Issue 15, June 26th to July 2nd, 2009

OPINION

The good, the bad, the bizarre (China Environmental Law Blog, 7/1/2009) During the first six months of 2009, Beijing experienced its best air in a decade. Although just how good Beijing’s air is in an absolute sense remains in dispute (for all things Beijing Air, your indispensable source is livefrombeijing), there seems little reason to doubt that air quality has improved on a relative basis lately. How did that happen you ask?

The Energy and Climate Registry: A new initiative toward carbon disclosure in Southern China (The Green Leap Forward, 6/28/2009) A guest post by Lucia Green-Weiskel (pictured right) who describes a groundbreaking initiative in Guangdong to set up a greenhouse gas registry.

“Still waters run deep” (China Dialogue, 6/29/2009) Li Xiaolin, CEO of China Power, tells Isabel Hilton why she attended the World Business Summit on Climate Change, and why she wants to encourage a new generation of businesspeople.

India and China making same mistakes that U.S. did (Examiner, 6/29/2009) China demands that an international treaty on global warming exempt India and China, now creating the most greenhouse gases. China argues that since the U.S. developed by burning fuel, China and India should have that privilege.

How Confucianism could curb global warming (The Christian Science Monitor, 6/26/2009) Now here's a curveball to secular Western policy experts: China's intellectuals are openly debating the role of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism in promoting the Communist Party's vision of a harmonious society and ecologically sustainable economic development.

PUBLIC SECTOR/NGOs

The “Green” Charm of Red Jinggang Mountain (CRIENGLISH.com, 7/2/2009) To most foreigners interested in Chinese history, Jinggang Mountain is the mysterious "holy" land of China's revolution. It was on this mountain that Mao Zedong established China's first countryside revolutionary base and spread the seeds of success of the revolution to the whole nation. While today's Jinggang Mountain is not just "holy" but also "green", it is not only the cradle of Chinese revolution, but also a vast national forest park. Our reporter Yang Yang has more.

Villager’s water undermined (China Daily, 7/2/2009) More than 3,000 villagers in Guangdong province must travel 3 km to take a sip of potable water after the local drinking supply was found to be contaminated.

A Savvy Litigator Takes on China’s Polluters (Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, July-August 2009) For decades, China’s government has pushed for economic growth, but Chinese citizens have paid a high price for that rapid development in the form of severe pollution from various industries.

Microbes found that eat hydrocarbons, and leave behind non-toxic residue (Pollution Online, 6/30/2009) Bioremediation of industrial sites and petrochemical spillages often involves finding microbes that can gorge themselves on the toxic chemicals. This leaves behind a non-toxic residue or mineralized material. Writing in the International Journal of Environment and Pollution, researchers in China describe studies of a new microbe that can digest hydrocarbons.

Peer pressure plays major role in environmental behavior (ScienceDaily, 6/30/2009) People are more likely to enroll in conservation programs if their neighbors do--a tendency that should be exploited when it comes to protecting the environment, according to results of a new study.

China’s creeping sands (China Dialogue, 6/24/2009) Growing sands are transforming China’s arable land, with nearly 20% of the country’s land area classified as desert. A slideshow by photographer Sean Gallagher documents the issue, which affects the lives of an estimated 400 million people.

CORPORATIONS

Birth defects in China’s Shanxi show human price of coal mining (Reuters, 7/2/2009) Ten-year-old Yilong is already a statistic. Born at the centre of China’s coal industry, the boy is mentally handicapped and is unable to speak. He is one of many such children in Shanxi province, where coal has brought riches to a few, jobs for many, and environmental pollution that experts say has led to a high number of babies born with birth defects.

Chinese steelmakers fail to reach deal on one price (Wall Street Journal, 7/1/2009) China's steel industry failed to reach a supply deal with the world's major iron-ore producers by Tuesday's informal deadline, highlighting the challenges the resource-hungry nation faces in trying to shift the balance of power in global commodities markets.

