(May 19, 2011) Amid power shortages and potential catastrophe, China admits to failings in the Three Gorges Dam. Probe International Fellow Dai Qing responds from Beijing.
Controversial Three Gorges dam has problems, admits China
(May 19, 2011) The world’s largest hydroelectric project was designed to tame the flood-prone Yangtze River and to generate clean energy. But the water is becoming polluted, and regular landslides are making life near the dam dangerous. Three Gorges dam is “a classic case in which government officials exaggerated the benefits and underestimated the risks,” says Patricia Adams of Probe International.
Fengtai Sinkhole Sparks Worries of Future Catastrophes
(May 19, 2011) Beijing’s Fengtai District grabbed headlines in April when the ground beneath Shiliuzhuang Lu opened up suddenly and swallowed a passing truck. This isn’t the first time sinkholes have appeared in the capital. In 2007, and again in 2009, sinkholes opened up near Dawang Bridge in the CBD, leaving residents to wonder if the great Fengtai sinkhole of 2011 might not be the last time the capital’s ground drops out from under it.
Beijing Admits to ‘Urgent’ Problems with Three Gorges Dam
(May 19, 2011) In a rare admission of problems associated with one of its signature infrastructure projects, China’s government warned Thursday that all is not well with the Three Gorges Dam.
Severe drought saps Chinese power output
(May 18, 2011) Water depth at Three Gorges Dam stood at 154.8 meters on Tuesday afternoon.
The Three Gorges Dam’s new normal: failure
(May 18, 2011) China’s drought has caused the Three Gorges reservoir level to drop precipitously, crippling the mighty Three Gorges Dam. Shipping on the Yangtze River has now halted, power generation has been compromised, and geological hazards are heightened.
China acknowledges downside to Three Gorges Dam
(May 18, 2011) The government of China has issued a rare acknowledgment of the issues dogging the country’s massive Three Gorges Dam project. Longtime dam critic and Probe International Fellow Dai Qing calls out the move as a likely “attempt to shirk responsibility”.
Chongqing’s biggest dam to start construction
(May 18, 2011) Chongqing’s biggest hydropower development is set to begin construction after adjustments to a fish conservation area on the Yangtze river were agreed to by the State Council.
Garbage Country
(May 14, 2011) If China has a garbage crisis, and it does, then Three Gorges is likely its biggest dump.
Lawrence Solomon: Fair-trade coffee producers often end up poorer
(May 14, 2011) Coffee is one of our guilty pleasures, and not only because of the calories that can be packed into a double latte. Many of us feel guilty that our pleasure is coming at the expense of the Third World coffee farmer, so much so that we gladly pay more for “fair trade” coffee, which certifies that farmers receive more revenue for their crop.
Detained artist a further blow for China quake parents
(May 12, 2011) Chinese farmer Liu Jiuchuan is perhaps an unlikely supporter of activist and artist Ai Weiwei, whose detention last month on suspicion of economic crimes sparked uproar around the world.
FP Letters to the Editor: We are green, EDC says
(May 12, 2011) Re: “Greening Harper,” Lawrence Solomon, May 7
Five Dams Approved in Chile’s Patagonian Wilderness
(May 11, 2011) A complex multi-dam hydroelectric scheme that conservationists fear will destroy the character of one of Chile’s most important wild regions was approved Monday by the Aysén Environmental Review Commission.
Protests after Chile backs giant dams in Patagonia’s valleys
(May 10, 2011) Activists fear ecological haven will be destroyed but government says project is vital for economic growth
Chileans protest government approval of five Patagonia dams
(May 10, 2011) Dam projects are drawing increased criticism in South America, which boasts three of the world’s four biggest hydroelectric dam complexes. Chile is pushing forward with a $7 billion dam project.
Patricia Adams
Dai Qing
Fan Xiao
Lawrence Solomon
Mu Lan
Probe International
Lisa Peryman
Probe Media
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