Absurdity, Allegory and China

China Radio International, China to Investigate Drywall Exported to the U.S., is reporting (4 April, 2320) that China is contacting American authorities for information about its drywall exported to the United States in reaction to complaints that certain products are believed to be problematic, the country’s top quality supervisor said here Saturday. The General Administration [...]

[Read more →]

In for a penny, in for a pound … The first class-action lawsuit in the US state of Mississippi was filed last Friday in federal court in Gulfport, MS naming “Knauf Gips, Knauf Tianjin and Taishan, and possibly other unknown Chinese manufacturers” as defendants. This continues to build into what looks to be the next [...]

[Read more →]

I’ve been trying to get someone from the foreign media to finally start looking into the tainted drywall story I’ve been hammering on since early January, and it looks as if someone is finally seeing it as a potential problem, though obviously no thanks to me. Time’s China Blog just posted the following: Tracking a [...]

[Read more →]

Here are a few photos this morning in Tianjin, which woke to a light dusting of snow. The Olympic Center was the site of a dozen football (soccer) matches during the 2008 Olympics, but there has been little-to-no activity there since then. I would know, since this is my front yard. These are taken from [...]

[Read more →]

The Chinese drywall problem in Florida has gotten a lot bigger all of a sudden, according to a story in the Sarasota Herald Tribune: Scope widens in Chinese drywall case Drywall produced by Knauf Tianjin Plasterboard Co. Ltd. — one of the problematic manufacturers identified so far — made it to the inland town of [...]

[Read more →]

The Chinese drywall problems in Florida (USA), continues to gain steam, lawsuits are flying, and at least one class action lawsuit has already been filed. One large homebuilder is temporarily relocating people so they can tear out the defective drywall and replace electrical wiring. Finger pointing, unaccountability and corporate fear in these times of economic [...]

[Read more →]

More from Mary Wozniak from the Fort Myers, FL News Press, January 20, 2009, Lennar replaces Chinese drywall in homes Residents inhabiting a dozen Southwest Florida homes are being relocated so the builder, Lennar Homes, can rip out Chinese drywall that corrodes interior fixtures and may cause long-term health hazards. Lennar is paying all costs [...]

[Read more →]

The drywall mess centering on Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin Co. Ltd. is growing every day, though still not a word from the domestic or foreign media within China. The silence from the domestic media outlets is understandable: they are state-controlled and therefore have no interest in addressing more bad news regarding anything Made in China. But [...]

[Read more →]

A media statement released by Knauf on January 9, 2009 concludes The company is conducting a thorough investigation and cooperating with builders that have contacted it. Studies and testing by nationally recognized experts are ongoing.  The testing has confirmed that copper has blackened and may be caused by low levels of naturally occurring sulfur gases. [...]

[Read more →]

In the last four days I have posted twice about the toxic drywall problems in southwest Florida, which have been traced back to Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin Co. Ltd. And yes, that’s Tianjin, China, Beichen District to be specific. (See here and here or just scroll down the page.) If you’d like to see how this [...]

[Read more →]