Sojitz plans sewage treatment operations in China (Bloomberg, 7/1/2009) Sojitz Corp., a Japanese trading company, plans to start sewage treatment operations in China as demand for recycled water increases in the world’s fastest- growing major economy.

Detroit Electric discusses Asian ambitions (New York Times, 7/1/2009) Last week, the Chinese automaker Dongfeng Motor Corporation and Detroit Electric Holdings — keeper of the Detroit Electric brand, a decades-old, long-defunct electric vehicle label that was recently ressurected as a Netherlands-based, largely Asian-financed maker of electric drive train technology — announced plans to jointly research, develop, market and sell fully electric vehicles in China.

Jiangsu builders will be fined for raising dust (China Daily, 7/1/2009) Many builders in Jiangsu province will be slugged with a fine for dust emissions starting today, even as some of them said they have not been warned of the new penalties.

China Chalco plans to raise 10 bln yuan in shr placement (Reuters, 6/30/2009) Top Chinese aluminium producer Chalco (601600.SS)(2600.HK) said on Wednesday that it plans to raise up to 10 billion yuan ($1.5 billion) in a private share placement to fund environment-friendly alumina projects and supplement working capital.

China Energy Recovery announces the addition of a fourth independent director (PRNewswire-Asia, 6/30) China Energy Recovery, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: CGYV) (ISIN: US16943V2060), a leader in the waste heat energy recovery sector of the industrial energy efficiency industry, today announced that the Company has appointed Mr. Ye Tian to the Board as the fourth independent director. The Company has thus formed a Board with the majority members being independent directors.

“Grow-a-Tree to Incubate a New “Green Generation” in China (PRLog, 6/29/2009) Specialty chemicals company LANXESS AG donated 100,000 RMB to support the "Grow-a-Tree" project for children in elementary schools in China. In March 2009 31,639 students in the Provinces Shanxi and Gansu in China were provided with locus tree seeds and biodegradable planting cartons and learned how to plant a tree with these plant kits. The seedlings are kept either at home or at school until they will be planted outside in spring 2010. This project helped the children to learn the basic principles of nature and ecology.

China ‘to block’ Hummer takeover (BBC News, 6/26/2009) A Chinese firm's bid to buy the gas-guzzling Hummer car brand will be blocked on environmental grounds, according to Chinese state radio.

GOVERNMENT

Jinan – Official says environment in Dongming County sound (Xinhua, 7/2/2009) The rumor that thyroid tumors broke out among villagers in Dongming County, east China's Shandong province after they drank water polluted by chemical plants is completely baseless, local environment authorities told Xinhua on Tuesday.

Water quality information flows to public online (China Daily, 7/2/2009) Real-time information about the quality of water available from the country's major rivers will now be available online. The Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) began publishing results of tests on surface water quality at 100 locations yesterday. The information is updated every four hours.

China blasts US climate bill (AFP, 7/2/2009) China said on Thursday that it was "firmly" opposed to provisions in a new US clean energy bill that will make it easier to impose trade penalties on nations that reject limits to globe-warming pollution.
China considers environmental tax (The Economic Observer Online, 7/1/2009) China has edged closer to levying an environmental tax on polluters, but remains divided over how to introduce the tax. Although the idea of reforming the system by which polluters are taxed was first proposed two years ago, it was fast-tracked in May, along with changes to resource and property tax, by the National Development and Reform Commission in its state-council-approved plan for deepening economic reforms.

Navigation tech used to monitor endangered sharks in S China’s Hainan (Xinhua, 6/30/2009) For the first time on the Chinese mainland, fishery officials are using SPLASH, a state-of-the-art navigation technology, to tag and track two whale sharks--an endangered species and the world's largest mammal.

US Embassy in Beijing Twitters pollution levels (ABC News, 6/30/2009) The United States embassy has installed its very own air quality monitor and has been releasing reports to its staff. And now, on a Twitter feed called “BeijingAir” anyone can check the air quality in Beijing.

