Issue 29, October 16 - October 23rd, 2009

OPINION

Climate policy by trade war? (Engineering News, 10/23/2009) Will climate policy in future be conducted through trade measures? A worrying scenario is that the current approach – negotiating climate change multilaterally, through the United Nations (UN) – could be replaced by domestic action and border adjustments.

Does China need an animal protection law? (Beijing Review, 10/22/2009) On September 18, a number of Chinese law experts announced that they had drafted an animal protection act. China currently lacks a comprehensive basic law on animal protection. The underdeveloped legal system is thus unable to put all animals under effective protection. Thus, scholars suggested drafting China's first law on the protection of animal welfare, so as to cope with problems such as animal abuse and desertion in accordance with laws. The law is expected to make animal owners more responsible and thus cut the government's expense in this regard, prevent livestock breeding pollution and encourage the virtue of caring for animals.

Against tiger farming (China Dialogue, 10/21/2009) Ancient Chinese tradition and modern scientific thinking both respect the tiger’s role in protecting wild nature. Farming the big cat, writes poet Ruth Padel, ruins China's reputation abroad.

China’s vulnerability (BBC, 10/19/2009) Roger Harrabin examines the difficulties faced by China as it puts together a negotiating position for the Copenhagen climate conference.

Carbon Capture is “essential” for developing world, and still a pipe dream (Tree Hugger, 10/19/2009) Here's a climate conundrum. Last week, the International Energy Agency said in a report (pdf) that to avoid climate catastrophe, 2,000 carbon capture and sequestration (CSS, or sometimes "clean coal") plants need to be built in developing countries by 2050.

Here comes the (Chinese) Sun: How Chinese innovation is going to revolutionize solar power for the rest of the world (GOOD, 10/18/2009) Residents of the city of Rizhao claim to be the first Chinese to greet the sun each day as it rises from the Yellow Sea. In fact, the city’s name is a condensed form of the Chinese phrase ri qu shien zhao, which literally means “first to get sunshine.” They also make some of the best use of the more than 100 kilowatt-hours of power the sun pours down on each square meter of Earth over the course of a sunny day.

PUBLIC SECTOR/NGOs

China ignoring tiger trade: campaign group (AFP, 10/22/2009) China is turning a blind eye to the thriving illegal trade in tiger parts, a campaign group said Thursday following an undercover investigation in western China and Tibet.

Decline in Burmese timber smuggling across Chinese border, figures show (The Guardian, 10/22/2009) Improved Chinese border controls have dramatically slowed imports of illegally logged wood from Burma, but smuggling continues to pose a threat to one of the world's last virgin forests, according to a new report by Global Witness.

Chinese town’s response to poisonous lead factory: Move the town (Treehugger, 10/20/2009) Increasingly, concern over environmental health in cities and towns across China has led to angry public protests that have halted construction on or closed a number of factories. But after outrage over lead poisoning in a town in central China, authorities aren't turning off the smelters at fault. They're moving the whole town.

Report: Myanmar timber still smuggled to China (AP, 10/20/2009) There has been a sharp decline in timber illegally imported into China from Myanmar, but smugglers are still supplying Chinese companies that export the wood to Europe, America and throughout the world, an environmental watchdog agency said Wednesday.

Drought continues in central, southern China (Xinhua, 10/20/2009) Drought continued in central and southern Chinese provinces this week, with dozens of ships stranded in shallow rivers and crop harvests almost halved.

Speech at the 5th Asia Pacific Conference on Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights by Zhao Baige, Vice Minister of the National Population and Family Planning Commission of China (Department of International Cooperation, 10/18/2009) Today we are gathering here to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the International Conference for Population and Development (ICPD). It is a great honor for me to have this opportunity to share with you China’s practice in line with the ICPD.

Report finds ample room for Joint U.S.-China CO2 storage efforts (New York Times, 10/16/2009) China could become a world leader in the development and deployment of technology to capture carbon dioxide and store it underground, the Natural Resources Defense Council finds in a sweeping new report (pdf) out today.

CORPORATIONS

ADB to fund eco-tourism in China’s bio-diverse mountainous region (Xinhua, 10/23/2009) The Asian Development Bank (ADB) Friday said it is helping China set up botanical gardens, wild-life parks and a giant panda center in the northwestern Qinling Mountains to protect the region's biological diversity.

