When it comes to climate change, China talks about reducing emissions but keeps building coal plants. So why are environmental groups so soft on China?
Green groups condemn UN plan to use $136m from climate fund for large dams
An alliance of green groups have called out plans for UN-backed hydro projects in Nepal, Tajikistan and the Solomon Islands, saying they will have “tremendous negative impacts” on ecosystems and indigenous people. Touted as a renewable energy source, large dams account for up to a billion tonnes of greenhouse gases a year due to rotting vegetation in the water, say critics. The Guardian U.K. reports.
Climate change a dam smokescreen?
(November 20, 2012) Poyang, China’s largest freshwater lake, is experiencing a dramatic drop in water levels as a result of drought exacerbated by the effects of ongoing climate change — a dry-up that began in earnest in 2003, according to a report published by China’s state-run Xinhua news agency earlier this year. What the report doesn’t acknowledge is that 2003 also coincides with the year reservoir filling began at the Three Gorges mega-dam 500-km upstream of Poyang, on the Yangtze River. Responding separately to Xinhua’s claims, noted Chinese geologist and environmentalist Fan Xiao points to operations at the dam, as well as rapid development of the Yangtze’s upper reaches, as the culprits behind the distressing changes Poyang and other Yangtze tributaries are experiencing: expect worse, he warns, but not because of climate change.
China says research still needed before Nu River dammed
(March 8, 2011) In an apparent contradiction of national policy, General Secretary of Yunnan’s provincial Communist Party claims that the Nu River will not be dammed without further research. Is a schism emerging between the provincial and Central Party officials over the controversial dams?
China’s dam-building will cause more problems than it solves: The Guardian
(March 4, 2011) Peter Bosshard of International Rivers writes in the Guardian that China’s dam building frenzy threatens to destroy the country’s biodiversity. Ironically, trying to aggressively reduce CO2 emissions by building megadams will do more harm than good for the environment.
Chinese dams are seeking to outshine the stars in the sky
(February 25, 2011) French journalist Claude Arpi writes that the Chinese dam lobby is using global warming to ram through catastrophic dam projects.
Ecologists dread new dam boom
(February 10, 2011) Global Times recounts the dangers of dam building that ecologists have been warning about for years.
Carbon Credit Watch: Austria refuses to publish serial numbers of stolen credits, vow they will not re-enter the market
(February 8, 2011) Austrian officials claim to have tracked down many stolen carbon credits, but have refused to disclose their serial numbers. They claim that they will not re-enter the system. Not everyone is satisfied with this assurance.
Carbon Credit Watch: Carbon traders seek fraud compensation system
(February 4, 2011) Carbon credit traders are pushing for a fraud compensation system in the wake of large scale carbon credit theft. Read about this and other stories in our carbon market media roundup.
Carbon Credit Watch: Carbon market freeze continues as European Commission attempts to stamp out fraud
(February 3, 2011) Ongoing concerns about fraud and corruption in carbon trading has lead the European Commission to indefinitely extend the freeze on trading in carbon allowances. Read about this and other stories in our carbon market media roundup.
Patricia Adams
Brady Yauch
Dai Qing
Fan Xiao
Lawrence Solomon
Mu Lan
Probe International
Lisa Peryman
Other News Sources