China warns imminent blue algae outbreak in major lake (Xinhua, 6/30/2009) China's environmental authority has warned of the imminent danger of a blue algae outbreak in Chaohu Lake, the country's fifth largest freshwater lake in east Anhui Province.

Chinese vice premier: Sino-Finnish cooperation in green technology sectors has great potential (Xinhua, 6/27/2009) Visiting Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang said on Friday that the cooperation between China and Finland in green technology sectors has great potential for growth.Li made the remarks while delivering a speech at a formal luncheon hosted by Finnish business leaders in his honor.

Stimulus fund flowing toward sewage upgrades (China Daily, 6/26/2009) Green projects are among the major beneficiaries of the government's 4-trillion-yuan stimulus package. Wan Bentai, chief engineer at the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP), said some 210 billion yuan ($30.7 billion) will support environmental initiatives, including the construction of sewage and waste treatment facilities and improvements to energy-efficiency and ecology conservation.

China seeks report on Dam’s ecological effects (AP, 6/26/2009) China's environment ministry said it has ordered an ecological assessment for a proposed Yangtze River dam that conservationists fear could threaten hundreds of fish species and drive the giant Chinese sturgeon into extinction

Issue 14, June 19th to June 25th, 2009

OPINION

China’s environmental report is not too bad (Shanghaiist, 6/25/2009) The Ministry of Environmental Protection recently released a summary of its “State of the Environment” report, and if you haven't read it yet, it's even more exciting than the last Twilight book. To read the original MEP report in Chinese, it's over here. China Environmental Law blog gave the report a B-, so we thought we'd take a look at it ourselves.

Tori Zwisler of Roots and Shoots (Danwei, 6/25/2009) Tori Zwisler is the founding Executive Director of the Jane Goodall Institute – Shanghai, formed in 1999. The institute focuses primarily on the Roots & Shoots program which promotes environmental concern, care for animals and care for people among Shanghai’s youth.

When the environment becomes a trade issue (BNET, 6/24/2009) Is China is attempting to “steal” technology from the United States, or is it just asking for what it deserves? Politicians are clashing over whether developing countries should get free access to renewable energy and efficiency technology, or whether standard intellectual property laws should stand.

The State of China’s Environment: 2008 (China Environmental Law Blog, 6/24/2009) The Ministry of Environmental Protection released the English summary of its “State of the Environment” report earlier this month. We have read it so you won’t have to. Let’s first look at the ten achievements identified for 2008. Where interesting facts and figures were given, we have noted them.

‘Green cats’ bane of green policy (China Daily, 6/23/2009) Let's call it green corruption. Such corruption undermines China's environmental protection and threatens to tarnish its genuine green measures. It is the worst kind of corruption, for it endangers the life of the entire population.

PUBLIC SECTOR/NGOs

What to do with used batteries? (China.org.cn, 6/25/2009) The recycling of used batteries is not a new topic to the Chinese public. But attitudes to the problems they pose might have to undergo some change.

Immbolised microbes break down phthalates: Chinese researchers make breakthrough (The Chemical Engineer, 6/24/2009) Scientists in China have discovered a microbe, which, when immobilised, can break down phthlalic acid esters (PAEs, also known as phthalates). PAEs are widely used as plasticisers in polymer production, particularly in PVC, but several studies have raised questions about their safety. Phthalates do not easily break down and so accumulate in groundwater, sediments, soils and waste water. They are believed to be carcinogenic and mutagenic, and in several countries the use of certain PAEs is restricted.

Study advises Chinese Government to change fuel in millions of households (ScienceDaily, 6/22/2009) Scientists in China are recommending that the Chinese government consider phasing out the direct burning of traditional chunks of coal in millions of households. It suggests that the government substitute coal briquettes and improved stoves for cooking and heating to help reduce the country's high air pollution levels.

Beijing’s Green Scene (Alibaba, 6/22/2009) You'd never run out of green networking opportunities in Beijing. Thankfully, mixes of expats and locals have wrapped environmentalism and socializing into one package of discounted drinks and offbeat venues.

