(November 16, 2009) Promises from the Chinese government that Three Gorges would be the world’s largest generator of reliable power seem to be evaporating before the project can be declared finished.
More evidence the Zipingpu dam may be to blame for the Wenchuan earthquake
(November 6, 2009) A recent article by scientists in the U.S. provides further evidence that the Zipingpu dam’s reservoir may have triggered the devastating May 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China. The Wenchuan earthquake killed nearly 90,000 people and unleashed a chorus of speculation that the Zipingpu reservoir may have contributed to the severity of the earthquake, or helped to trigger it.
Local residents say Three Gorges dam aggravating drought
(October 30, 2009) Three Gorges dam officials are defending their plan to continue to raise the project’s reservoir level, saying a higher reservoir will help residents living downstream face a potentially more dangerous drought in the upcoming dry season. But local residents say the dam is making an already severe, and deadly, drought even worse.
China’s Export of Censorship
(October 12, 2009) The Chinese government’s effort to prevent dissident authors from taking part in the prestigious Frankfurt Book Fair, an international showcase for freedom of expression, has offered Germany a close-up view of China’s intolerance of dissent.
Political fictions
(October 29, 2009) Eric Abrahamsen reports from the Frankfurt Book Fair, the world’s largest publishing trade event, where China was this year’s guest of honour – and competing narratives of the nation were the order of the day.
Did the Zipingpu Reservoir trigger the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake?
(October 28, 2009) A new study published in the journal of Geophysical Research Letters provides more evidence that the deadly Wenchuan earthquake may have been triggered by the Zipingpu dam’s reservoir.
China’s dams are sinking its relationship with India
(October 23, 2009) The operators of the Three Gorges Dam are continuing to export their hydro-power schemes to countries around the globe. The latest destination is Pakistan.
Reservoir-Triggered Seismicity in Armenian Large Dams
(Fall 2009) Reservoir-triggered seismicity (RTS) is a phenomenon, which has been observed in several large dam projects all over the world, especially for the reservoirs which are constructed in seismically active regions. Practically all the territory of the Republic of Armenia is characterized as the high seismic active area. A review of reservoir triggered seismicity in Armenia shows that it mainly occurs in large dams which are located near active faults. In this paper it has been shown that the number of microearthquakes increase after Tolors reservoir operation, cause changes of seismic regime in the observed regions.
Banned writers slam book fair
(October 21, 2009) Chinese dissidents and officials clash at the storied Frankfurt Book Fair.
Another Chinese government mega-project forces mega-relocation of citizens
(October 20, 2009) The Chinese government is once again making headlines for relocating its citizens—this time for the much-criticized South-to-North Water Diversion Project. According to Xinhua, the resettlement of 330,000 Chinese citizens in central China’s Hubei and Henan provinces has begun.
China’s guest of honour status at fair debated by Chinese writers
(October 17, 2009) Frankfurt – Exiled Chinese authors attending the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany disagreed amongst themselves Wednesday about whether the invitation of China to the event as guest of honour was a good or a bad thing. This year’s fair has been unusually controversial after China tried to prevent critical authors attending, breaking an unwritten rule that free speech reigns at the annual book-publishing show.
China’s guest of honour status at fair debated by Chinese writers
(October 17, 2009) Exiled Chinese authors attending the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany disagreed amongst themselves Wednesday about whether the invitation of China to the event as guest of honour was a good or a bad thing. This year’s fair has been unusually controversial after China tried to prevent critical authors attending, breaking an unwritten rule that free speech reigns at the annual book-publishing show.
Throwing the book at China
(October 16, 2009) Every October, the German city of Frankfurt hosts the world’s biggest book fair. The event is no stranger to local controversy. Yet the storm brewing between the fair’s organizers and China is of global importance, because it will expose the limits of Beijing’s tolerance for free speech.
Satellite data look behind the scenes of deadly earthquake
(October 15, 2009) Using satellite radar data and GPS measurements, Chinese researchers have explained the exceptional geological events leading to the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake that killed nearly 90 000 people in China’s Sichuan Province.
Frankfurt Book Fair Opens Today With China as Major Focus
(October 14, 2009) Berlin – Organizers of the Frankfurt Book Fair worked for 15 years to secure China as the guest of honor at their five-day showcase of global trends and best sellers that opens to industry delegates Wednesday. Organizers are steeling themselves for lively discussions and the possibility of protests at the fair, which boasts about 6,900 exhibitors from more than 100 countries.
Patricia Adams
Dai Qing
Fan Xiao
Lawrence Solomon
Mu Lan
Probe International
Lisa Peryman
Patricia Adams and Lawrence Solomon
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