CHINAS FRAGILE ENVIRONMENT

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CHINAS FRAGILE ENVIRONMENT
Chinas Fragile Environment
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Environment Intro

• The success of Chinas rapid economic development
  has brought a serious problem of environmental
  degradation.
• Industrialization under a socialist regime tends
  to be particularly damaging to the environment
  because with the land being publicly owned, no
  one seems to take responsibility for its care.
• Also, water and energy are provided to consumers
  at no cost or at a subsidized cost so there is
  little incentive to conserve.
• Deforestation is a major problem with wood and
  plant stalks providing 4/5 of the energy for
  cooking and heating in the countryside..

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Coal

• The air quality in 90 of Chinese cities does not
  meet Chinese air quality standards which arent
  as stringent as Western nations.
• Five of the worlds ten most polluted cities are
  in China.
• Beijings air quality is 16 times worse than
  NYCs. Central govt pollution control regulations
  are unfunded mandates for the local govts who
  often just dont enforce them.

• Those who arent burning wood are burning soft
  coal which is the principle cause of air
  pollution in China.
• China has abundant deposits of bituminous coal.
  To stop burning coal would shut down industry.

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Half of the waterways in Chinas major water
systems are polluted and 90 of the water
flowing through major cities is not potable.
WATER
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• The lack of environmental consciousness is
  readily apparent in every ditch either in the
  cities or rural villages.
• While numerous local environmental groups have
  sprung up in recent years to tackle local
  problems, they are isolated from one another.
• There is no sign of a national green movement
  developing and this is unlikely given the Partys
  suspicion of any competition to its authority.

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3 Gorges Dam Project

• Three Gorges Dam model. In 1993 because of
  Premier Li Pengs support, construction began on
  a project that had been discussed since the 1920s
  the damming of the Yangzi River to control
  flooding, generate hydroelectric power, and
  improve navigation on the river.
• It will take 16 years to complete the massive
  project.

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• The dam has become controversial for several
  reasons. A single high dam (650 ft.) would raise
  the water level to improve navigation.
• Ocean-going ships would be able to sail all the
  way to Chongqing, but it would mean inundating
  entire cities and require the relocation of more
  than 1.4 million people.

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• Entire cities will be submerged.
• New cities are being built to relocate the
  people.

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• A newly built city above the water level markers
  for the two stages of raising the water level in
  the river.
• Other problems
• siltation control to protect the dam and keep the
  upriver channel clear
• financing is still uncertain with a shortfall of
  at least 20 of the projected cost
• many fish species are threatening such as the
  Yangtzi River sturgeon
• and the threat of dam failure the downstream
  disaster would be unimaginable.