Insect plague breaks out in Tibet (Global Times, 6/22/2009) An area of about 200 hectares in the Tibet Autonomous Region has been suffering a locust plague as a result of a continued drought, photo from Xinhua.

Cleaner coal: Fixing existing plants is crucial, MIT says (WSJ Blogs, 6/19/2009) The world—especially the U.S. and China—won’t be able to do anything meaningful on greenhouse-gas emissions unless it squarely tackles the coal question. That means now—not in the future. “There is today no credible pathway towards stringent GHG stabilization targets without CO2 emissions reduction from existing coal power plants,” the report begins.

What is the crop productivity and environmental impact of too much or too little fertilizer? (Mongabay.com, 6/18/2009) While the use of synthetic fertilizer has greatly increased agricultural production globally—helping to feed a global population that is not slowing down—it has brought with it high environmental costs. Fertilizer runoff has polluted many coastal regions creating ‘dead zones’ where the ocean is starved of oxygen by the influx of nitrogen. Synthetic fertilizers have also polluted the air with ammonia, and sent emissions of nitrous oxide into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.

CORPORATIONS

Chinese iron ore producers face uncertain future (Seeking Alpha, 6/24/2009) UNCTAD has forecast that as much as 40% of Chinese domestic iron ore product could close down in the coming years due to rising costs locally, and lower freight costs internationally having made seaborne iron ore more competitive.

Chinese mainland new-energy vehicle goes into Taiwan (ChinaCSR, 6/24/2009) Beijing-based Foton Automobile Company has signed a sales contract with Taiwan Chengyun Automobile Company to provide 75 Euro V hybrid buses.

China opens bioenergy research centre (Biofuels International, 6/24/2009) The first bioenergy research centre has been opened in the Chinese city of Nanning, in southern Guangxi Zhuang’s Autonomous Region.


Asia’s highest steel tower in dark for 1 hour to save energy (Xinhua, 6/23/2009) Dragon Tower, a landmark building in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang province, went dim for an hour Sunday night to join other skyline towers in Beijing, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Tokyo and Seoul for energy saving.

China Yuchai International announces Hybrid Engine Developments (PRNewswire Asia, 6/23/2009) China Yuchai International Limited (NYSE: CYD) ("China Yuchai" or the "Company"), announced today that its subsidiary, Guangxi Yuchai Machinery Company Limited ("GYMCL"), is developing two new alternative energy diesel engines. One of them is a new dual fuel engine that utilizes a natural gas and diesel fuel mix which GYMCL is jointly developing with a Shenzhen-based company specializing in dual fuel technology. GYMCL is the first diesel engine manufacturer in China to successfully develop this type of dual natural gas and diesel mix engine.

Himfr.com analyzes environmental testing equipment market (PRNewswire Asia, 6/23/2009) Himfr.com, one of China's leading B2B search platforms with more than 30 B2B industry websites to its name analyzes the environmental testing equipment market in China.

Dow recognized as a Top 10 Sustainability Company in China (RosInvest.com, 6/23/2009) Dow China was recently recognized as a "Top 10 Energy Conservation and Emissions Reduction Corporations" at the Fourth China Summit on the Development of Circular Economy, part of the 2009 China Beijing International High-tech Industries Week.

Technip awarded contract for a 800,0000 tons/year liquefied natural gas plant in China (Mining Top News, 6/22/2009) Technip has been awarded by Ningxia Hanas Natural Gas Company Ltd, a lump sum contract for of a mid-scale liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant to be built in Yinchuan, China.

Energy efficient treatment process helps municipalities meet new class 1A wastewater standards in China (Japan Corporate News, 6/22/2009) The VertiCel Process, an advanced biological nutrient removal technology from Siemens Water Technologies, has seen increased recognition in the Chinese municipal wastewater market. North China Municipal Engineering Design & Research Institute (NCMEDRI) and Tianjin Municipal Engineering Design & Research Institute (TMEDI) have recently accepted the process technology and selected it for their respective municipal wastewater treatment plant up-grade projects

Oil slicks poisoning China’s Bohai Sea (Reuters India, 6/22/2009) Oil spills from pipelines and ships and illegal dumping of waste from the production of crude are polluting China's northeastern Bohai Sea, a senior marine official said on Monday.

