Issue 31, October 23rd to October 30th, 2009

OPINION

Increasing competitiveness through clean energy (The Energy Collective, 10/29/2009) I hope you have been watching panel 3 of today’s Senate climate bill hearings. It has been incredibly informative about the international competitiveness issue, especially China’s aggressive efforts to become the clean energy leader and the complete turnaround in the thinking of Chinese business and policymakers since Chinese President Hu Jintao’s UN speech.

Cutting the costs of clean energy (Chinadialogue, 10/29/2009) Addressing energy scarcity and climate change means adopting new energy sources. This poses different challenges for rich than for poor nations, writes Lin Boqiang.
China outperforms US on green issues (New Scientist, 10/29/2009) China is often accused of not doing enough to reduce the carbon dioxide and other pollution pouring from its factories and coal-fuelled power stations. But a new report suggests the country is doing more to tackle climate change than it gets credit for: in fact, its environmental standards surpass the US in some key measures.

China’s Climate Change policy: The Dragon’s Green Streak (World Politics Review, 10/28/2009) In a landmark address to the U.N. Climate Change Conference last month, Chinese President Hu Jintao announced Beijing's commitment to trim the explosive growth of China's carbon emissions "by a notable margin." But he also reiterated his country's hackneyed dictum that industrialized countries should bear most of the burden for emissions-cutting. Hu's headline-grabbing speech captured the essence of China's Janus-faced climate change policy -- which, despite remarkable progress, continues to be bogged down with implementation problems and overshadowed by China's concerns with economic growth and its leadership role in the developing world.

Outlook and obstacles for CCS (Chinadialogue, 10/23/2009) China needs carbon capture and storage technology to decrease its emissions from coal power, but the transition will be costly and difficult. In the first section of a two-part report, He Gang surveys an energy dilemma.

PUBLIC SECTOR/NGOs

Free Environmental Carnival comes to Shanghai (ChinaCSR, 10/30/2009) Environmental Carnival, the first environmental education themed park in China, will open free in Shanghai on November 7 and 8, 2009.

China’s Pearl River suffers from “almost impossible to remove” pollution (Mongabay, 10/29/2009) A new study by Greenpeace has found high volumes of heavy metals and organic chemicals in China's Pearl River, which provides drinking water for 47 million people. In June 2009, Greenpeace took 25 samples from manufacturing facilities' discharge points into the river. They found heavy metals like beryllium, a know carcinogen; manganese which has been linked to brain damage; alkyl phenols which disrupts hormones; and a number of hazardous organic chemicals.

Mass Protest against Jiangsu Garbage Incinerators (New Tang Dynasty Television, 10/29/2009) On October 21st, more than ten thousand people in China’s Jiangsu Province took to the streets. Residents of Pingwang Town protested the opening of a garbage-burning plant located just half a mile from town. They say the incinerators, which started running that day, are dangerous to their health and will pollute the environment.

Top Ten Asian Nations in CSR Survey revealed (2point6billion.com, 10/29/2009) China and India are among the top ten Asian countries with increased awareness of the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure norms, according to CSR Asia’s Asian Sustainability Ranking survey.

Rights groups call for China to halt construction of pipeline in Burma (Voice of America, 10/28/2009) Human-rights groups are calling on China's government to halt its investment in a multi-million-dollar gas project in Burma over fears of human-rights abuses and unrest. The group presented an open letter to China's President Hu Jintao in a petition at Chinese embassies in Asia, Australia and Europe.

Bloggers map China’s pollution (The Epoch Times, 10/28/2009) A map pinpointing the exact location of some of the worst-polluted parts of China is making the rounds on the Chinese Internet, as a prize-winning photo exhibit causes many well-heeled urbanites to confront the environmental devastation caused by three decades of breakneck growth.

Sichuan earthquake survivors face pollution threat (Guardian, 10/26/2009) Survivors of the Sichuan earthquake face a new threat in the form of pollution from an aluminum plant that has been hailed by the government as a symbol of reconstruction.

Tiger skin trade in China exposed (BBC, 10/23/2009) An undercover investigation has revealed the continued trade in tiger skins in China. Covert filming by the Environment Investigation Agency shows traders selling skins of tigers and other rare animals such as snow leopards. The skins are sold as luxury items and are used for clothes and home decor.

