China Environmental News Alert
Posted September 19, 2009 in Greening China
NRDC has been working in China for over twelve years on such issues as energy efficiency, green buildings, clean energy technologies, environmental governance and public participation, and green supply chain issues. This China Environmental News Alert is a weekly compilation of news from around the world on China and the environment.
September 12, 2009 - September 18, 2009
China and the March to Copenhagen
In light of the upcoming climate negotiations in Copenhagen this December, CENA will be expanding its focus on China's climate and energy policies and the international climate negotiations.
China's Hu to unveil new climate proposals to U.N.
Xie Zhenhua, the vice director of China's National Development and Reform Commission and chief climate change negotiator, announced that President Hu Jintao will present China's new plans for addressing global warming at a UN Conference next month. The plans are eagerly anticipated by world leaders, as China's participation in a global climate pact is vital for an effective successor to the Kyoto Protocol which expires in 2012.
Reuters (September 15, 2009)
China growth path could exceed planet's resources
A two-year study by the U.S.-based Energy Foundation and the international environmental group WWF contends that if China's economy continues to develop rapidly and rely on coal and other fossil fuels for the next 40+ years, China's power consumption would be unsustainable and its greenhouse gas emissions would represent 60 percent of total global emissions. The report calls for investment in low-carbon technology and large-scale use of renewable energy and nuclear power.
AP (September 17, 2009)
Related Article: China think-tank charts costs of low-carbon growth
Chinese government adviser warns that 2C global warming target is unrealistic
Dai Yande, China's deputy chief of the Energy Research Institute, expressed skepticism that China's emissions would fall low enough to remain below the G8 and European Union's recommended temperature goal of 2C. Arguing that this target does not provide enough flexibility for developing countries, Dai reiterated China's position that developed nations should take more responsibility by curbing wasteful consumption patterns and reducing emissions.
Guardian (September 16, 2009)
$900 billion to cut China's emissions with wind power
A recent study showed that 50% of China's energy needs could be satisfied via wind power by 2030-if the price tag of $900 billion could be met, that is. Though China currently has approximately 12GW of wind power installed, only 3GW is connected to the national power grid, posing a major (and expensive) barrier to efficient use of this energy source.
Reuters (September 14, 2009)
Oil companies cough up for spills
In the wake of a massive oil spill in Zhuhai port, Guangdong province, the State Council passed a regulation requiring oil companies to pay about 0.3 RMB (0.04 USD) for each ton of imported oil. This tax will go toward a national fund for cleaning damaged costal environments and reduce victim's losses related to oil spills. Victims can either apply to maritime safety administrations for mediation or file a lawsuit asking for compensation.
China Daily (September 16, 2009)
Climate change on the Tibetan plateau has global impact (original Chinese source)
A series of extreme weather events linked to global warming have come under scrutiny in Tibet: the highest recorded temperatures since 1951, over 230 days without precipitation in Lhasa, numerous glacial lake floods, and the return of mosquitoes to the plateau, to name a few. Hardship caused by these climactic changes are not only burdened by residents on the "roof of the world"; glacial recession impacts water resources for neighboring regions and countries, and some experts even predict that temperature change will affect Asian summer monsoon intensity.
Dazhong Net (September 14, 2009)
With approximately 60,100 cars sold in the month of August in Beijing, car sales continue to grow in the nation's capital city, reaching about 2000 vehicles being purchased a day. This trend could lead to four million vehicles on the roads in Beijing by the year's end. Some believe that wealthy private buyers are purchasing multiple cars in an effort to skirt vehicle regulations that require motorists to keep their cars off the roads one day a week.
AFP (September 18, 2009)
Beijing's Sixth Ring Road opens to traffic
Sunday saw the completion of Beijing's longest city expressway-a total of 187.6 kilometers-connecting major outbound expressways and national highways to the municipality of Beijing. Experts predict that the Sixth Ring Road will reduce traffic pressure and tie-ups, potentially cutting automotive exhaust by around three percent.
Xinhua (September 12, 2009)
China's 'cancer villages' bear witness to economic boom
Conditions in China's infamous "cancer villages" have not improved, as mines, smelters, and other heavy polluting factories continue to cause cancer among children and young adults. In 2006 death rates from cancer rose 19 percent in cities and 23 percent in rural areas compared to 2005, placing an enormous burden on families with insufficient health care-a total of 100 billion yuan a year, or about 20 percent of China's total medical expenditure, was spent on cancer treatment and medication.
Reuters (September 17, 2009)
Birth defects rise in parts of China: state media
Chinese state media reported that the number of newborns with birth defects in many parts of China is rapidly increasing, citing the tendency for women to have children later in life and environmental pollution as the two major factors in the high rate of physical abnormalities.
AFP (September 15, 2009)
China plants trees to tackle climate change
Afforestation efforts in China have received growing attention and funding, leading to the allocation of approximately 66,000 hectares of land for tree planting programs which aid in the process of carbon dioxide absorption. Individuals and large companies both contribute to the China Green Carbon Fund, established by the State Forestry Administration in 2007.
Xinhua (September 17, 2009)
Related Article: China on the move: Cope with desertification
China sees no end to boom in air traffic
Despite the global economic downturn and the H1N1 flu pandemic, China's air traffic is up 20 percent and the domestic airline industry earned 1.1 billion USD in the first six months of 2009. As the emerging middle-class in China gradually begins to increase travel and develop consumer lifestyles, concerns about pollution and ecological damage are also rapidly surfacing.
China Web (September 16, 2009)
China breaks ground on space launch center
China has begun construction of its fourth space launch center in Wenchang city in northeast Hainan, the southernmost island province in China. The center is predicted to begin launching vessels by 2013, and China tentatively plans launch a manned lunar mission in 2017.
AP (September 15, 2009)
OPINION: American politicians have become a major barrier to addressing global climate change (original Chinese source)
With less than 90 days before the international climate negotiations in Copenhagen, a global leader on climate change has yet to step forward-causing much resentment in developing nations like China. In this opinion piece, Zhu Xufeng, an Associate Professor from Nankai University, asserts that America's unique system of democracy prevents the world power from ascending to a position of leadership on climate change, despite Obama's promises prior to his election. Indeed, pandering to the interests of voter groups and big corporations, American politicians' narrow interests seem to be insoluble in the greater international climate dialogue.
China News Net (September 14, 2009)
(CENA prepared by Stephen Leonelli)
See our bilingual (English and Chinese) blog dedicated to discussion of China's environmental law, policy and public participation at http://www.greenlaw.org.cn.