GOVERNMENT

China will review planned damn that threatens fish (AP, 6/25/2009) China's environment ministry said Thursday that it has ordered an ecological assessment for a proposed Yangtze River dam that conservationists fear could threaten hundreds of fish species and drive the giant Chinese sturgeon into extinction.

China commits to offshore renewable energy (China Daily, 6/24/2009) China is planning to construct a number of 10 GW wind power bases in the coming years, in a bid to further boost the development of the country's renewable energy industry, the country's top energy official said recently.

Sino-Arab energy co-op mechanism to be built (Xinhua, 6/24/2009) China and 22 Arab nations agreed to establish a cooperative mechanism on energy resources, according to an outcome document approved by the sixth senior officials' meeting of the China-Arab Cooperation Forum here Wednesday.

Woodland plans halted over fears of land shortage (Shanghai Daily, 6/24/2009) China has halted a program of letting marginal farmland return to woodland because of fears that the country's arable land area could fall below a "red line" needed to feed its people, a vice minister said yesterday.

China considers legislation on environmental protection of sea islands (Xinhua, 6/23/2009) China's top legislature Monday began to discuss a draft law intended to step up conservation and environmental protection of offshore islands.

China suspends reforestation project over food shortage fears (Guardian, 6/23/2009) Food shortage fears have prompted the Chinese government to suspend the reforestation of marginal arable land, a senior government official said today. The sacrifice of a key environmental restoration project for crop production highlights the growing problem of feeding the world's biggest population as cities expand into farmland and urban residents consume more meat and vegetables.
Study: China’s Olympic effort to curb smog had little effect (Christian Science Monitor, 6/23/2009) If a new study is any indication, China’s efforts to control pollution during the Olympics were rather ineffective. The Chinese government made Herculean efforts to ensure that the air quality in Beijing during the 2008 summer Games would meet World Health Organization standards. Colleague Peter Ford wrote about those efforts at the time.

China increases cigarette levies to curb smoking (Wall Street Journal, 6/23/2009) China has raised levies on cigarettes, according to the official Xinhua news agency, in a move touted by some state media as an effort to curb smoking. It's not clear how much of an impact the tax increases will have, however, in a country with more smokers -- roughly 350 million -- than the U.S. has citizens.

Turning grey to green (China Dialogue, 6/23/2009) A recent project helped Chinese city mayors learn valuable lessons in sustainable development, reports Sun Xiaohua.

A sea change in China’s attitude toward carbon capture (New York Times, 6/22/2009) When European and Chinese scientists first agreed to collaborate on capturing carbon dioxide from power plants and storing it underground, China's entire carbon capture and sequestration "team" was composed of two Tsinghua University graduate students. Less than five years later, the landscape is markedly different. China's first near-zero-emissions coal plant won state approval this month -- an apparent formality, since construction already is far under way. Two other pilots are in the works, including one in Inner Mongolia that could be the largest sequestration project in the world. Conferences on carbon capture in China now routinely feature high-level government and industry leaders.

New carbon tech, not raft of legalities (China Daily, 6/22/2009) With the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen this December, pressure is mounting for countries to be clear about their commitments, but Corrado Clini, Italy's director general of the Ministry for Environment, Land and Sea, does not think a legal agreement is a suitable option for China.

Hangzhou plans world’s first low-carbon museum (People’s Daily, 6/22/2009) Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province is planning to construct the world's first low-carbon science and technology museum. The museum will be located in the Hangzhou Hi-Tech Industry Development Zone (Binjiang District). With a construction area of 16,718 square meters and total building area of 33,656 square meters, this museum will open to the public in the first half of 2011 according to an initial plan.

