiece "Girl with a Pearl Earring", pearl jewelry seems to have started a "Renaissance" in the fashion world. While it is loved by young people, its prices have also risen. .

Affected by factors such as shortage of supply and demand, the pearl market has started a price increase. "Pearls have been rising slightly since the second half of last year. In March this year, there was a sharp increase in domestic prices, with seawater pearls rising by about 50%. Live streaming has had a great impact on pearls, making the public more aware of the pearl category of jewelry. "A jeweler named "Blue Moon's Pearl" in East China International Jewelry City, Shanxiahu Town, Zhuji City, Zhejiang Province told reporters online.

However, unlike gold, which simply checks the weight and gold content indicators, identifying the quality of pearls is a very headache for novices. Most people’s understanding of pearls is “round and bright”. But in fact, pearls are also divided into different grades of "upper, middle, and lower" based on dimensions such as shape, size, flaws, and luster. The prices vary widely, and shoddy goods are common.

China ensures power supply to face "peak hours"

Since the beginning of summer this year, many places in China have continued to experience extreme high temperatures. High temperatures and heat waves have caused power loads to surge across the country. According to the relevant person in charge of China Southern Power Grid, on May 31, the maximum power load of China Southern Power Grid reached 222 million kilowatts, close to the highest in history. Among them, the load of Hainan Power Grid reached six new highs. The electricity load in the State Grid's operating areas also continues to rise. As of 18:00 on June 24, the maximum load of the North China Power Grid was nearly 282 million kilowatts, a new high since the beginning of summer this year and an increase of 5.3% over the same period last year.

The relevant person in charge of the China Electricity Council said recently that under normal climate conditions, China's maximum electricity load is expected to be about 1.37 billion kilowatts in 2023, an increase of about 80 million kilowatts from 2022. If extreme weather occurs over a long period of time and on a large scale, the country's maximum electricity load may increase by about 100 million kilowatts compared with 2022.

The person in charge said that during the peak summer period this year, the overall balance of electricity supply and demand across the country is expected to be tight. In some areas, electricity supply and demand will be tight during peak power consumption periods, mainly in the South, East China, and Central China, where there is a power gap. The power supply is guaranteed to meet the high temperature "baking" test.

40℃ high temperature makes air conditioners sell out

When the high temperatures in South China eased due to rainfall, the North China region experienced sustained and widespread high temperatures in mid June. The Central Meteorological Observatory predicts that from June 27th to 30th, there will be ultra-high temperatures above 40 ℃ in Beijing, Tianjin, and southern Hebei. Hebei Gree dealer Lao Zhao stated that under the continuous high temperature, air conditioning sales have increased significantly, resulting in insufficient installation force. Consumers have to wait for 4-5 days after purchasing before the installation technician can come to their doorstep. According to a report from Aowei Cloud Network, this year's air conditioning market can be described as "high opening, stable development, and unparalleled". During the 618 period, the retail sales of air conditioners through all channels reached 11.95 million units, a year-on-year increase of 35.9%, with a sales volume of 41.1 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 38%.

The trial operation of the Fukushima nuclear wastewater discharge facility has ended, and all equipment is about to be ready

According to Japan's Kyodo News Agency, Tokyo Electric Power Company announced on the 27th that the trial operation of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant's nuclear sewage discharge facilities into the sea has been completed.

TEPCO said that starting from the 28th, the Japan Atomic Energy Regulatory Commission will conduct final confirmation inspections of relevant equipment before use. If the inspection passes, everything is ready regarding the equipment. According to TEPCO, the trial operation of the equipment started on the 12th, using fresh water instead of nuclear sewage. As of the 26th, it was confirmed that the water pump and the emergency shut-off device were operating normally.

The Japanese government and TEPCO are competing to start discharging nuclear wastewater around summer, but Kyodo News Agency said that local fishermen in Japan and the international community are still firmly opposed to this. In the past few days, fishing groups across Japan have organized various activities and actively spoken out to express their opposition and concerns about the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea. On the 22nd, Masanobu Sakamoto, president of the All-Fishermen's Federation, claimed that the discharge of nuclear sewage into the sea is related to the life and death of fishermen. Once discharged into the sea, the government will be fully responsible for all consequences.

90% of excess carbon emissions originate from developed countries such as the United States

On June 27, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning hosted a regular press conference. A reporter asked: According to reports, the British magazine "Nature·Sustainable Development" recently published the latest research conducted by the University of Leeds and others in the UK, showing that about 90% of the world's excess carbon emissions originate from developed countries such as the United States. Relevant researchers pointed out that these developed countries should pay a total of 170 trillion U.S. dollars in compensation to low-carbon emission countries to ensure that the goals related to addressing climate change can be achieved. In this regard, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that developed countries should take the lead in significantly reducing emissions and achieve net-zero emissions well before 2050, freeing up space for green development for developing countries, and providing funds, technology and capacity building for developing countries. support. Regrettably, the commitment made by developed countries 14 years ago to provide US$100 billion in climate finance to developing countries every year has not yet been fulfilled, and the road map for doubling the promised global adaptation finance is still unclear.