Author Archives: 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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)