World’s greatest polluters meet in Mexico for climate talks (redOrbit, 6/22/2009) The U.S. summoned environment ministers from the world's largest polluters to meet in Mexico today to expedite a key United Nations climate accord. The U.S. and China, the most industrialized nations, are listed as the greatest environmental offenders.

Asia-Pacific nations urged to expand cooperation for low-carbon economy (Xinhua, 6/20/2009) Asia's first regional low-carbon forum kicked off here Friday with a call for more cooperation among Asia-Pacific nations in the development of a low-carbon economy.

Nuclear power emerges as green option for Asia (Xinhua, 6/20/2009) Nuclear power is emerging as an option key source of "green energy" for most developing Asian countries, in order to stem the spike in greenhouse gas emission which came along way with the region's economic success, experts who participated in a Manila forum said.

China’s Rail Plans: Awesome or Awful? (Far Eastern Economic Review, 6/19/2009) The Guiyang-Guangzhou rail line is but one small part of China's massive efforts to spur continued economic growth through infrastructure development -- with a large segment dedicated to expanding the nation's passenger and freight railway networks. This particular piece of the stimulus puzzle is an 857-kilometer double-track, electrified rail that, taken in isolation, probably would cause quite a stir.

Issue 13, June 12th to June 19th, 2009

OPINION

Tough challenges for China, Part 1 and 2 (China Dialogue, 6/19/2009) Despite the economic outlook, China should not abandon its commitments to save energy and reduce emissions, argues Pan Jiahua, in the second half of a two-part article.

China unfairly seen as eco-villain (BBC, 6/16/2009) China's rapid economic expansion in recent years has been matched by its increasingly voracious appetite for energy and natural resources, says William Bleisch. But, as he explains in this week's Green Room, the nation has sometimes been unfairly portrayed as the world's biggest environmental villain.

Accounting for China’s carbon (China Dialogue, 6/16/2009) Developing a system to quantify energy use and greenhouse-gas emissions will help China meets its ambitious targets, write Lucia Green-Weiskel and Robyn Camp. Plus: Isabel Hilton discusses a proposal for a new standard for carbon disclosure.

Interview: Prospect broad for energy, environment, cooperation between China, Japan (Xinhua, 6/14/2009) China and Japan have a broad prospect for energy and environment cooperation, an expert on Japanese issues told Xinhua in an interview on Saturday.

PUBLIC SECTOR/NGOs

Farmers harness power of the sun (Shanghai Daily, 6/17/2009) Ma is just one example of poor Chinese farmers who benefit from the Clean Development Mechanism, a global initiative to reduce greenhouse gases.

Chinese scientists: Briquettes better than coal chunks (Environmental Protection, 6/19/2009) Scientists in China are recommending that the government consider phasing out the direct burning of traditional chunks of coal in millions of households.

Climate change hits China’s ‘poor hardest’ (AFP, 6/17/2009) Climate change hits China's poor the hardest and also forces some of those lifted out of hardship back into it, activist groups Greenpeace and Oxfam said Wednesday.

Young ‘green film’ maker to keep her efforts pristine (China Daily, 6/15/2009) With a high forehead, bright eyes and angular chin, Hong Mingcan looks like many other young Chinese women, but she is distinctive in another way - as an independent-minded proponent of "green" films.
Geothermal energy in Beijing (The Green Leap Forward, 6/15/2009) Today, we welcome for a guest post (and video…eco-rapping included!) Sustainable John of China’s Green Beat, which is back after a seven month hiatus with this excellent expose on geothermal energy in the Middle Kingdom’s capital.

Tiny mites breach Great Wall (The Straits Times, 6/15/2009) THE city wall that has defended the ancient Chinese capital of Xi'an for 1,400 years is being breached from the inside by tiny mites, state media reported on Monday.

CORPORATIONS

Paper has hit bottom; recovery looks good (Shanghai Daily, 6/19/2009) China’s paper industry is recovering on the back of demand from domestic consumers and the industrial sector, said an economist at a government think tank yesterday.

