Asheville sustainability expert Mayor Terry M. Bellamy was an invited speaker at the recent Global Mayors’ Forum in Langfang, China. Bellamy spoke about the city’s strategies for reducing its carbon footprint by 80% by 2050. The Citizen-Times, it appears, is trying to stir up trouble by mentioning that most of the mayor’s expenses were covered by the forum and the UN. The UN receives 22% of its involuntary donations from the United States. We won’t ask where the United States gets its money. In recent years, the UN has had an operating budget in excess of $2 billion, and a peacekeeping budget of around $5 billion. The forum lists as its official supporting organizations the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC).