In order to thoroughly understand, promote and implement CPC General Secretary Xi Jinping's thoughts on eco-civilization and instructions on climate change as well as to serve the strategic demand of achieving carbon peak and neutrality, the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League recently held an activity with the theme of "Beautiful China·Youth in Action", a call for science and technology projects (ideas) of zero carbon emission among the youth across the nation. This activity was organized and carried out at Chengdu University (CDU) by the university's Communist Youth League Committee. Two programmes undertaken by CDU students stood out and received awards after several rounds of reviews (including primary, second and national reviews). The project Water Cleaner: A Wastewater Monitoring and Treatment Equipment based on the New-type Photoelectrocatalytic Nanomaterial was awarded as one of the National Youth Pioneering Zero-carbon Technology Projects (20 in total), and the work Where Did the Waste Masks Go was shortlisted as one of the National Youth Zero-carbon Technological Creative Works (100 in total).
The project Water Cleaner: A Wastewater Monitoring and Treatment Equipment based on the New-type Photoelectrocatalytic Nanomaterial, led by Cao Long (student) under the instruction of Zhang Xiujun and Zhu Xiaodong (supervisors), is dedicated to the development of an intelligent cleaning boat featuring the integration of wastewater treatment and monitoring. Adopting the new-type semiconductor photocatalytic nanomaterial (Ag-ZnO nanocomposite), the boat is able to treat the organic wastewater produced in small rivers, aquaculture and livestock and poultry breeding in a fast speed. Besides, through combining the smart software with the hardware, it can also monitor the treatment process and provide feedback on relevant indicators to users via the online App.
The work Where Did the Waste Masks Go is made as an animation with He Zhiwen (student) taking the lead under the instruction of Sun Yejiao and Shu Yu'mian (supervisors). It discusses the excessive use of masks during the pandemic and proposes solutions for the pollution and other environmental problems incurred by the waste masks. The project aims to attract more attention to the medical waste problem, appealing to the public not to throw masks around and to create a green, eco-friendly and low-carbon life together by protecting the earth.
It is learned that this nationwide activity embraces three kinds of entries: projects, academic works and creative works. Projects, which boast a prominent demonstrative nature, are mainly collected among university students and enterprises' innovative teams. The collection of highly professional academic works is mostly conducted among the young research personnel in colleges and universities. While as the creative works are for the mass, the public, including the elementary and middle school students, can all get involved. Among the three, the collection of projects is conducted across the nation in fields of green production, low-carbon life, zero-carbon education and regional environmental governance improvement, centering around three themes, namely, "problem-based solutions", "future-oriented ideas" and "technology tools to get the public involved". The purpose is to attract zero-carbon science and technology projects which meet the market demands and have certain potential for future implementation and promotion.