MEP clears decks for APP arm float (China Daily, 6/19/2009) China's environmental watchdog has finally cleared the way for paper giant APP's subsidiary, Gold East Paper, to list on the stock market. The move comes just months after several environmental organizations criticized the company for lax pollution standards.

For want of a hummer of green tunes (China Daily, 6/19/2009) When a Chinese company acquires a Western counterpart, there is a shared sense of pride here. Our hearts swelled when Lenovo took over IBM's PC division four years ago. But we felt slighted when CNOOC's bid to take over California-based Unocal fell through because of political resistance. More recently, we felt cheated when Rio Tinto scrapped a deal with Chinalco.

Companies flout pollution laws (China Daily, 6/19/2009) Major State-owned enterprises (SOEs) ignored energy saving and pollution regulations, said a report published by National Audit Office (NAO) yesterday.

China’s environmental industry will maintain 15 percent annual growth rate (People’s Daily, 6/19/2009) China will continue to expand the scale of investment in pollution control and ecological environment construction in the second half of the "11th Five-Year-Plan," said Wu Xiaoqing, vice minister of the Environmental Protection Ministry of China in his opening speech at the 3rd Sino-German Environment Forum held on June 18 in Foshan, Guangdong Province.

Ecology and economy cross swords at Shangri-La (International Construction Review, 6/19/2009) The ministry suspended approval on 11th June of the project along the Jinsha river in Yunnan province, upstream of the Yangtze River, because it said two large, state-owned utilities, Huadian Power and Huaneng Power, had begun blocking the middle reaches of the river in January before they had received approval from central government.

Site of China’s largest joint-venture oil/chemical project yet to be determined (Xinhua, 6/19/2009) Kuwait, which has decided to launch a large oil processing and chemical joint venture with China, has not yet determined where to locate the project, a local government official of southern Guangdong Province told Xinhua Friday.

Bank of China to invest in Nigeria power sector (Financial Standard, 6/19/2009) The Federal Government has opened talks with Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) for injection of capital into Nigeria’s power sector in a bid to boost Nigeria’s chances of meeting its target of generating 6000 megawatts of electricity.

China Beijing Environment Exchange, BlueNext sign pact on carbon trade (Xinhua, 6/18/2009) The China Beijing Environmental Exchange (CBEE) signed a deal Thursday with BlueNext to build a platform for carbon credit trade.

2 power plants halted over eco-concerns (Xinhua, 6/18/2009) China Huaneng Group (CHNG), the nation's largest power producer, halted two projects Wednesday after they failed to pass all environmental impact assessments, the company said.

Retail markets in China face punishment over substandard plastic (ChinaCSR, 6/18/2009) The State Administration for Industry and Commerce has issued an emergent circular which says that retailing markets shall be held responsible when retailers in the markets provide substandard plastic bags or plastic bags free of charge.

Water shortage problems caused by new plants in Shanghai (Shanghai Daily, 6/16/2009) A new water plant came into service yesterday which will help ease problems of shortages mainly in Minhang District over the summer peak period.

China Sunergy partners with Italian solar manufacturer (Cleantech Group, 6/15/2009) The Nanjing, China-based solar cell manufacturer entered into a six-year 53-megawatt sales framework agreement, including 3 MW to be delivered this year, with Renergies Italia, a solar module manufacturer based in Urbisaglia, Italy.

GOVERNMENT

After Olympics, China still worried about clean air for Beijing (Natural Resources Defense Council, 6/19/2009) Air quality of Beijing was a focal point both before and during the Olympic Games. After the Olympics, the topic faded out of the media, but Beijing is still working hard to keep the sky blue. According to the Beijing Environment Protection Bureau, from January 1, 2009 to June 9, 2009, 81 percent of the days achieved an air quality of Grade II or better.

Make ‘green industries’ new growth engine (China Daily, 6/19/2009) Vice Premier Li Keqiang said Thursday that energy-saving, environmentally-friendly industries should be made a new growth engine for China's economy.

