Monthly Archives: October 2011

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)

  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)

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)

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)