(May 3, 2011) Onlookers in Beijing, China, keep a safe distance from a giant sinkhole that opened in the middle of a busy street last Tuesday, swallowing a truck. Several news reports say the sinkhole formed above a tunnel being dug for construction of a subway line. (See pictures of a huge sinkhole in Guatemala City.)
North Korea wants carbon cash
(April 29, 2011) When Kim Jong-il wants a piece of the action, it’s time to stop.
Dam on Brahmaputra won’t affect India: China
(April 29, 2011) China on Friday said its proposed dam on the Brahmaputra river in Tibet is not a “very big one” to cause concern in India and Bangladesh, claiming that it would not lead to any major change in the quantum of the water flow to the countries downstream.
Tri-Tech Holding to Showcase High-Tech Emergency Water and Water Monitoring Technology at Beijing International Disaster Reduction and Emergency Technology & Equipment Expo
(April 29, 2011) Tri-Tech Holding Inc. (Nasdaq: TRIT), a premier Chinese company that provides leading turn-key solutions in China for water resources, water and wastewater treatment, industrial safety and the pollution control markets, announced today that the company will attend the 2nd Beijing International Disaster Reduction and Emergency Technology & Equipment Expo at the China World Trade Center in Beijing from May 8 to May 10, 2011. The theme of this year’s expo is to “promote industrial development and contingencies for disaster prevention and relief.”
Ski resorts gulp Beijing’s water supplies
(April 29, 2011) In a new report published by the Beijing-based Friends of Nature and Canadian environmental group Probe International, Chinese environmental researcher, Hu Kanping, documents the impact of ski resorts on drought-stricken Beijing.
Odious debt and Egypt: revolt citizens, revolt!
(April 27, 2011) Egypt’s period of political transition presents an ideal time to examine the odious nature of debt accrued by deposed President Hosni Mubarak’s government, whose time in power amounts to almost 30 years in the borrowing.
Anatomy of a dam failure
(April 27, 2011) In the world of engineering, standards are the foundation on which everything else rests. An investigation following a catastrophic explosion at Russia’s largest hydropower station in the summer of 2009 revealed poor management and technical flaws to be at the root of the dam’s failure. A repaired turbine almost at the end of its life span, taken offline again because it still didn’t work, was forced back into service in an emergency: a move that would cost 75 people their lives. This Popular Mechanics investigation asks whether the United States, a country with hundreds of hydro plants in operation, might also be at risk of a Russian-style dam disaster. U.S. experts say not likely: the two countries are separated philosophically when it comes to safety and human life.
China’s dams threaten livelihoods
(April 26, 2011) The damming of every major river flowing from the Tibetan plateau will trigger natural disasters, degrade fragile ecologies and divert vital water supplies.
Thousands Protest Against Patagonia Dams
(April 26, 2011) Chilean Government Urged to Cancel Controversial HidroAysén Project
Water treatment companies stand to gain from Chinese water pollution
(April 21, 2011) Water treatment companies look to cash in on billions of dollars invested by the Chinese government in providing clean water, though investors are being warned that the lack of transparency in the companies makes them risky investments.
Prominent Three Gorges critic Lu Qinkan passes away at 97
(April 21, 2011) Chinese hydrologist Lu Qinkan passed away April 11 in Beijing at the age of 97. Lu was known to the west as one of the most vocal critics of the Three Gorges Dam.
Beijing’s Ski Slopes as Thirsty as 8,300 Households
(April 21, 2011) Beijing badly lacks water, but much of the available supply is slurped up by luxury apartments and bottling plants. Friends of Nature researchers have recently drawn attention to the additional drain of the million tons a year pumped into artificial snow machines at 17 skiing facilities around the city.
Chinese experts call for attention to “city illnesses”
(April 20, 2011) Chinese experts said Tuesday that China’s rapid urbanization and economic growth have caused serious “city illnesses”, such as water shortages, environmental pollution and traffic jams.
Rush to Build Hydropower Poses Risks
(April 19, 2011) Experts warn of the dangers posed by China’s rush to build dams in seismically active areas.
China defends its dam projects on rivers from Tibet that worry neighbours who live downstream
(April 19, 2011) China defended its ambitious network of dams Tuesday, saying that it is developing its rivers in a responsible way and would never do anything to harm the interests of neighbours who live downstream of the Tibetan plateau.
Patricia Adams
Dai Qing
Fan Xiao
Lawrence Solomon
Mu Lan
Probe International
Lisa Peryman
Probe Media
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