(October 14, 2006) (Article excerpt) … [Engineering professor Maria Feng and her colleagues at University of California (Irvine)] have developed sensors that monitor stress on everything from bridges and high-rise buildings to dams that are prone to damage from earthquakes. One of the devices is a fiber optic sensor that’s the size of a half dollar.
Polluters feel impact of ignoring assessment
(October 13, 2006) Eight construction projects have been blacklisted by the country’s environmental watchdog for failing to meet environment impact assessment (EIA) targets.
Three Gorges Dam turbines ready to generate power
(October 12, 2006) Fourteen power turbines on the Three Gorges Dam are ready to generate electricity, a local official said Thursday. The turbines are capable of generating power in full load once the water level in the Three Gorges reservoir reaches the 148-meter mark, which has been recorded on Monday, said Ma Zhenbo, director of the Three Gorges Power Plant in Yichang, central China’s Hubei Province.
From murky waters grow lucrative deals
(October 9, 2006) From the heights of this sprawling hillside city, the turbid, coffee-colored waters of the Jialing River, sluggish and drawn low by a once-in-a-century drought, seem an unlikely raw material for a thriving business.
China needs daily pollution fines, official says
(October 9, 2006) China should slap daily fines on firms that pump untreated waste into lakes and rivers, because current penalty limits make long-term pollution profitable, an official was quoted on Saturday as saying.
Cargo ships run aground in Yangtze River’s longest tributary
(October 8, 2006) Dozens of cargo ships loaded with coal, sand and ore have run aground on the Hanjiang River, the longest branch of the Yangtze River, due to the lowest water level for 77 years.
Top official tough on polluters
(October 6, 2006) A top environmental official advocated establishing legislation that fines polluters each day they violate a reform of the current fine system, which has a set maximum.
Water in Three Gorges reservior up 8.58 meters since Sept. 20
(October 4, 2006) Water in the Three Gorges reservoir reached the 144.28 meter mark on Wednesday, a rise of 8.58 meters since Sept. 20 when water flowing downstream was reduced.
Three Gorges dam project is like ‘the Emperor’s New Clothes’
(October 2, 2006) Author’s note: In 1986, The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central Committee and China’s State Council commissioned a feasibility study for the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) project. Professor Huang Wanli, a hydrologist from Tsinghua University was not one of the 412 experts involved in the study. There were reasons for this snub;
More people relocated for Three Gorges project
(October 2, 2006) The number of people relocated to make way for the massive Three Gorges Project in China has surpassed the planned 1.13 million and is expected to top 1.4 million, an official said on Sunday.
China Three Gorges dam to displace 1.4M
(October 2, 2006) The total number of people who will be displaced by China’s massive Three Gorges dam has been raised by 270,000, to 1.4 million people, state media said.
China Three Gorges Dam to close to tourists during National Day holiday
(October 2, 2006) China’s Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydro-electric project, will close to visitors during the National Day “Golden Week” holiday.
Longtan hydropower plant begins water storage
(September 30, 2006) The reservoir of the Longtan hydropower project, China’s third largest hydroelectric plant, began storing water on Saturday when four sluice gates were lowered to stop the flow of the Hongshui River.
China releases green GDP index, tests new development path
(September 28, 2006) The Chinese government released its first “green” gross domestic product (GDP) report earlier this month, presenting an alternative to the nation’s current economic development path.
Foisting the costs onto others: The Three Gorges example
(September 28, 2006) Fresh from winning a prestigious award for Still Life, his feature film set against the backdrop of the Three Gorges dam, the acclaimed director talks to Three Gorges Probe about the making, and the meaning, of the movie.
Probe International 