CORPORATIONS

Sinopec venture leak has “no impact on environment” (Bloomberg, 10/30/2009) AED Oil Ltd., China Petrochemical Corp.’s partner in the Puffin venture in the Timor Sea off northwestern Australia, said a gas leak from the project is having no impact on the environment.

Chinese manufacturer in $1.5 bln U.S. wind project (Reuters, 10/30/2009) Chinese wind turbine manufacturer A-Power Energy Geneneration Systems (APWR.O) said it was building along with U.S. companies a $1.5 billion wind farm project in West Texas.

Chinese firm abandons bid for control of titanium mines (Business Daily, 10/30/2009) Kenya’s hope for titanium billions were shattered on Thursday after the Jinchuan Group – the Chinese company that was to buy a controlling stake in the mines from Canada’s Tiomin Resources — abandoned the deal, citing lack of full disclosure by the vendor.

Green technologies can be profitable (Business Standard, 10/30/2009) One crucial actor missing from much of the climate change conversation is business. If society is to make any fundamental changes in the model of growth, then business must not only be on board but must be a driver of innovation.

China-U.S. Group Plans to build Texas wind farm (New York Times, 10/29/2009) A consortium of Chinese and American companies announced a joint venture on Thursday to build a 600-megawatt wind farm in West Texas, using turbines made in China.

China’s oil refining industry earns $9.8 billion (Bloomberg, 10/29/2009) China’s oil refining industry, led by China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., posted a net profit of 67.1 billion yuan ($9.8 billion) in the first eight months of this year as the government eased control on fuel prices.

Electric double-decker buses to be made in Nanjing (Gasgoo.com, 10/29/2009) China's bus-maker Zonda Group and Qingshan Energy Research Institute have jointly invested two billion yuan ($292 million) to set up an electric vehicle (EV) production base in Nanjing, capital of eastern Jiangsu province, Xinhua News reported yesterday.

China’s renewables curbs a boon to big players (Reuters, 10/29/2009) China's efforts to curtail expansion in its renewable energy sector should brighten prospects for the country's more established wind equipment and solar companies, as curbs on excess capacity squeeze out smaller competitors.

Otis’ Energy-Efficient Elevators selected for Longtan City industry zone (Reuters, 10/28/2009) Otis Elevator Company was awarded a contract to supply and install 334 energy-efficient Gen2(®) elevators for the Longtan City Industry Zone in Chengdu, China. Otis, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), is the largest elevator supplier for the 32-million-square-foot (3-million-square-meter) development. The site, being developed by the Chengdu Yudu Industry Limited Corporation, will feature environmentally-friendly industries, companies and residential housing.

Energy service companies in China (The Green Leap Forward, 10/28/2009) Guest blogger Tristan Edmondson, partner at Mint Research, a clean tech consultancy, describes China’s growing Energy Service Company (ESCO) industry.

Cleaning up polluted harbors with greener ships (Time, 10/28/2009) The image of an old wooden junk with orange sails is ubiquitous in Hong Kong lore. It's on matchbooks, advertisements and postcards in this famous port city, but the traditional wind-powered Chinese boat cruising Victoria Harbor is a rare site these days. The reality is a bit less picturesque: the second busiest port in the world is filled with diesel-powered ships, ferries and fishing boats that belch toxins into the infamously polluted Hong Kong skyline.

Bioteq forms alliance to target power projects in China (MarketWire, 10/28/2009) BioteQ Environmental Technologies Inc. (TSX:BQE), a leader in the treatment of industrial waste water, has entered into an agreement with Guangdong Hehai Engineering Consulting Company, to jointly pursue water treatment projects in the Chinese power generation industry. Under the terms of the agreement, the two companies have agreed to target several large, state-owned power producers, and work together to assess at least five potential projects within the next twelve months, with the goal of securing a definitive commercial agreement for a project within that time.

E-glass supplier Jushi prepares for a greener China (Plastics News, 10/27/2009) Jushi Group Co. Ltd. sees windmills in its future. After 16 years of growing its business on cheap prices and exports, the Tongxiang-based fiberglass manufacturer is tweaking its strategy to include more emerging markets and focus more heavily on the environment.

Dam defends reservoir storage (Shanghai Daily, 10/26/2009) Three Gorges Corp yesterday defended ongoing plans to raise reservoir water levels amid a crippling drought.

GOVERNMENT

China plans to build advanced nuclear-power plant (The Wall Street Journal, 10/30/2009) China will start building its first large nuclear-power reactor with home-developed "fourth generation" technology in 2012-13, a senior engineer involved in developing the system said.

Record Hong Kong smog makes a choking return (Earthweek, 10/30/2009) Smog levels in Hong Kong have returned to the record high level registered in 2000, prompting warnings from the city’s Environmental Protection Department for people with heart or respiratory illnesses.

ASEAN environment ministers set up working group on climate change (Bernama, 10/29/2009) The ministers are scheduled to meet with their counterparts from China, Japan and South Korea at the 8th ASEAN Plus Three Environment Ministers Meeting tomorrow to discuss regional and global environmental issues.

Philippines aiming to join China’s resource boom (AFP, 10/29/2009) The Philippines is aiming to be one of the next nations to cash in on China's insatiable appetite for resources, with the Asian neighbors working to build closer mining ties, officials from both sides say.

High price for water reform? (People’s Daily, 10/29/2009) On October 22, Lanzhou Municipal government announced that the price for the city's tap water would be lifted by 0.3 yuan to 1.75 yuan per ton. Prior to Lanzhou's action, Tianjin and Shanghai already decided to lift water price by over 20 percent. Cities including Yinchuan and Harbin are also considering water price hike.

MOU to support energy cooperation program signed in China (Farm Futures, 10/29/2009) A Memorandum of Understanding signed at the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade is designed to among other things remove barriers to clean energy deployment and accelerate development of clean energy projects.

China tightens supervision on steel production (CCTV, 10/29/2009) The Ministry of Environmental Protection says it has started the largest verification program against steel producers in China. The campaign aims to curb overcapacity, as well as to urge producers protect environment. The Ministry said some of the information gathered earlier from local governments on over 1,000 steel makers is incorrect and inadequate.

India-China nudge forward on climate issues (Asia Times, 10/29/2009) India and China's memorandum of understanding signed last week in the Indian capital may have only had "a symbolic value", but it nevertheless showed that two of the world's big economies are serious about finding an alternative path to dealing with climate change while trying to attain sustainable development, said a top United Nations official.

China’s water needs to create opportunities (New York Times, 10/26/2009) The staggering economic growth in China has come at a heavy cost, paid in severe contamination of the country’s air, soil and water. But now the Chinese government is aggressively pursuing more stringent environmental regulation, with a particular focus on water distribution and wastewater treatment.

Natural gas pricing regime may be changed in 2010 (Caijing, 10/26/2009) China is likely to adopt a new regime in 2010 for natural gas pricing that will use weighted prices for imported and domestic gas, an official with China National Petroleum Corp., the parent of PetroChina, told Caijing on Friday.

US bets on Greentech startups, China spends big (Reuters, 10/26/2009) The United States will need its entrepreneurial spirit to compete with deep-pocketed China in the race to develop green energy technologies, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu said on Monday.

U.S., Chinese lawmakers will agree on climate pledges (Bloomberg, 10/24/2009) Lawmakers from the U.S., U.K., China and 13 other economies are likely to agree by Sunday, Oct. 25, on guidelines to reduce carbon emissions, even without a deal at United Nations- sponsored climate talks.

The Greening of China (Forbes, 10/23/2009) China and India agreed Oct. 22 to coordinate their efforts on climate change. The two countries are at one in holding developed countries responsible for taking the lead in cutting emissions. As the largest carbon emitter, China is being watched particularly closely in the approach to the December Copenhagen summit on climate change to see what position it will adopt.

US safety chief seeks China’s help on drywall (AP, 10/23/2009) Top U.S. safety officials were meeting with their Chinese counterparts to discuss complaints from American homeowners of illness and other damage from suspect drywall imported from China.

Australia clears takeover by Chinese miner Yanzhou Coal (Telegraph, 10/23/2009) Yanzhou Coal is paying $3.2bn (£1.9bn) for Felix Resources, but the deal is subject to strict conditions. Assistant Treasurer Nick Sherry said China’s fourth-biggest coal producer must sell shares in its Australian operations.

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.