Tibet to spend US $5.5 million to protect wetlands (Xinhua, 6/18/2009) Southwestern China's Tibet Autonomous Region will begin a project to conserve and resurrect four wetlands in the Ngari area in the second half of this year, the regional environmental protection administration said Thursday.

China aims to stop Tibet desertification by 2010 (AFP, 6/18/2009) Authorities in China aim to halt the spread of the desert in Tibet by next year, hoping to stem the effects of years of mining, tree-felling and overgrazing, state media said.

More than 10 mln fish fry freed into rivers and lakes of Suzhou (Xinhua, 6/18/2009) The pupils release fish fry into the water by the Chunshen Lake in Suzhou City of east China's Jiangsu Province, June 18, 2009. More than 10 million fish fry were released into the rivers and lakes within the city area of Suzhou on Thursday to improve the city's ecological environment

Urban communities in China contribute to national green efforts (Channel NewsAsia, 6/17/2009) China is currently working to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and address climate change. Apart from national efforts, urban communities are also playing their part to ensure a cleaner and greener environment.

Beijing to run 1000 new energy vehicles in ’09 (Gasgoo, 6/17/2009) Beijing city announced yesterday that it will put 1,000 new energy vehicles on trial run this year in the public transportation and sanitation sectors, xinhuanet.com reported.

Energy-saving lamps for low-income households in Shanghai (ChinaCSR, 6/17/2009) Shanghai Municipal Government plans to offer 540,000 energy saving lamps to low-income families in the city.

China to accelerate resource tax reform (People’s Daily, 6/17/2009) China will advance the implementation of resources tax reform as early as possible, while also improving the personal income tax system and studying the possibilities of a levy on environmental tax and property tax, Wang Jun, Vice Minister of Finance, noted on June 11.

Officials shun cars to save energy (China Daily, 6/17/2009) Wang Yiyang is an advocate of saving energy. But the deputy director of the Guangdong provincial government development and research center was unable to leave his car parked Tuesday during a day-long campaign to encourage government officials to travel by public transportation.

China drafts law to protect animals: state media (AFP, 6/16/2009) China is drafting its first law to protect animals from abuse, which could see serious violators end up in jail, state media reported.

Free gifts for locals who separate their trash in Shanghai (Shanghai Daily, 6/16/2009) Locals will be given gifts by the Shanghai environmental authorities for separating their waste to make it easier to recycle, in a citywide scheme to promote greener lifestyles.

China releases 13 mln fish fries into Bohai Sea (Xinhua, 6/16/2009) The Ministry of Agriculture and local governments released 13 million fries of major fish species Tuesday into the Bohai Sea to preserve fishing resources.

Prospect broad for Sino-Japan energy, environment cooperation (Xinhua, 6/15/2009) China and Japan have a broad prospect for energy and environment cooperation, an expert on Japanese issues told Xinhua in an interview on Saturday.

Products made by military department appear in energy saving exhibition (Xinhua, 6/14/2009) Nearly 20 products made by the General Logistics Department of the People's Liberation Army appeared on the Beijing International Energy Saving and Environmental Protection Exhibition.

China’s first bioenergy research center inaugurated in Nanning (Xinhua, 6/14/2009) China's first bioenergy research center was inaugurated Sunday in Nanning, the capital city of southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, amid government's plans of new energy development to combat global energy crisis.

China stops 2 hydropower dams; cites environment (AP, 6/12/2009) China's environment ministry has suspended construction of two ambitious hydropower dams in the upper Yangtze River region, saying the projects were illegal because they were started without necessary environmental assessments.

Senate Foreign Relations Hearing: China will not accept caps, but must be pushed to MRV (The Green Leap Forward, 6/12/2009) Last Thursday (June 4), the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations conducted a hearing with the self-explanatory title of “Challenges and Opportunities for U.S.-China Cooperation in Climate Change.” An all-star trio of China hands provided testimony: Kenneth Lieberthal of University of Michigan and visiting fellow at Brookings Institution, Elizabeth Economy of Council on Foreign Relations and Bill Chandler of the Carnegie Endowment of International Peace.