To little surprise, environmental programs at Three Gorges are falling short

(July 5, 2010) As the environmental problems continue to plague the massive Three Gorges dam, officials are falling way behind on programs to contain the pollution caused by its construction. Less than a fifth of the “water environment” programs laid out in a ten year plan in 2001 have been completed, while all nine of the projects to control pollution from ships have not begun, according to Vice-Minister of Environmental Protection Zhang Lijun.

Banking on the hand that feeds: Food aid is big business in the US

(July 1, 2010) The food aid business is not simply for charity, it’s also a major source of jobs for businesses across the United States. According to a recent report from consultancy group Promar International, the overall economic impact of moving food aid from the nation’s farms to the ports and then on to foreign countries accounts for more than 13,000 jobs and amounts to almost $2-billion in goods and services, or output.