Greenlaw China: An on-the-ground view of China and the environment.

by admin | 2012/01/18 in Environmental News

January 5 – January 18 China’s Thirst for Water Transfer Chinadialogue (January 10, 2012) Water diversion is back in the news in China thanks to the announcement of the 20-billion yuan (US $3.2 billion) Qiandao Lake project in Hangzhou, which has sparked controversy. Due to break ground during the next five years – the 12th Five Year Plan (FYP) period – the scheme aims to bring water from Qiandao Lake in Chun’an county to Xianlin, closer to downtown Hangzhou, the capital of eastern China’s Zhejiang province. China’s economic reform has generated an unprecedented urbanization and industrialization process, which has brought … Continue reading 阅读全文 » Add comment 发表评论(0)

by Greenlaw | 2012/01/04 in Environmental News

December 28. 2011 - January 4, 2012 China Pollution Problem to Last 20-30 Years The Guardian (January 3, 2012) A leading Guangdong haze expert says that the air pollution in Chinese cities will last for at least 20 to 30 years. “It took the US and Europe 50 years to deal with their problem. Even if we cut that [PM2.5] in half, it will still take 20 to 30 years,” said Wu Dui, of the Guangdong Meteorological Agency. Mr. Wu’s analysis comes as the Chinese government plans to publicly release data on PM2.5, pollution that, if used as a standard for … Continue reading 阅读全文 » Add comment 发表评论(0)

by admin | 2011/12/28 in Environmental News

December 21 – December 28   China Vows to Curb Heavy Metal Pollution The Economic Times (December 20, 2011)   Heavy metal pollution has been a flash point in China in the past after cases of mass poisoning, especially in children, roused widespread public anger.  China promised on Tuesday to contain heavy metal pollution but admitted it faces a challenge with inadequate environment protection resources in a rapidly growing economy.  China’s targets to cut heavy metal pollution by 15% of 2007 levels by 2015 while keeping non-heavy metal pollution below 2007 levels are in line with goals outlined by its … Continue reading 阅读全文 » Add comment 发表评论(0)

by admin | 2011/12/21 in Environmental News

December 11 – December 20 Air, Noise Pollution Among Chinese Urbanites’ Most Common Concerns: Survey Xinhua (December 12, 2011) Roughly 63 percent of Chinese urban residents said they were satisfied with the local environment, with air quality and noise being their top concerns, according to new survey results. The results, released on December 12 by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, were based on the National Bureau of Statistics randomly phoning citizens of most Chinese cities with a series of questions last year. The satisfaction rate of respondents toward air quality was 55.2 percent, 7.7 percentage points lower than the satisfaction … Continue reading 阅读全文 » Add comment 发表评论(0)

by Greenlaw | 2011/12/14 in Environmental News

November 28th – December 10th Beijing Considers Reporting PM 2.5 Data to Public The Chinese government is considering reporting PM2.5 pollution data to the public after it received over 1500 requests from the public for publication of such data. PM2.5 particles, which are small enough to cause lung damage and other health problems, also causes economic damage to the country. Last week, several hundred flights to Beijing’s Capital Airport, the world’s second busiest airport, were canceled. According to some environmental experts, if PM2.5 were the standard taken into account for air quality, over 80% of Chinese cities would have unsatisfactory … Continue reading 阅读全文 » Add comment 发表评论(0)

by Greenlaw | 2011/11/28 in Environmental News

November 23 – November 28   China issues White Paper on climate change Xinhua (November 23, 2011) China’s top economic planning body has issued a White Paper on combating climate change, summarizing past efforts, and laying out a clear road map for green development over the next five years.  Legally binding targets for the next five years include a 17% cut in carbon emissions, a 16 percent decrease in energy use per unit of GDP, and a goal of lifting non-fossil-fuel energy usage from its current level of 8.6 percent, to 11.4 percent of total energy consumption.  China has already … Continue reading 阅读全文 » Add comment 发表评论(0)

by Greenlaw | 2011/10/31 in Environmental News

October 24 – October 31   Disposable Chopsticks Strip Asian Forests New York Times (October 24, 2011) Each year, the equivalent of 3.8 million trees go into the manufacture of about 57 billion disposable pairs of chopsticks in China, according to statistics from that nation’s national forest bureau.  Chopsticks add to a plague of regional deforestation. According to a 2008 United Nations report, 10,800 square miles of Asian forest are disappearing each year, a trend that must be arrested to fight climate change, given the vital role trees play in absorbing carbon dioxide.  But disposable chopsticks pose risks of their … Continue reading 阅读全文 » Add comment 发表评论(0)

by admin | 2011/10/24 in Environmental News

  October 17 – October 24 Meet China’s Eco Cops Fast Company (October 17, 2011) To enforce new rules from the government and U.S. companies, a new breed of worker is appearing in China: A consultant who helps factories adhere to standards, without causing outrageous costs. The Environment, Health and Safety Academy in Guangdong province, headed up by Vermont-based Institute for Sustainable Communities, which partnered with Sun Yat-sen University, is training these sustainable minded hall monitors. Their course syllabus is based on the standards in place at Walmart, GE, Adidas, Honeywell and other companies that have supply partners in China. … Continue reading 阅读全文 » Add comment 发表评论(0)

by Greenlaw | 2011/10/18 in Environmental News

October 10, 2011 – October 17, 2011 Production of Solar Panels in Jiangsu Resumes Associated Press (October 12th, 2011) Jinko Solar Holding Co. has restarted manufacturing solar panels after cleaning up toxic waste that killed much of Haining city’s fish in August. The company, which is traded on the New York Stock Exchange, said it has upgraded the factory’s environmental protections and alleged that heavy rain caused fluoride runoff to pollute a local river. Last month, hundreds of protesters demonstrated against the production of photovoltaic cells because of its heavy use of toxic chemicals. Jinko admitted fault, and agreed to … Continue reading 阅读全文 » Add comment 发表评论(0)

by Greenlaw | 2011/10/11 in Environmental News

October 1, 2011 – October 10, 2011 China activist defies officials in fight to save lake AFP (October 1, 2011) Prominent environmental activist Wu Lihong continues fighting to clean up Taihu Lake, which lies on the border of the eastern provinces of Zhejiang and Jiangsu in one of China’s richest regions.  It is still a source of drinking water for the heavily populated area despite heavy toxic waste contamination from surrounding factories and farms.  In its 2010 annual report on the country’s water quality, China’s environmental protection ministry gave Taihu Lake its lowest rating, which means that it cannot even … Continue reading 阅读全文 » Add comment 发表评论(0)