(October 2010) The occurrence of the 2008 May 12 Wenchuan earthquake (M 7.9) near the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau triggered a debate whether it was influenced by the newly impounded Zipingpu reservoir, located only about 21 km east of the earthquake epicentre.
New Zealand’s Climategate –Act II
(October 9, 2010) Last November, I reported on accusations from New Zealand that a government agency called NIWA — New Zealand’s National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research – had cooked the books on global warming. According to global warming skeptics at the Climate Conversation Group and the New Zealand Climate Science Coalition, the country’s temperatures had not climbed over the last century, as graphs produced by the agency claimed.
Celebrating dissent: Chinese dissident wins Nobel Peace prize
(October 8, 2010) In a move that has infuriated Chinese officials, the Nobel Committee has awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to the jailed dissident writer and famous democracy advocate, Liu Xiaobo.
Murder on the Carbon Express: Interpol Takes On Emissions Fraud
(October 8, 2010) Mark Schapiro, from the Center for Investigative Reporting, writes about the increasing complexity of policing the emerging carbon market.
Foreign aid discredits itself
(October 5, 2010) China’s ability to play both sides of the foreign aid game – as giver and receiver – highlights one the many contradictions in the development “industry”, writes Brady Yauch.
Voters are losing their interest in climate change
(October 4, 2010) It’s ironic that the United Nations should be hosting its latest climate negotiations in China. Not only is China now far and away the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide — believed by many (but not me) to cause global warming — China is also the main saboteur of negotiations for a deal to replace the Kyoto accords.
China will have put 140.5 bln yuan into water diversion project till 2010
(October 4, 2010) China will have invested a total of 140.5 billion yuan (about 21 billion U.S. dollars) in its ambitious South-to-North Water Diversion (SNWD) project from 2006 to 2010, the country’s water diversion authority said Monday.
Taxation with representation: the better way to development say experts
(October 4, 2010) An increasing number of experts say efficient and accountable tax regimes, not foreign aid, are vital in promoting development, writes Brady Yauch.
Three Gorges Dam attempts third try for 175-meter water level mark
(October 3, 2010) Officials are once again trying to raise the controversial dam’s reservoir to 175 metres, marking the official “completion” of the project.
New bath cities and ski resorts are banned in Beijing to save water
(October 1, 2010) To tackle the city’s water shortage, the Beijing government has launched a new measure on water use regulations that forbids high water usage industries, like bath cities, ski resorts and golf courses, from start new branches, the Beijing news reports.
Conflicts of interest threaten carbon-trading mechanism
(October 1, 2010) In one of the UN’s most important schemes for tackling climate change, auditing companies may have too many temptations to misbehave thanks to conflicts of interest reminiscent of the financial crash, writes Chelsea Wald for Deutsche Welle.
Think twice before doing damage that will be irreversible
(September 30, 2010) With wildlife habitat and cultural heritage at stake, dam projects on the lower Mekong River must be debated in public forums, writes The Nation editorial board.
Why good governance matters more in Africa than aid
(September 30, 2010) Trying to achieve the targets set out in the Millennium development goals is worthwhile, but relying on foreign aid handouts, rather than internal policies to do so, is not, writes Franklin Cudjoe from African Liberty.org.
UK Becomes a Denier Nation
(September 30, 2010) The UK today has made it official. With the release of its revised guide to climate change by the Royal Society, the nation’s preeminent scientific organization, the UK now formally joins the ranks of the denier nations. The science on climate change is no longer certain, the Society now says.
China moving heaven and Earth to bring water to Beijing
(September 29, 2010) The $62-billion South-North Water Diversion, which will bring water to the parched capital, is being compared to the Great Wall. But environmentalists are up in arms about the ‘replumbing’ of the nation’s great rivers.
Patricia Adams
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Lawrence Solomon
Mu Lan
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