Peabody set to tap Asian demand for coal (The Australian Business, 10/22/2009) US coal giant Peabody Energy plans to double its Queensland and NSW coal exports in the next five years, as it looks to tapgrowing demand from Chinese and Indian steel mills and power stations.

China Europa 2009: The essential event where China and Europe talk green business together (PR Newswire, 10/21/2009) China Europa is an exhibition and business convention which aims to foster trade relations between China and Europe. This year's China Europa, which runs from 8th to 10th December, is themed around Sustainable Urban Development, and offers a platform for local authorities, businesses and experts from China and Europe working in this field to meet and do business.

Harrabin’s Notes: Green tower (BBC, 10/21/2009) BBC environment analyst Roger Harrabin reports on the tower block under construction in China which could lead the way in green building technology.

From China: Entrepreneurs, conservation, and the future of the world (Mother Nature Network, 10/22/2009) Who’s going to lead the way for conservation in China? Local grassroots groups? International NGOs? The government? Here’s another thought: What about Chinese capitalists?

Research and Markets: Analyzing China’s copper industry (Business Wire, 10/22/2009) Aruvians Research's report on Analyzing China's Copper Industry initiates with an understanding of the global copper industry delving theoretically into the basic characteristics of copper, exploration of copper, mining of copper and also the technologies involved in copper production. The report then further elaborates on the uses of copper which have led to the development of a global industry structure which are further explained in the form of various markets of copper.

Research and Markets: Automotive- China industry guide – an essential resource for top level data and analysis (Reuters, 10/20/2009) The Automotive: China Industry Guide is an essential resource for top-level data and analysis covering the China Automotive industry. It includes detailed data on market size and segmentation, textual analysis of the key trends and competitive landscape, and profiles of the leading companies. This incisive report provides expert analysis with distinct chapters for Light trucks, Medium & Heavy Trucks, Motorcycles and New Cars.

Leased electrical cells power new bus (China Daily, 10/19/2009) With a growing public awareness of environmental protection, electric vehicles are trendy. Yet the high cost of their crucial power cell is still a drag on industry growth.

China Oil and Gas report Q4 2009 (Business Wire, 10/18/2009) This China Oil and Gas Report provides industry professionals and strategists, corporate analysts, oil and gas associations, government departments and regulatory bodies with independent forecasts and competitive intelligence on China's oil and gas industry.

Chinese company is near first deal to buy stake in oil drilling leases in Gulf of Mexico (New York Times, 10/16/2009) Trying to acquire a foothold in the American oil patch, a Chinese company is closing in on a deal to buy stakes in a few drilling leases in the Gulf of Mexico from a Norwegian company, an executive close to the talks said.

GOVERNMENT

China to take due responsibilities in climate issue (Xinhua, 10/23/2009) China supports the development of a low-carbon economy, and will not shrug off its due responsibilities in countering global climate change, an environment expert with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) said Thursday.

India, China sign 5 year pact to tackle climate change (Business Standard, 10/22/2009) India and China today signed a five-year agreement to jointly fight climate change and negotiate international climate deals. The two countries also set up a Joint Working Group (JWG) that will hold annual meetings alternately in China and India to discuss respective domestic policies and measures and implementation of related cooperative projects.

Harrabin’s Notes: Scooting green (BBC, 10/22/2009) Battery-powered motor scooters are popping up in cities right across China. But in Guilin, they have been given an extra boost by the decision of the local authority to stop issuing licenses for conventional motorbikes, which were sullying the city's green reputation with their pollution and noise.

Nigeria hopes peace can bring big China deals (CNN, 10/21/2009) Nigeria has set its sights on making multibillion-dollar oil deals with China amid peace moves with militants.

China becomes a player in Afghanistan’s future (NPR, 10/21/2009) In search of a solution to Afghanistan's problems, the United States is seeking help from several of Afghanistan's neighbors, including China, which has become the largest commercial investor in Afghanistan.

China plans emergency oil-storage tanks in NE (The China Post, 10/21/2009) China, the world's second-largest energy consumer, is planning to build emergency oil-storage tanks in the country's northeast to help bolster fuel-supply security, potentially helping to spur future imports.

Italy: Police seizes three containers of China-bound waste (AKI, 10/20/2009) Three containers with at least 63 tonnes of special waste bound for China were seized by Italy's custom authorities and tax police on Tuesday in the southeastern port city of Taranto, located in the region of Puglia.

No Chinese dam over Brahmaputa – PM assures Arunachal (Thaindian News, 10/20/2009) “The prime minister assured us that there was no dam being constructed over the Brahmaputra by China. In fact, Beijing had formally communicated this to the Indian government,” Khandu told IANS on telephone from New Delhi.

China builds quake monitoring station at Everest (AP, 10/20/2009) Chinese scientists have begun operating an earthquake monitoring station at the foot of Mount Everest in a bid to learn more about the world's highest peak, an official said Monday.

China targets 40 percent rise in refining by 2015 (Alibaba, 10/20/2009) Chinese authorities have quietly endorsed new plans to increase domestic refining capacity by 40 percent by 2015, focusing on the expansion of existing sites rather than building new plants, industry sources said on Tuesday.

Beijing goes after US-made nylon (New York Times, 10/19/2009) The Chinese Ministry of Commerce issued a preliminary ruling Monday that imposed a 36 percent tariff on American-made Nylon 6, a synthetic filament that ends up in a wide array of products, including toothbrushes, auto parts, socks and the handles of Glock handguns. Nylon 6 from Taiwan and Russia would also be taxed, but at much lower rates.

China urges metals firms to build plants abroad (Reuters, 10/19/2009) Chinese producers of steel and non-ferrous metals should build plants overseas, a senior government official at China's top planning body, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said on Monday.

China may stumble in race with rivals for African oil (Bloomberg, 10/19/2009) China’s plans to buy into oil fields in Africa may suffer a third setback in as many months if Exxon Mobil Corp. succeeds in snapping up drilling rights in Ghana, one of the continent’s newest oil nations.

Tibet: Huge methane reservoir discovered under ice (Asia News/Agencies, 10/17/2009) In the tundra of Tibet “the secret to energy independence for China is hidden, opening up the road to environmentally sustainable development without oil." This was declared yesterday a representative of the Chinese Ministry for Land and Resources, who explained: "Under the ice of Tibet and Qinghai our geologists have found the largest underground reservoir of methane hydrates”.

China’s challenge: Enforcing its environmental laws (The Epoch Times, 10/16/2009) China’s communist leaders know that they have to do something about China’s deplorable environment because it is limiting opportunities for economic growth, causing mounting health problems, and it “has become one of the leading sources of social unrest throughout the country,” said Elizabeth Economy, C.V. Starr senior fellow and director for Asia Studies, Council on Foreign Relations.

Issue 28, October 2nd to October 9th, 2009

OPINION

Is China beating the US in clean tech? (MIT Technology Review, 10/9/2009) China could beat the United States in a race to deploy clean energy technology that can reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, said Frances Beinecke, leader of a leading environmental group, speaking this week at MIT.

China’s electric car revolution (Asia Times, 10/9/2009) With 17 of every 1,000 people in China owning a car in 2008, compared with a global average of 120 per 1,000 persons, the country is already the second-largest auto market in the world. It is expected to exceed the United States to become the largest auto market by 2030. While this astounding growth is great news for the auto industry, it is disastrous for the world's most populated country.

China’s green maverick (China Dialogue, 10/8/2009) Zhang Yue was born in 1960 in Changsha, Hunan province, in southern China. In 1988 he founded Broad Air Conditioning with 30,000 yuan in capital. The private company, of which he is now president, sells a non-electric central air-conditioning system. Broad sells its units to 60 countries, and leads the industrial market in China, Europe and the United States.
Opinion: Green finance vital lubricant in climate battle (CNN, 10/7/2009) One thing urgently important is "green finance." As a matter fact, "green finance" is one missing link between "knowing" and "doing" in the transition to green industry. All green industrial propositions cost money, and many green industry business models are more often than not untested or unconventional.

China can be smarter on reserving more resources (Reuters, 10/6/2009) China might have good environmental reasons to restrict the production of rare earth metals, but export quotas and duties are not the way to do it.

Is China, once climate scapegoat, now our “Sputnik”? (Treehugger, 10/5/2009) True, China is very serious about green tech. But having just returned to Beijing, I read Friedman's column and can't help but think of that old Chinese phrase: "paper tiger."

Development as China’s environmental solution (Telegraph, 10/2/2009) China has faced a continuous shift of challenges over the past 50 years: from poverty in the 1950s, ecological degradation in the 1970s, environmental pollution in the 1990s, to global warming in the new century.

PUBLIC SECTOR/NGOs

As the economy grows, so do garbage woes (AP, 10/8/2009) In less than five years, the Zhengzhou Comprehensive Waste Treatment Landfill has overwhelmed this otherwise pristine village of about 1,000 people. Peaches and cherries rot on trees, infested with insect life drawn by the smell. Fields lie unharvested, contaminated by toxic muck. Every day, another 100 or so tonnes of garbage arrive from nearby Zhengzhou, a provincial capital of eight million.

Global warming may worsen locust swarms (Nature News, 10/7/2009) Analysis of Chinese historical records stretching back for over a thousand years show that locust outbreaks are more likely to occur in warmer and drier weather, especially in the country's northern provinces, researchers say.

More than 5,000 endangered, rare trees found in SW China county (Xinhua, 10/6/2009) More than 5,000 dove trees have been discovered in Zhijin county of southwest China's Guizhou Province, local government sources said on Tuesday.

High blood pressure causes 20% of deaths in China, study says (Bloomberg, 10/6/2009) High blood pressure is the biggest preventable cause of early death in China, according to a study that calls on the nation’s health authorities to make fighting the condition their top priority.

Can green tech turn grey skies blue? (The Globe and Mail, 10/6/2009) The incredible growth of China's economy has extracted an incredible price: the dirtying of its soil, its water and its air, thanks to the rapid extraction and use of its resources, and the often backward means of doing so.

Chasing China’s wind power, with pure heart (Xinhua, 10/6/2009) To most people interested in the wind game in China, he bore a familiar face. He was a pioneer in the country's grid connected wind power development, a key inspirator of China's first Renewable Energy Law, and was widely recognized as the wind power person in China with frankness that earned him great respect industry wide.

Traditions fade as China settles nomads in towns (AP, 10/5/2009) Herding reindeer and hunting bears and boars in the forests on Siberia's fringe was Gu Gejun's life. Now his rifle has been confiscated, and the only reindeer he herds are in an urban tourist park.

Joint agreement necessary on climate change in Greater Mekong: WWF (Xinhua, 10/5/2009) A report released Monday by an international NGO called for Asia's first regional climate change adaptation agreement in the Greater Mekong region, which, as one of the regions with richest biological diversity on the earth, is already strongly affected by climate change.

Feed the beast (The Age, 10/3/2009) The people of Shanxi, a province famous in China for its deadly coalmines and toxic air, have had enough.

China hungry for more iron ore (Perth Now, 10/3/2009) China’s hunger for iron ore will continue for years to come as development spreads across its territory, says Goldman Sachs commodity analyst Paul Gray.

17,000 herdsmen on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau have access to safe water (People’s Daily, 10/2/2009) About 17,000 herdsmen in the Three-River Headwaters on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau have for the first time been accessible to safe tap water, a local official said Friday.

China reports 2 million rural households without electricity (Xinhua, 10/2/2009) China had about 2 million households without electric power and the average electric power consumption per capita per year stood at 300 kwh in 2008, according to the National Energy Administration (NEA).

New energy, renewable energy take 9% in China’s energy structure (Xinhua, 10/2/2009) New energy and renewable energy took nine percent in China's energy structure in 2008, while coal took 69 percent and oil and natural gas 22 percent, according to the National Bureau of Statistics of China.

CORPORATIONS

China’s solar footprint set to explode; creates investment opportunity, says GTM research (Nikkei Electronics Asia, 10/8/2009) Demand for solar panels inside China could explode over the next three years, presenting an opportunity for investors and select international partners, according to a report from GTM Research, the market research arm of Greentech Media.

Hong Kong golf course goes green with first solar carts fleet (Reuters, 10/7/2009) A golf course in Hong Kong, where air pollution is a huge concern, is displaying its green credentials with the world's first entire fleet of solar-powered golf carts.

Green lightening cases promising ray upon the Chinese lighting industry (Chinese Economic News Service, 10/7/2009) It seems that the global recession, despite putting the damper on many other sectors, has given continual impetus to makers of green lighting in China, with such lighting typically defined as ones that conserve energy and cause less pollution. Turning up the brightness on eco-friendly lighting at the trade show recently in Guangzhou, Messe Frankfurt, the show organizer, made green lighting the theme.

World’s leading coal-based PP project to begin trial production next year in NW China (Xinhua, 10/6/2009) A coal-based polypropylene (PP) production project in northwest China, believed to be the world's largest one, is to start trial operation next year, a company source said Tuesday.

China tycoon resurfaces in US with green car plan (AP, 10/5/2009) Yang Rong was once celebrated as a pioneering automobile entrepreneur who founded the first Chinese company to be listed on Wall Street.

Why lead supply has taken a battering in China (Commodity Online, 10/5/2009) Lead supply has taken a battering ever since zinc miners, who churn out much of the metal as a by-product, began to reduce or close down capacity, as early as 1H 2008. But the recent supply threats to Chinese refined lead supply (announced in late August) have sharply focused attention on what has been evident since April 2007 - that the global supply-demand balance for refined lead was tight, and that environmental worries posed a long-term threat to future output.

Joint center for clean-tech innovation planned in China (The National Business Review, 10/5/2009) Christchurch-based venture capital company, Milestone Capital, is negotiating a joint facility for clean technology innovation in China.

Sulfur scrubbing gets a boost as China cracks down on pollution (Investor’s Business Daily, 10/2/2009) Last year's Olympics in Beijing brought China to the verge of global embarrassment over its pollution problem. Only shutting down some of its factories temporarily stopped the city from choking the tourists and athletes.

China prudent over tapping combustible ice (Xinhua, 10/3/2009) China will put environmental concerns as top priority in tackling ways to exploit combustible ice, a kind of natural gas hydrate, in the permanent tundra in its northwest plateau region, said a combustible ice project leader.

GOVERNMENT

Trade, climate top US-China agenda (China Daily, 10/9/2009) Obama will be in Beijing and Shanghai between Nov 15 and 18. During the China leg, President Hu Jintao will likely urge his US counterpart to abandon trade protectionism, said Chinese experts yesterday. Obama is expected to push China to reach a bilateral climate change agreement.

China coastal city wins UN Habitat award (Xinhua, 10/9/209) The local government of an Eastern China coastal city won a United Nations Habitat award on Monday for well executed urban planning which has transformed the city into a green home with new housing and infrastructure.

China to start its 26th Antarctic expedition (Xinhua, 10/8/2009) A team of 251 members will leave on board the vessel Snow Dragon for China's 26th Antarctic exploration on Oct. 11, the State Oceanic Administration announced Wednesday.

Half of Liaoning’s bottled water ‘unhygienic’ (China Daily, 10/8/2009) Nearly half of all bottled water used in dispensers in Liaoning province fails to meet health standards, a study by the provincial quality safety bureau has found.

Climate a bigger challenge than recession, China says (Bloomberg, 10/7/2009) China, the world’s biggest polluter, said climate change is a challenge that it shares with the world and is a more formidable one than the global recession.

Energy efficiency ranks high in China’s plans; CO2 is seldom discussed (New York Times, 10/6/2009) From shuttering inefficient factories to investing in LED lighting, energy efficiency is serious business throughout China. But in boardroom after boardroom, the work seems almost completely divorced from the business of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Environmental poisoning shadows two “Ecological Models” in China (The Epoch Times, 10/6/2009) While serious pollution has been widespread in China, incidents of chemical poisoning in two communities have attracted particular attention. Both communities have been awarded the title of “ecological model” by the Chinese state after supposedly passing strict scrutiny on their environmental sustainability.

International energy agency sees gains in China (New York Times, 10/6/2009) Another reason for cautious optimism, the report said, is that China will be able to slow the growth of its emissions much faster than commonly assumed because of its rising investment in wind and nuclear energy and its newfound emphasis on energy efficiency.

Zambia seeks S. Africa, China loans for power project (Reuters, 10/5/2009) A southern African bank will provide a $60 million loan to Zambia, and China will give a further $420 million loan to fund a power project meant to plug a power deficit, state-run power utility Zesco said on Monday.

California to partner with China’s Jiangsu Province to advance climate policies (Xinhua, 10/2/2009) Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced on Friday that California and China's Jiangsu Province will form a partnership to cope with climate change.

Issue 27, September 25th to October 1st, 2009

OPINION

Rising GDP or environmental protection? China’s dilemma (CSR Asia, 9/30/2009) Everybody also knows that many companies who contribute to the GDP also pollute the environment. Here are some examples from this year that show how China still has a long way to go before the slogans ring true.

A birthday wishlist (China Dialogue, 9/30/2009) The 60-year history of the People’s Republic saw a move from an era of revolution to one of pragmatism. The country’s low-carbon future, writes Julian L Wong, requires both approaches.

River of discord (China Dialogue, 9/30/2009) Hydropower projects in China have created tensions along the Mekong. Rivers know no borders, writes Michael Richardson, but dams do.

China’s carbon intensity plans and its impact on climate progress (The Green Leap Forward, 9/30/2009) President Hu Jintao (pictured right) of China announced that China will build on existing domestic climate change policies as embodied in its National Climate Change Programme and current Five Year Plan to step up its efforts on energy efficiency, development of low-carbon energy such as renewables and nuclear, and increase of forestry cover.

China leads way for solar energy (San Francisco Chronicle, 9/29/2009) Next month, Santa Clara's Applied Materials Inc. is scheduled to open a giant solar energy R&D center. The company is investing up to $300 million in the facility. It will not be situated in California, nor in the United States, but in Xian, China. Because China's where the action is.

The New Sputnik (New York Times, 9/26/2009) Most people would assume that 20 years from now when historians look back at 2008-09, they will conclude that the most important thing to happen in this period was the Great Recession. I’d hold off on that. If we can continue stumbling out of this economic crisis, I believe future historians may well conclude that the most important thing to happen in the last 18 months was that Red China decided to become Green China.

PUBLIC SECTOR/NGOs
Giant fish on the verge of extinction (Inland News Today, 10/1/2009) One of the world's largest freshwater fish is on the verge of going extinct. A three-year quest to find the giant Chinese paddlefish in the Yangtze river failed to sight or catch a single individual. That means that the fish, which can grow up to 25 feet long, has not been seen alive for at least six years.

Ponca Nation gets $10.5 million settlement in environmental lawsuit (Indian Country Today, 10/1/2009) After nearly five years of litigation, the China Synthetic Rubber Corporation and its American subsidiary, the Houston, Texas-based Continental Carbon Company USA, has agreed to pay $10.5 million in a class action lawsuit with the Ponca Nation of Oklahoma and nearly 2,000 tribal home and landowners. Continental Carbon and its parent company are owned by the Koo family of Taiwan.

China’s first environmental civil case ends in mediation (Caijing, 9/30/2009) The All-China Environment Federation and Zhu Zhengmao, a resident of Jiangyin city, filed a court appeal on July 6 challenging a cargo logistics company's iron ore unloading operations without an environmental impact assessment and approval from authorities. The Intermediate People's Court of Wuxi City reviewed the case, marking the first civil environmental lawsuit with a civil society organization named as plaintiff accepted by a court in China.

Vast quantities of methane hydrate discovered in Northwestern China (Caijing, 9/30/2009) Deposits of flammable ice in China are estimated to be 35 billion tons in oil equivalent; extraction is expected to be possible in 10 to 15 years.

Getting plants to ride themselves of pesticide residues (Science Daily, 9/30/2009) Scientists in China have discovered that a natural plant hormone, applied to crops, can help plants eliminate residues of certain pesticides.

200 vultures sighted near Çhina’s border (The Times of India, 9/29/2009) At a time when the vulture population has all but disappeared 99% of India's four crore vultures have died in the last three decades, the sighting of around 200 bearded variety of the species in Lahaul-Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, comes as a ray of hope for wildlife enthusiasts.

China’s new Climate Center welcomes citizen scientists (Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, 9/28/2009) The China Regional Climate Center, the newest of five international sites where volunteers work with scientists to conduct the world's largest experiment on the effects of climate change on forests, opened Sept. 22 in Gutianshan National Nature Reserve in eastern China.

Scientists announce trove of fragile new species in Mekong (Time, 9/28/2009) Right now, bird-eating frogs with fangs wait for their prey in the streams of eastern Thailand. Technicolor geckos scurry up trees on the Thai-Malaysian border, and ruby-red fish — previously only found in the Ukrainian ornamental fish trade — are swimming in the rivers of Burma. These are three of the 163 species discovered by various researchers in the Greater Mekong region of Southeast Asia last year, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) announced on Sept. 25.

Study says China quake a once in 4,000 years event (AP, 9/27/2009) China's devastating earthquake last year that left some 90,000 people dead or missing was caused by a geological event that occurs about once every 4,000 years, a study led by Chinese researchers said Sunday.

Feathered dinosaur older than earliest bird (New Scientist, 9/25/2009) The record for the oldest feathered dinosaur, which has stood for almost 150 years since the discovery of Archaeopteryx, has finally fallen to an even older fossil unearthed in China, shedding new light on the origin of birds.

CORPORATIONS

West dedicates injection molding plant in China (Bioresearch Online, 10/1/2009) West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc., the global leader in innovative solutions for injectable drug administration, recently announced the formal opening of its injection molding factory in the Shanghai Qingpu Industrial Zone (SQIZ) in China.

CPI receives approval for Haiyang Nuclear Power Project Phase I (Datamonitor, 9/30/2009) The China Power Corporation has announced that the Haiyang Nuclear Power Project Phase I has received approval from the Chinese National Nuclear Safety Administration.

Suntech brings utility-scale solar to China (PR Newswire, 9/20/2009) Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (NYSE: STP), the world's leading manufacturer of crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) modules, today announced the completion and grid connection of the first 10MW utility-scale solar power project in China.

Chinese may by Nigeria’s oil blocks (Petroleum World, 9/30/2009) A leaked report states that Chinese energy major CNOOC is looking to acquire substantial in Nigeria's offshore oil blocks in a deal which could be worth around US$30 billion.

Sinopec, PetroChina shares fall on fuel price cut in China (The Wall Street Journal, 9/30/2009) At 0418 GMT, China Petroleum & Chemical, the country's largest refiner by output and known as Sinopec, fell 1.3% to HK$6.59, off an intraday low of HK$6.56. PetroChina, the country's largest oil and gas producer by output, was down 1.1% at HK$8.80.

China’s Sinochem bids $2.5 billion for Australia’s Nufarm (Reuters, 9/28/2009) Chinese state-owned Sinochem bid $2.5 billion for Australian farm chemicals group Nufarm Ltd (NUF.AX) on Monday, looking to gain a global footprint in a deal that could again test investment ties between China and Australia.

Drinking water purification system delivers safe portable water to villagers in China (Siemens, 9/27/2009) Certain areas of rural China lack access to potable water that meets national drinking water safety standards. Statistics show that over 200 million people in the Chinese countryside are drinking non-standard-conforming water, and in some villages the water is even endangering people’s lives. This was true in Shangba Village, Northern Guangdong, where a stable and efficient water treatment system was badly needed.

China’s 2009 auto sales forecast to hit 12.6 million (AP, 9/25/2009) China's auto sales should soar to 12.6 million units this year, up 35 percent from 2008, boosted by subsidies that the industry is lobbying Beijing to extend, a government researcher said Friday.

GOVERNMENT

“EARTH” t-shirt spells out China’s green drive at National Day parade (Xinhua, 10/1/2009) The word of "EARTH" printed on the T-shirts worn by the paraders of the environment formation were among a few English letters shown at New China's 60-year birthday pageant.

China orders crackdown on industrial overcapacity (AP, 10/1/2009) China announced sweeping curbs on surging investment in steelmaking, cement and other industries, warning that chaotic overexpansion was raising the danger of job losses and trouble for banks.

China’s Northeastern University collaborates with Shenyang and IBM on ‘Smart-City’ work (Campus Technology, 10/1/2009) China's Northeastern University, the City of Shenyang, and IBM are collaborating in a research institute aimed at turning Shenyang, an industrial hub in northeast China with a concentration of heavy industry manufacturing, into a "smart city." Shenyang aims to be the country's model city for environment protection and development. The university has about 31,000 students. Shenyang has a population of about 7.2 million people.

US official: China could lead in electric vehicles (AP, 9/30/2009) China's fast-growing electric car producers could take the lead in the global industry if the United States fails to invest heavily in the technology, a U.S. energy official said Wednesday.

China plans to encourage local use of solar cells (Reuters, 9/30/2009) China will consider measures to support domestic consumption of solar cells made from local polysilicon materials, while taking international demand into consideration, the government said on late Tuesday.

China ready to join international work in combating desertification (Xinhua, 9/29/2009) China is ready to work with the international community to contribute to the fight against global desertification, a Chinese forestry official said Monday.

China adds 16 national nature reserves (China CSR, 9/29/2009) It is learned from Gov.cn, the official web portal of the Central People's Government of China, that China has approved 16 new nature reserves.

China ‘expanding’ African oil reserves (Telegraph, 9/29/2009) The move by CNOOC, the Chinese state-controlled oil giant, to acquire concessions in 23 prime blocks could create conflict with western oil groups including Shell, Chevron, Total and ExxonMobil who already own stakes in the blocks.

China’s wind farms come with a catch: Coal plants (The Wall Street Journal, 9/28/2009) China's ambition to create "green cities" powered by huge wind farms comes with a dirty little secret: Dozens of new coal-fired power plants need to be installed as well.

Big plans for Fujian island revealed (China Daily, 9/28/2009) Pingtan Island is to be transformed into a special economic zone to allow further industrial cooperation with Taiwan, it was announced by the Fujian provincial authorities Sunday.

China completes world’s highest-resolution 3D map of the moon (Xinhua, 9/27/2009) Chinese experts Monday announced that the country's space scientists had completed the world's highest-resolution three-dimensional map of the moon.

Beijing vows to crack down as lead poisons 121 children (AFP, 9/27/2009) China vowed Sunday to crack down on heavy metal polluters after officials confirmed a new major lead poisoning outbreak had left 121 children with excessive levels of the metal in their blood.

China says cutting energy use, but behind target (AFP, 9/27/2009) China said Sunday it expects to cut energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product by five percent this year but meeting a pledge to cut consumption by 20 percent by 2010 would be difficult.

China sees unfulfilled potential in the wind (USA Today, 9/27/2009) Among the many people with concerns about the enormous wind turbines being built here, count Jing Xiuwan.

China official warns on “too fast” nuclear plans (Reuters, 9/27/2009) China may have to put the brakes on the construction of nuclear power plants to ensure the plants are safe, the country's top energy planning official told reporters on Sunday.

Animal killings arouse controversy (China Daily, 9/25/2009) The killing of all dogs and cats by township government officials in response to one probable rabies death in Sichuan Province has aroused controversy and public anger. More than 4,000 dogs and cats were slaughtered in the weeklong campaign that ended on Wednesday.

China to remain reliant on coal for the long term (AFP, 9/25/2009) China will continue to rely on coal for most of its energy needs for a long time, a senior official said Friday, just days after the nation's president pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

China starts building major oil reserve in Xinjiang (Global Times, 9/25/2009) China started building a 5.4-million-cubic-meter strategic oil reserve in the far western Xinjiang region Thursday in the latest effort to ensure its energy security.

China might boost US effort to capture carbon gases (McClatchy Newspapers, 9/25/2009) As the United States begins spending $3.4 billion in stimulus money to seek a commercially viable way to capture carbon dioxide from coal burning and bury it underground, some energy experts say that doing some of the work as a joint project in China would cut costs and time.
Shanxi abolishes small mines (Global Times, 9/25/2009) The authority of Shanxi Province, China's largest coal producer, has given all its private coal mines an ultimatum: agree to merge with large-scale companies, mostly State-owned, by Wednesday or face water and power shutdowns.

China to import 6 -7 million tons of crude oil from Kazakhstan in 2009 (Caijing, 9/25/2009) China, the world's second-largest energy consumer, will import 6-7 million tons of crude oil from Kazakhstan via pipeline this year, an industry official said on Sept. 23.