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South Carolina man convicted of turtle smuggling charged with turtle abuse in Georgia_我的网站
A | MACON, Ga. -- A South Carolina man previously convicted of smuggling protected turtles between the United States and Hong Kong faces new allegations of turtle-related crimes in Georgia. Bibb County sheriff's deputies arrested and jailed Steven Verren Baker, 43, of Holly Hill, South Carolina, on Tuesday and charged him with 15 felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals.No lawyer was listed in Georgia court records for Baker, who remained jailed Friday with bail set at $8,250. His South Carolina lawyer has since died.Deputies were responding to a call about an abandoned dog in Macon when they noticed turtles being held in a basin nestled in a pile of trash, WMAZ-TV reports. They wrote in an incident report that a woman identified as Baker's mother told deputies that Baker had left the turtles with her about two months ago. The mother agreed to hand the turtles over to deputies, saying she had been unable to get her son to retrieve them.A veterinarian said the turtles were suffering from long-term malnutrition, bacterial and fungal infections, sepsis and shell deformities.The turtles included 11 rare albino red-eared sliders, one brown red-eared slider and two pink-bellied side necks. There was also a Chinese golden thread turtle, which is considered endangered in the wild, but is legal to breed in captivity.Baker pleaded guilty in 2018 to one count of conspiracy to smuggle wildlife in federal court in South Carolina after postal inspectors at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York found 46 turtles concealed among noodles and candy in four packages in early 2016. The turtles would be placed in socks and shipped through the mail in boxes labeled “snacks.”Five other men pleaded guilty in the South Carolina court case, but officials described Baker as the ringleader. Federal officials say Baker was sending turtles from the United States to Hong Kong, as well as receiving turtles from Hong Kong. It's illegal to trade turtles abroad without a permit when they are protected by a treaty called the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.Baker served more than two years in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release that ended in April 2022.Baker was also ordered to forfeit $263,225, which is what officials said the turtles were worth.。
B |
As night falls along China's East China Sea coast, rows of sprawling industrial facilities glow brightly under the dark sky. At Sinopec Ningbo Zhenhai Refining and Chemical Co., Ltd. (NZRCC) in East China's Zhejiang Province, a network of oil pipelines, towering distillation towers and neatly arranged oil storage tanks forms a futuristic "steel forest" outlined by lights and shadows.
On Chinese social media, this striking tableau has been embraced by younger generations as the essence of "cyberpunk-style hardcore romance." Amateur photographers and influencers have compiled detailed guides to the best viewing spots, complete with walking routes, camera angles, and even the optimal time to capture the scene, the so-called "blue hour," the period just before sunset.
Dozens of kilometers away, Ningbo-Zhoushan Port presents another stunning industrial scene. At this super port, which has ranked first globally in cargo throughput for 17 consecutive years, massive cargo ships anchor on the blue sea, stacked colorful shipping containers stretch along the shore, and giant quay cranes line up neatly. The dynamic interplay of mechanical operation lights and natural mountain and sea scenery creates a harmonious industrial beauty.
For years, heavy chemical plants and port infrastructure were associated in the public mind with noise, pollution, and a kind of forbidding remoteness - places to be avoided. Today, however, these industrial sites have transcended their purely functional roles, emerging as vivid windows through which ordinary people can observe China's new quality productive forces, and as a new narrative of coexistence between industry, ecology, and tourism.
From avoidance to admiration
"In the past, when people thought of heavy chemicals, their first associations were pollution and safety risks - they instinctively wanted to stay away. Now, young people willingly come close, take photos, and share images of refinery towers at night. That makes us deeply proud," Zhang Da, deputy general manager of NZRCC, told the Global Times.
Zhang emphasized that the facility's newfound "cyberpunk appeal" is not a gimmick created by lighting. Tens of thousands of tourists have now visited the outer perimeter of the plant. "Visitors can intuitively experience fresh air, a tidy environment and steadily operating production equipment. These unalterable real feelings are the core reason why industrial scenery has become a new urban landmark," he said. Modern industry, once distant to the public, has become visible, tangible and approachable.
A similar shift in public perception is taking place at Ningbo-Zhoushan Port. Netizens have spontaneously explored popular hiking trails on the mountains near the port. From elevated viewpoints, visitors can watch intelligent unmanned cranes operating with precise accuracy, alongside giant wind turbines spinning in the wind. Heavy industrial facilities blend seamlessly with lush mountains and clear waters, creating a perfect balance of motion and tranquility.
Chen Jia, a local resident, often comes to the coastline to overlook the port in his spare time and brings friends, including foreign visitors, to experience the scenery. "The efficient unmanned terminals, magnificent giant ships and harbor, and refreshing mountain-sea views have broken the cold stereotype of traditional industry. This is a unique romance made in China," he said.
What gives these industrial landscapes their staying power is not the rush of a thousand camera clicks, but their genuine industrial strength and the invitation they extend to the public: to look beyond the spectacle and start asking how it all works.
"Industrial sites can become scenic spots through long-term safety and environmental governance, as well as sophisticated modern industrial management," Zhang noted. "Young people's interest in industrial landscapes is a great starting point. More importantly, we attempt to turn this temporary online attention into long-term public recognition, letting real industrial sites serve as a window for the public to learn about modern industrial systems."
NZRCC first made this understanding tangible in an unexpected place: a 15,000-square-meter woodland at the heart of the complex, where egrets have made their home. When pipeline plans originally called for cutting through the area, the company rerouted them to protect the birds' habitat. During breeding seasons, all nearby construction is suspended.
Today, the "Egret Garden" is equipped with a 24-hour livestream that has attracted over 200 million views online.
Beyond ecological progress, the company strives to translate obscure industrial jargon into everyday language for the public.
Through open houses and social media outreach, the public has come to learn that this forest of steel towers has developed key materials for artificial lung technology, produced separator films for new-energy vehicle batteries, and turned waste cooking oil into sustainable aviation fuel that now powers commercial flights.
What began as a casual appreciation of a nighttime spectacle has gradually deepened into a genuine understanding that this once-distant industry underpins much of daily life, from transportation and housing to health care and the transition to cleaner energy, making China's new quality productive forces more tangible and understandable, Zhang said.
Ningbo-Zhoushan Port has likewise carved out a path toward meaningful public engagement. It has hosted a wide range of public exchanges and educational programs while carefully designing popular science exhibition halls and outdoor viewing sites to engage visitors.
"Since its founding, a port has always been about openness and connection," Zhuge Xurong, director of the Cultural News Center at Ningbo Zhoushan Port Company Limited, told the Global Times. That openness, he said, extends beyond shipping routes to the exchange of ideas and knowledge between the port and the public.
Such open industrial scenes have become common across Ningbo's industrial parks, with bilingual science popularization activities bringing modern factories closer to the public. Online content creators frequently visit these industrial bases, unveiling the mysteries of Chinese manufacturing to wider audiences.
The trend stretches nationwide: intelligent heavy trucks in Lingang new area of the Shanghai free trade zone, drone manufacturing bases in Shenzhen, rail-transport industrial parks in Chengdu. Meanwhile, older industrial sites are being transformed into cultural and creative parks, preserving their historical textures while injecting modern vitality.
From awe to intimacy, from distance to engagement - this distinctly Chinese brand of industrial romance is reaching more people, being better understood, and continuing to evolve.
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Published on:15:56:39
