8/8/09

Issue 20, August 7th to August 13th, 2009

OPINION

While their glaciers melt and rivers dry, China and India only add to climate woes (McClatchy-Tribune News Service, 8/13/2009) Great rhetoric, but as usual Yu blamed everyone else, particularly the United States, for the world's climate-change problem - even as his own country emits more greenhouse gases than any other nation on earth and continues to build a coal-fired power plant almost every week. Already, China generates 80 percent of its electricity by burning coal, compared to 34 percent in the United States.

China’s great wall to foreign green tech (The Christian Science Monitor, 8/12/2009) Foreign makers of solar panels and wind turbines are now often excluded from contracts for government projects in renewable energies. A recent "buy Chinese" policy has pushed out many foreign makers of wind turbines, for instance, in favor of local manufacturers.

Solar futures at the foot of Everest (China Dialogue, 8/11/2009) Passive solar homes could help to improve people’s daily lives and protect the environment on the Tibetan plateau, finds Cai Rupeng.

Deconstructing China’s energy intensity – A Lesson in Fuzzy Math (The Green Leap Forward, 8/11/2009) Guest blogger John Romankiewicz a/k/a Sustainable John (pictured right), a carbon markets analyst at New Energy Finance and director of the China’s Green Beat video blog, questions the consistency of NRDC’s announced progress on energy intensity reductions with his own calculations using NBS data.

PUBLIC SECTOR/NGOs

New research peels prawns apart to make biodiesel (Reuters, 8/13/2009) Environmentally-friendly fuel does not immediately spring to mind when peeling prawns but Chinese scientists claim shrimp shells may have an important role to play in improving biodiesel production efficiency.

Dangerous crates in Yangtze River still missing (China Daily, 8/13/2009) Twelve shipping containers packed with dangerous chemicals were still missing yesterday after falling into the rapid current of the Yangtze River on Monday.

China’s cancer-causing factories (CBS, 8/12/2009) Deng Dingfu is living out his final days wracked with the pain of lung cancer - lung cancer blamed on toxic pollution, reports CBS News Correspondent Celia Hatton.

94 new species discovered in Nepal (Xinhua, 8/10/2009) After a decade of research in the Himalayan region from Nepal to the far north of Myanmar, as well as southern parts of China's Tibet Autonomous Region, scientists have documented an amazing treasure trove of 350 new species of plants and animals, 94 of which were found in Nepal alone.

Water prices rising across China (Caijing, 8/10/2009) Under growing pressure to conserve water and reform price controls, China's cities are introducing dramatic price hikes for water supplies and water treatment services.

A ‘no coal’ campaign in China (China Daily, 8/10/2009) On a hot, humid day in Beijing, the environmental group Greenpeace released a report challenging China's largest power-generation plants.

Algal bloom in C China reservoir affects drinking water of 15,000 (Xinhua, 8/8/2009) Algal bloom in a reservoir in central China's Hubei Province has affected the drinking water of 15,000 people, local authorities said Saturday.

Interest in organic food on the rise in China (Los Angeles Times, 8/8/2009) Unlike most farms in China, no heaps of blackened sewage sludge are piled on the fields at the Green Cow farm. No workers spray pesticides from pumps strapped to their backs. No animals are in quarantine.

100 crewmen missing in waters off south China: report (AFP, 8/8/2009) Up to 100 crew members on more than a dozen boats from China, Vietnam and Cambodia were missing off the south of China Saturday in rough seas caused by tropical storm Goni, state press said.

CORPORATIONS

China natural gas announces Q2 results, Affirms FY guidance (Seeking Alpha, 8/13/2009) On August 11, 2009, China Natural Gas (CHNG) announced Q2 results.

Citic resources may double oil production with field (Bloomberg, 8/13/2009) Citic Resources Holdings Ltd., the Chinese metals producer turned oil supplier, started drilling an offshore oilfield in northeastern China that could potentially double its petroleum output by 2014, boosting sales.

ICBC supports innovation on Environment and Energy conservation (ChinaCSR, 8/13/2009) The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China has been enhancing its support for environmental protection and innovations on energy saving and emission reduction technology and by the end of June 2009 it had granted up to CNY400 billion in loans for green programs.

Cameco says utilities in China stockpiling uranium (Bloomberg, 8/12/2009) Cameco Corp., the world’s second- largest uranium producer, said power utilities in China are continuing to stockpile uranium, making them the market’s single-largest group of buyers.

Huaneng Power International Inc. Announces 2009 Interim Results (PRNewswire Asia, 8/11/2009) Huaneng Power International, Inc. (the "Company") (NYSE: HNP; HKEx: 902; SSE: 600011) today announced the unaudited operating results for the six months ended 30 June 2009.

China Solar & Clean Energy Solutions, Inc. reports 2nd quarter 2009 financial results (PRNewswire Asia, 8/11/2009) China Solar & Clean Energy Solutions, Inc. (Formerly known as "Deli Solar (USA), Inc.") (OTC Bulletin Board: CSOL) ("China Solar"), a premier manufacturer and distributor of solar water heaters, space heating devices and provider of renewable energy solutions in the People's Republic of China ("PRC"), today reported its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30th, 2009.

Sinopec, KPC to build refinery in Zhanjiang (Alibaba, 8/11/2009) Sinopec Group, the parent of Sinopec, on Aug. 10 announced that one of its crude oil refining projects, to be jointly developed with Kuwait Petroleum Corp, will be located in Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, sources reported.

Duke Energy Inks clean-tech deal with China’s largest utility (New York Times, 8/10/2009) Two of China and the United States' largest electric utilities signed a memorandum of understanding in Beijing today to share information and explore potential initiatives to produce cleaner power from coal and renewable resources such as wind.

TSI: solution to the age-old dilemma of power vs. mileage (China Daily, 8/10/2009) It seems a contradiction - delivering both full power and minimal fuel consumption - but the Volkswagen TSI engine offers an answer to the age-old automotive riddle.

More than 300 Chinese children poisoned by lead (Telegraph, 8/10/2009) Public health officials are now testing more than 850 children from a village in Shaanxi Province, central China, after parents complained their children were becoming slothful and absent-minded.

Research report on China’s environmental protection industry (Bharatbook.com, 8/8/2009) This report presents a full view of China’s environmental protection industry, provides analysis and forecast on market shares, competition, key players, import & export, upstream & downstream industries, barriers, industrial environment and policy trends, investment, R&D; introduces Chinese inspection & standards system; provides full forecast to 2010 with key statistical data. This report covers all the key subdivision markets in China, includes Dedusting, Thermal Power Desulphurization, Waste Gas Purification, Solid Waste Treatment, Sewage Treatment, Noise Treatment, Environment Monitoring and Environmental Service.

GOVERNMENT

How does China deal with climate change and environmental problems? (People’s Daily, 8/13/2009) China has taken global financial crisis as an opportunity to consolidate its measures in reducing green house gas emission, readjusting industrial mix and changing the mode of growth as well as promoting China's environmental protection cause, said Dr. Zhou Guomei from China Environmental Protection Research Institute at a forum in Stockholm when China's Trade Promotion Delegation visited Sweden recently.

Beijing takes dry start to year in stride (China Daily, 8/13/2009) Despite seeing only three-quarters of its usual rainfall so far this year, Beijing has enough water to ensure things will flow smoothly, officials are saying.

China’s mills should refrain from expansion for three years (Bloomberg, 8/13/2009) Steelmakers in China, the world’s largest producer, should refrain from expansion for the next three years to curb overcapacity, the industry minister said.

Clean energy with a murky past (China Daily, 8/13/2009) With an abundance of major waterways, hydropower is seen by many experts as the perfect way to improve the energy mix of a country in which 64 percent of its primary power comes from coal.

China probes hospitals over illegal transplants: report (AFP, 8/13/2009) China is investigating its organ transplant hospitals following reports that some are carrying out illegal operations for foreigners willing to pay much higher prices, state press said Thursday.

China signals long-term plans to curb greenhouse gases (Reuters, 8/13/2009) China will make "controlling greenhouse gas emissions" an important part of its development plans, the government said, as pressure on the world's top emitter grows ahead of global talks on tackling climate change.

China passes draft regulation to enforce environmental evaluation on projects (Xinhua, 8/12/2009) China's State Council Wednesday passed a draft regulation on environmental evaluation over new projects to prevent pollution or ecological destruction from the beginning.

China hunger for Australia’s minerals undeterred by Hu dispute (Bloomberg, 8/12/2009) China’s hunger for Australian mineral resources has been undeterred by a dispute between the two nations over the detention of Australian citizen and Rio Tinto Group executive Stern Hu for allegedly spying.

India to rope in China for climate change initiative (Business Standard, 8/12/2009) While it fights the pressure of the Western countries over the issue of climate change, India now wants to rope in China in its efforts. Minister of State (independent charge) for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh today said the two countries would set up a joint mechanism to study the Himalayan glaciers.

Coal mines to merge in new restructuring plan (China Daily, 8/12/2009) A large-scale restructuring of the coal industry in China's major coal-producing province of Shanxi, starting at the end of this month, will reduce accidents and improve efficiency by shutting down small coal mines, officials said.

Police: Hard to know Taiwan village mudslide toll (AP, 8/12/2009) Police said Wednesday that there is no way to know for sure how many people remain buried in the catastrophic mudslide that struck a remote mountain village in Taiwan over the weekend when a typhoon lashed the region.

Kuwait bans milk from China (Arab Times Online, 8/12/2009) Kuwait has prohibited imports of milk from China and has lifted importation of beef from Ethiopia. Mohammad Al-Otaibi, the head of the food safety committee of Kuwait Municipality, said in a statement on Wednesday that the commission issued several recommendations, including the enforcement of a ban on imports and trade in Chinese milk and dairy.

Guangzhou Environment Department exposes high pollution buses (ChinaCSR, 8/11/2009) Guangzhou Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau has listed 895 diesel-powered buses for emission of black smoke among the city's bus routes.

Shenhua to set up coal reserves (China Daily, 8/11/2009) The National Development and Reform Commission, China's top planner, recently commissioned China Shenhua Energy Co, the nation's largest coal producer, to build 10 storage facilities for coal across the country, a senior company executive said.

Heavy metal warfare (Caijing, 8/11/2009) Can a vague system, limited budget and immature technology salvage Hunan from extreme heavy metal pollution?

China takes lead in green race (The National, 8/11/2009) China’s image may be that of a major polluter and its heavy reliance on coal-fired power means it is up there with the US as the world’s top producers of carbon dioxide.
But the country is also at the forefront of introducing renewable energy products and has bold ambitions to improve its environmental record.


China’s trash incinerators loom as global pollution hazard (New York Times, 8/11/2009) In this sprawling metropolis in southeastern China stand two hulking brown buildings erected by a private company, the Longgang trash incinerators. They can be smelled a mile away and pour out so much dark smoke and hazardous chemicals that hundreds of local residents recently staged an all-day sit-in, demanding that the incinerators be cleaner and that a planned third incinerator not be built nearby.

China wind farms sprout amid ‘green’ energy push (AFP, 8/11/2009) With close to 80 percent of China's energy supplied by cheap but heavily polluting coal, the government has laid ambitious plans to raise the use of renewable energy, such as the winds that rake northern and western China.

Guandong aims to boost its new energy industry (China Knowledge, 8/10/2009) South China's Guangdong Province, which is an export-oriented city, hopes to boost the value of its new energy industry's output to RMB 400 billion by 2020, said Li Miaojuan, director of the provincial development and reform commission.

China, US must “seize the day” in climate change battle (Xinhua, 8/10/2009) China and the United States must now cooperate like never before to slow the pace of climate change, experts say.

Trash Planet: China (Earth911, 8/10/2009) In 2004, the urban areas of China generated approximately 209 million tons of municipal solid waste, catapulting the nation past the U.S. as the largest generator of waste in the world.

China’s green leap forward (The Christian Science Monitor, 8/10/2009) Behind the notorious clouds of filth and greenhouse gases that China’s industrial behemoth spews into the atmosphere every day, a little-noticed revolution is under way. China is going green. And as the authorities here spur manufacturers of all kinds of alternative energy equipment to make more for less, “China price” and “China speed” are poised to snatch the lion’s share of the next multitrillion-dollar global industry – energy technology.

How Baoding, China, becomes the world’s first ‘carbon positive’ city (The Christian Science Monitor, 8/10/2009) Yu Qun’s journey into a low-carbon future began with a bad case of smelly fish. Scarcely had Mr. Yu been named mayor of this city 100 miles southwest of Beijing when fish in his region’s largest lake began dying by the thousands. He had only one option, he felt: to close several hundred factories whose pollution was to blame.

China starts building first 10-GW mega wind farm (Reuters, 8/8/2009) China started construction of the country's first 10-gigawa wind power base in Jiuquan of northwest Gansu province on Saturday as Beijing seeks more clean power to fuel its fast economic growth.

Games lights path for Shanghai “green” expo (Xinhua, 8/7/2009) After its success co-hosting the "Green Olympics" last year with Beijing, China's eastern metropolis Shanghai is taking on another amazing eco-friendly drive.

8/3/09

Issue 19, July 31st – August 6th, 2009

OPINION

A deadly silence hangs over China’s wetlands (Shanghai Daily, 8/6/2009) In "Silent Spring," the book that helped launch the environmental movement in the United States four decades ago, author Rachel Carson evokes a spring season in which birds had been killed by pesticide abuse and their songs could no longer be heard. Now, the silent spring is not far away in many places in China, and birds are vanishing, not because of pesticides, but because their habitats are shrinking.

The Western consumption problem: We can’t just blame China (Solve Climate, 8/4/2009) There are lots of ways to reduce carbon emissions. Invest in renewable energy sources. Transition to sustainable agro-ecology. Rework visions of regional planning. Surround cities with greenbelts. Launch an Apollo Project for national mass-transport infrastructure. Or just claim they’re China’s fault.

Who’s on First? (China Environmental Law Blog, 8/4/2009) There have been two “firsts” recently reported in the China environmental litigation arena. It is easy to get the two cases confused because the plaintiff in both is the All-China Environmental Federation (ACEF).

Decline in energy intensity won’t extend (Caijing, 8/4/2009) The 3.35 percent year-on-year drop in first-half energy intensity, the biggest decline since 2006, is unlikely to continue in the second half as heavy industry rebounds, a senior researcher said.

Polluting power: China’s top 10 power companies (China Environmental Law Blog, 8/3/2009) I have not been slow to criticize Greenpeace when I believe it has pursued soft targets or otherwise pulled its punches in China, so when it tackles an important and sensitive domestic issue and delivers a clear and needed message to the Chinese government, I am happy to offer it praise.

Activists cheer China’s plan to move refinery (Reuters, 7/31/2009) China's decision to shift the location of a planned $5 billion oil refinery and petrochemical plant in the south after years of public outcry is a sign that environmental concerns can shape policy.

PUBLIC SECTOR/NGOs

Activists cheer China’s plan to move refinery (Reuters, 7/31/2009) China's decision to shift the location of a planned $5 billion oil refinery and petrochemical plant in the south after years of public outcry is a sign that environmental concerns can shape policy.

Placenta trade thrives (The Straits Times, 8/5/2009) Hospitals in China are engaging in a thriving trade in fresh human placentas, seen as a source of nutrition, despite a government ban, state media reported on Wednesday.

Blast from the past: Plague strikes China (ABC News, 8/5/2009) Over the weekend, news emerged that a variant of the same bacteria that caused the infamous" Black Death" or bubonic plague, in medieval Europe had claimed three lives in the Chinese province of Qinghai, prompting the government to quarantine the town of Ziketan, home to 10,000 people.

Green housing to improve energy efficiency on Mount Qomolangma (Xinhua, 8/5/2009) Cattle dung has traditionally been a major source of household energy for 55-year-old Yuzhen and her neighbors in the Ralong village, Dingri County, at the foot of Mount Qomolangma.

Seventeen die in China building collapse (The Age, 8/4/2009) At least 17 people were killed when a building collapsed amid torrential rain in north China's Shijiazhuang city, state media reports.

Protests help clear the air (China Daily, 8/4/2009) For more than two decades, Guo, 74, and his neighbors have fought to rid their once beautiful Xixin village of the pollution caused by the belching chemical plants nearby.

3 dead, 3 missing in central, SW China floods (Xinhua, 8/4/2009) Three people were killed and three others went missing as torrential rains hit central and southwest China, local government officials said Tuesday.

CORPORATIONS

21 still in hospital after ammonia leak makes 246 ill in north China (Xinhua, 8/6/2009) Twenty-one of the 246 people who fell ill after an ammonia gas leak Wednesday in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region remained in hospital Thursday, a local work safety official said.

The future of crop protection in China (Bharatbook.com, 8/6/2009) Bharatbook.com Pleased to announce a new report on "The Future of Crop Protection in China" gives current situation of crop protection technologies in China.

Shanghai lands world’s largest carbon capture project (ChinaCSR, 8/6/2009) Huaneng Shidongkou No. 2 Power Plant Carbon Capture project, which is reported by Chinese media to be the largest of its kind in the world, will come to Shanghai.

City of Foshan, China selects ESRI’s GIS solution to improve urban planning (Directions Magazine, 8/6/2009) ESRI Canada, in conjunction with ESRI China (Beijing) and Guangzhou Digital Cities Institute (DCI), today announced that the City of Foshan will implement ESRI’s geographic information system (GIS) solution to establish a standard GIS platform across the city and improve urban planning. ESRI Canada will provide consulting services for the project, with DCI and ESRI China providing software sales and service support.
New report just published: The Environmental Market in China (ReportLinker PRWire, 8/5/2009) Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report related to the Environmental services industry is available in its catalogue.

Waste Management and Shanghai Chengtou holding partner in China’s fast growing waste-to-energy market (PRNewsire, 8/5/2009) Waste Management (NYSE: WM) and Shanghai Chengtou Holding (SC Holding; Shanghai Stock Exchange, stock code: 600649) today announced the signing of an agreement for WM to purchase 40 percent of Shanghai Environment Group (SEG), a leading provider of environmental services in China, from SC Holding.

Hundreds sickened by China chemical plant: state media (AFP, 8/4/2009) More than 500 people have been sickened by pollution from a chemical plant in central China that has also been blamed for two deaths, state media reported Monday.

China refiners boost diesel output on fishing season (Bloomberg, 8/4/2009) China Petrochemical Corp. and China National Petroleum Corp., the nation’s biggest refiners, will increase oil processing volumes at their plants this month from July levels to meet seasonal diesel demand from fishermen.

New report just published China Environment Statistical Yearbook, 2007 (Reportlinker PRWire, 8/2/2009) Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report related to the Environmental services industry is available in its catalogue.

GOVERNMENT

Beijing to capture subway wind to generate electricity (CCTV.com, 8/7/2009) If you have traveled by the subway, you'll already know about the wind whistling past when trains pull into stations. Now, there is a group of people in Beijing who are testing to see if they can capture this wind to generate electricity. Wind that is normally ignored may be transformed into electric power to meet subway stations’ demand for electricity. Though the idea seems far-fetched, it shows that there is much energy that has not been harnessed.

News analysis: US, China cooperation crucial to slowing climate change (Xinhua, 8/6/2009) China and the United States must now cooperate like never before to slow the pace of climate change, experts say.

China leads global green jobs race (Reuters India, 8/6/2009) China is winning a global race to create "green collar" jobs, six months after countries worldwide launched $500 billion spending plans to drive a low-carbon economy

China-made probe to explore Mars (Shanghai Daily, 8/6/2009) The China-made "YH-1" Mars rover will be launched in October - the country's first attempt to explore the red planet - as part of a joint mission with Russia.

Warning of worst Yangtze River flooding in years (Xinhua, 8/5/2009) The Chinese government on Wednesday issued an alert and urged stepped-up effort to fight against the expected worst flooding in the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River since August 2004.

Tower removed to eliminate radiation (China Daily, 8/5/2009) A signal tower emitting radiation next to a kindergarten has been dismantled after complaints from local residents in Shenyang, capital of Liaoning province, sources from the kindergarten said yesterday.

Best custodian of environment is people themselves (China Daily, 8/5/2009) China's mammoth population is both the country biggest environment challenge and its strength, since people themselves are the best custodian of environments, a senior UN official said Thursday.

China says its efforts to cut greenhouse emissions effective (Xinhua, 8/5/2009) China on Wednesday said its efforts to cut greenhouse emission were the best in the world, vowing continued work.

China, US offer no quick boost to solar slump (Reuters, 8/4/2009) Investors are banking on fresh government incentives in the United States and China to help pull the solar sector out of its slump, but it will be next year before demand from those markets even begins to make a dent in the global glut of solar panels.

China struggles to satisfy thirst for water (Jane’s Security News, 8/3/2009) China is facing increasing shortfalls in the water resources it needs to sustain economic growth. Despite infrastructure projects to address the problem, the consequences of the shortages are already being felt internationally.

China builds wind energy observation network (Xinhua, 8/3/2009) China has established a national network to observe wind power, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) said Monday.

MEP tightens up on environmental labels for vehicles (ChinaCSR, 8/3/2009) China's Ministry of Environmental Protection has issued two circulars which require environmental labels be adopted for all vehicles.

India, China to cooperate over Himalayan glaciers: Jairam (Press Trust of India, 8/3/2009) India and China are in talks to monitor the melting of glaciers in the Himalayas, a border region crucial to both countries' water supplies, India Minister for Environment Jairam Ramesh has said.

China energy efficiency ‘improves in first half’ (AFP, 8/2/2009) China cut its average energy consumption by 3.53 percent in the first half of 2009 from a year ago, helped by massive stimulus spending on green projects, the government said Sunday.

Energy saving starts with a light bulb (Xinhua, 8/1/2009) Five 1-yuan (0.14 U.S. dollars) light bulbs for everyone....On Saturday morning, Beijing residents in many communities queued up to buy the energy-efficient bulbs, which have a normal retail price of 10 yuan.

Oil plant relocation decision halted (Shanghai Daily, 8/1/2009) China’s decision to shift the location of a planned US$5 billion oil refinery and petrochemical plant in the south after years of public outcry is a sign that environmental concerns can shape policy.

PNNL proposed for U.S.-China energy research center (Tri-city Herald, 7/31/2009) The Washington congressional delegation is urging Energy Secretary Steven Chu to consider Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland for a new U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Center.

7/26/09

Issue 18, July 24th to July 31st, 2009

OPINION

Nonsense to gear water price to international standards (Eastday, 7/30/2009) In the first half of this year, the price of water for living in big and medium-sized cities in China has been generally raised, which led to people’s sensitive feeling of price fluctuation. Why these cities raise the price together at the same time? How to balance the rise of water charge and people’s affordability? Can the “water supply cost” be open and transparent? How to adjust the price more reasonably?

Facing Asia’s water woes (China Dialogue, 7/30/2009) Concerns over water scarcity are particularly acute in Asia, writes Saleem H Ali. But despite the potential for conflict, there are also prospects for ecological cooperation.

What can China do about climate change? (Telegraph, 7/30/2009) A Greenpeace report has now revealed, to the surprise of no one, that the awakened industrial giant of China is a colossal creator of carbon emissions. China’s three biggest power firms (Huaneng, Datang and Guodian) allegedly produced more greenhouse gas emissions last year than the whole of Britain.

We can’t pin our ozone problems on China (Examiner.com, 7/29/2009) So can we blame China for our smoggy air as well? Nope, a new study published this month in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. The study, which was lead by University of Washington researchers and has a total of twenty co-authors, used data from a network of ground-based ozone instruments and the field's best climate models to determine how much foreign emissions affect ozone levels in the United States.

Designing a greener China (China Dialogue, 7/27/2009) Hu Jie is the landscape architect of the 680-hectare Olympic Forest Park in Beijing. In an interview with Jared Green, Hu explains the philosophy behind its design and discusses the importance of ecological ideas and Chinese tradition.

PUBLIC SECTOR/NGOs

Protest over chemical plant production escalates in central China (Xinhua, 7/30/2009) Villagers took to the streets in Zhentou Township, central China's Hunan Province, again on Thursday, protesting detentions the previous day during demonstrations against pollution problems caused by a chemical plant.

Torrential rain in China kills 66 since June (AFP, 7/30/2009) Torrential rain and landslides have killed at least 66 people and left another 66 missing in south and central China since the beginning of June, state media reported Thursday.

Noise map helps locate a land of peace (China Daily, 7/30/2009) After taking a look at the "noise map" of Shenzhen, most residents would love to live in a purple haze.

Landmark environmental lawsuit against local government (The China Perspective, 7/30/2009) A court of Qingzhen, Guizhou province in China's southwest, accepted the country's first lawsuit against a government agency over environmental issues brought by a charitable organization on July 28. The All-China Environment Federation sued Qingzhen's land and resources authority for granting a permit to Li Wanxian, the legal person for the construction of an ice cream workshop in the natural scenic spot of Baihua Lake.

Chinese workers say illness is real, not hysteria (New York Times, 7/29/2009) Tian Lihua was just beginning her morning shift when she felt a wave of nausea, then numbness in her limbs and finally dizziness that gave way to unconsciousness. In the days that followed, more than 1,200 fellow employees at the textile mill where Ms. Tian works would be felled by these and other symptoms, including convulsions, breathing difficulties, vomiting and temporary paralysis.

Water pollution sickens thousands in north China (AP, 7/29/2009) Contaminated drinking water has sickened more than 2,600 people in northern China, including 59 who were hospitalized with fevers, diarrhea, stomach aches and vomiting, state media reported Wednesday.

Think fin, save sharks (Shanghai Daily, 7/28/2009) Asia is the world's biggest market for shark's fin - a costly delicacy and status symbol - and its appetite is growing. But sharks are being slaughtered. Zhang Qian reports.

Earliest animals lived in a lake environment, Research shows (ScienceDaily, 7/28/2009) A UC Riverside-led team of researchers studying ancient rock samples in South China has found that the first animal fossils in the paleontological record are preserved in ancient lake deposits, not marine sediments as commonly assumed.

NGO questions dam project suspensions (China Daily, 7/27/2009) A domestic environmental protection organization questioned the recent punishment issued by the Ministry of Environmental Protection on the construction of two environmentally-unfriendly hydroelectric plants, pointing out flaws in the decision, the First Financial Daily reported Monday.

Pandas face uncertain future after China quake (AP, 7/27/2009) About 35 pandas at a reserve in southwestern China face an uncertain future after nearly a quarter of their habitat was destroyed by last year's powerful earthquake that killed nearly 70,000 people, according to a study published Monday.

China’s largest desert lake may vanish in decades, experts warn (Xinhua, 7/27/2009) China's largest desert lake - Hongjiannao - is still shrinking as a result of climate change and human activities, and may vanish in a few decades, experts have warned.

Wedding ceremony on cycle to improve environmental protection (China Daily, 7/26/2009) The bride Shi Xiulan and groom Xin Jia ride a modified bicycle during their wedding ceremony in Guiyang, in southwest China’s Guizhou Province, July 26, 2009. The copule, both members of a cycling club in Guiyang, and about 100 cycling fans rode on the street to celebrate the wedding ceremony and also improve the public awareness of environmental protection.

CORPORATIONS

Report: China stops mining project with North Korea (AP, 7/30/2009) A Chinese investment company has abruptly suspended a joint project with a North Korean firm that has been targeted under U.N. sanctions, a news report said Thursday.

China Natural Gas, CNPC join hands for CNG push in China (Platts.com, 7/30/2009) China Natural Gas, a prominent supplier of compressed natural gas and pipeline gas in Xian, the capital of Shaanxi province, late Wednesday said it has signed a joint venture agreement with a subsidiary of state oil giant China National Petroleum Corp. to cooperate in the CNG business.

China Industrial Waste Management, Inc. receives National Subsidy of RMB 10 Million for capacity expansion (PRNewswire, 7/30/2009) China Industrial Waste Management, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: CIWT) ("China Industrial Waste Management" or the "Company"), a PRC-based industrial waste processor and provider of environmental protection, pollution treatment and waste management design services, announced today that its 90% owned subsidiary, Dalian Dongtai Industrial Waste Treatment, Co., Ltd. has received a national subsidy of RMB 10 million (approximately $1,464,129) for capacity expansion to complete a "Centralized Hazardous Waste Treatment Facility" (the "Expansion Project") in Dalian, Liaoning Province, China.

New report just published installed capacity of nuclear power in China, 2003-2010 (Reportlinker PRWire, 7/30/2009) Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report related to the Nuclear energy industry is available in its catalogue.

China’s car rental industry on the rise (Travel News, 7/30/2009) Rental car agencies are facing a very difficult period in Europe and the United States. However, in China a new company is investing heavily in the idea that China can buck the trend. China’s eHi Car Rental co. offers a new concept for rent a car that could do very well in china. The company recently raised 20 million dollars from investors and they are planning a public offering in 2011.

Skyworth says all its TVs will be energy saving in three years (ChinaCSR, 7/30/2009) Liu Tangzhi, the general manager of Skyworth Group's China Marketing Department, disclosed at a recent conference that Skyworth will make technical breakthroughs to update all its television products to be energy-saving and environmentally-friendly within three years.

New report just published research report on Chinese insecticide market 2009-2011 (Reportlinker PRWire, 7/29/2009) Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report related to the Pesticide industry is available in its catalogue.

Severn Trent: “Tretra Denite” system for WWTP in China (Water and Wastewater, 7/29/2009) Beijing BCEG Golden State Sources Environment Protection Development Co., Ltd., a provider of specialized services to customers in China’s solid waste, water and wastewater treatment industries, has selected the Tetra® Denite® System from Severn Trent Services for use at Phase III of the Huishan Wastewater Treatment Co., Ltd. project in the Huishan district of Wuxi City, China.

China’s three biggest power firms emit more carbon than Britain (Guardian, 7/28/2009) China's three biggest power firms produced more greenhouse gas emissions last year than the whole of Britain, according to a Greenpeace report published today/yesterday.

China’s first national-class Nuclear R&D base to break earth (Trading Markets, 7/28/2009) China will start building its first national-class large comprehensive nuclear R&D base in Shuangliu County, Sichuan Province, west China, in September 2009, according to the Shuangliu County Committee Propaganda Department.

BIOREM awarded three projects in China (PRNewsire, 7/28/2009) BIOREM Inc. (TSXV:BRM) announced today the receipt of three new municipal orders from our China office. The three orders totaling CAD $450,000 were all for wastewater odor control systems located in different cities.

China ACM adds 5 new portable plants (PRNewssire, 7/28/2009) China Advanced Construction Materials Group, Inc. ("China ACM") (OTC Bulletin Board: CADC), a leading provider of ready-mix concrete and related services in China, today announced that it has added five new portable, ready-mix concrete plants. As a result, the company now has 9 portable plants supporting the build-out of China's national railway network. The new plants are located between railway stations near Qinhuangdao, Yongfu, Hangzhou, Liuzhou and Guilin.

Infrastructure woes hamper China wind farm’s push for profitability (Guardian, 7/27/2009) Chinese wind farm operators are struggling to earn a profit as a lack of wind resources and an insufficient power infrastructure has hampered efforts to provide clean energy to the grid.

GOVERNMENT

Beijing closing coal plants in environmental move (AP, 7/30/2009) China has taken advantage of a drop in electricity demand due to the global financial crisis to speed up a campaign to close small coal-fired power plants and improve its battered environment, an official said Thursday.

China’s capital tightens vehicle exhaust controls (Xinhua, 7/30/2009) China's environment authorities are to ban motor vehicles registered outside Beijing from entering the capital city if they fail to meet exhaust emissions standards.

China seeks clean energy balance (Wall Street Journal, 7/30/2009) China's government said it shut down many of its smaller and dirtier power plants nearly two years ahead of schedule, as the world's biggest consumer of coal took advantage of the weak global economy to boost efficiency and cut pollution in its vast network of generators.

China reports slight improvement of water quality nationwide (Xinhua, 7/30/2009) China's water quality nationwide improved slightly in 2008 though the situation was still grave, said a statement released by the Ministry of Environmental Protection on Thursday.

World Bank arm sees China as Africa energy partner (Reuters, 7/29/2009) The International Finance Corporation expects closer future cooperation with China to provide funding in Africa's growing oil and gas sector, a senior investment official said on Wednesday.

China’s Great Green Wall proves hollow (The Epoch Times, 7/29/2009) The Great Green Wall, also known as the Three-North Shelterbelt program, started in 1978 with the goal of establishing 35.6 million hectares of protective forests over a swath of 2,783 miles in Northeast, North, and Northwest China. The program was to take 73 years and raise forest cover in northern China from 5 to 15 percent.

90-octane gas faces limited future (Eastday, 7/29/2009) Shanghai has started to gradually phase out 90-octane gasoline, which causes more pollution due to a higher sulfur content.

China wants climate deal this year: U.N.’s Ban (Reuters, 7/29/2009) China's leaders told U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that Beijing wants to reach a new agreement on combating climate change in Copenhagen in December, Ban said on Wednesday.

US-China talks expected to include collaboration on fighting infectious disease (Xinhua, 7/29/2009) China's Deputy Health Minister Yin Li on Tuesday said that public health cooperation between China and the U.S. can improve the health of both countries and be strategically significant to world peace and development, Xinhua/China View reports (7/29).

China to set price for wind power (Sustainable Business, 7/29/2009) China plans to set a price for energy produced from wind power projects, according to an announcement made by the government's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

Direct power supply trial gets cold shoulder (Caijing, 7/29/2009) Electricity users and power generators have given a cold shoulder to China's direct power supply pilot scheme, which was intended to introduce price competition into the market, since they are concerned about high transmission fees and unreliable access, government and industry sources told Caijing.

China channels 1 billion yuan green fund to rural areas (Xinhua, 7/29/2009) Money from a 1 billion yuan (146 million U.S. dollars) fund is being distributed to 1,370 villages in China to remedy environmental problems and reward good practices, said the Ministry of Environment Protection Wednesday.

New tree adoption rules (Shanghai Daily, 7/28/2009) Spend 30 yuan (US$4.4) to adopt a tree and you can have your name on it for a month. Companies can have the same treat by spending a minimum of 300 yuan.

China: Cities and power plants blacklisted (ChinaCSR, 7/28/2009) Eight Chinese cities and five power plants have been included on the blacklist of China's Ministry of Environmental Protection for their illegal behavior and have been asked to rectify their faults within a given period.

Russia complains about Chinese border river project (Reuters, 7/27/2009) Russia complained about a major Chinese river project on Monday which it says will harm the Russian environment, the latest sign of strained relations between the two countries.

Obama: US, China to work on halting nuclear spread (AP, 7/27/2009) President Barack Obama says the U.S. and China have a shared interest in halting the spread of nuclear weapons.