Issue 39, December 11th to December 18th, 2009

OPINION

Green Leap Forward has a great series of posts on China’s involvement at Copenhagen.

The Monitor’s View: China can’t be cool to Obama demands on global warming (Christian Science Monitor, 12/17/2009) The world will hardly know if global warming is being curbed if the largest emitter of carbon – China – isn’t releasing accurate data about its pollution.

To seal a deal, we need justice (Chinadialogue, 12/17/2009) An agreement seems beyond reach at Copenhagen. Ma Jun blames an inability to balance the need for efficiency with the principle of equity.

A Quiet Revolution: China’s Climate Future (The Green Leap Forward, 12/16/2009) If you’re searching for vision at this week’s Copenhagen climate conference, take a look between the lines at what China’s saying on global warming. From increasing the share of renewable energy to promoting a new “low-carbon mentality” among its citizens, China has made a name for itself as the first industrializing country — ever — to make serious efforts to limit the contribution of its economic development to climate change. By some estimates, these measures will reduce China’s emissions by an amount greater than the total reductions achieved by all parties under the Kyoto Protocol.

Is China ready for cap and trade? (Chinadialogue, 12/15/2009) Can countries without national curbs on greenhouse gases adopt emissions trading schemes? It’s a debate that splits China’s environmental entrepreneurs. Cao Haili reports.

Offshore wind makes sense for China (Renewable Energy World, 12/14/2009) One of the thorniest issues that should be addressed at the COP 15 conference in Copenhagen is how large developing nations such as China can continue to grow their economies without producing catastrophic levels of carbon emissions. We believe that a central part of the answer must be renewable energy, and that China should do what it can to encourage renewable energy technology transfer from nations with renewables experience such as Scotland, which continues to build leading-edge capabilities in this increasingly critical area.

China diverting toxic waste to North Korea, emerging information suggests (New Energy and Environment Digest, 12/14/2009) China has taken considerable steps in recent years to address electronic waste management practices unsafe for the individuals involved and harmful to local land and water supplies, as NEEDigest has previously reported.

PUBLIC SECTOR/NGOs

Most throw cold water on China warming theory (Los Angeles Times, 12/17/2009) Reporting from Beijing - In the debate over global warming, some historical meteorologists in China pose a contrarian view.Their theory, in a nutshell? Some like it hot.

Farmer from ‘Cancer Village’ fights factory pollution (Epoch Times, 12/17/2009) Two years after his daughter died from leukemia thought to be linked to local pollution, Feng Jun, the girl’s father, did the only thing he could: file a lawsuit. That was in March this year. There have now been five hearings, and nothing has changed.

Dams and development threaten Mekong (New York Times, 12/17/2009) Basket loads of fish, villagers bathing along the banks of the river, a farmer’s market selling jungle delicacies — these are Pornlert Prompanya’s boyhood memories of a wild and pristine Mekong River.

How fishing changed China’s environment examined (Georgetown University News, 12/17/2009) In his new book, "Fishing Wars and Environmental Change in Late Imperial and Modern China" (Harvard University Press, 2009), Micah Muscolino looks at the history of fisheries in the east coast Chinese city of Zhoushan.

Jam will lead to more pollution: Experts (China Daily, 12/16/2009) Despite success in slashing the number of heavy pollution days in the city this year, Beijing still faces an environmental debt from its mounting traffic congestion, air pollution specialists warned yesterday.

Choking in China’s polluted city (CNN, 12/16/2009) On the road into Linfen, the cars seem to disappear into dense smog that clings to vanishing buildings.

The sun shines through a murky haze, if at all. The smells of industry are pungent. Just a few minutes outside and your eyes start to sting, your throat starts to hurt. You may feel dizzy or nauseous.

Chinese frugal tradition helps global carbon fight (Xinhua, 12/16/2009) The 65-year-old is one of hundreds of millions elderly Chinese who continue their frugal ways in an era of fast economic growth and greatly improved living conditions. For them, frugality means not only saving money but also cherishing precious daily resources. "Being able to afford the water bill does not mean you can waste water," He Shulan tells her daughter and son-in-law.

Why do Shanghainese people not care aout our planet? (CNNGo, 12/16/2009) For those who come to Shanghai for the first time, what strikes them the most is not only how tall the skyscrapers are, but also how smoggy the skies can be. With the UN’s 2009 Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen still in the news, it seems almost politically incorrect to not talk about the environment; however, according to QQ.com, environmental issues barely make the daily list of concerns for average Shanghainese person.

Smog sinks Hong Kong’s famous skyline (AFP, 12/16/2009) On top of Victoria Peak in Hong Kong, groups of tourists find themselves staring down at an apocalyptic vision of a towering city shrouded in a menacing grey smog.

One woman’s fight against pollution in China (AFP, 12/16/2009) After years of campaigning to clean up the sludge-filled rivers and acrid air of central China's Henan province, Tian Guirong no longer has a bed to call her own and says she fears for her life.

Glaciers in southern China receding rapidly, scientists say (Los Angeles Times, 12/15/2009) Yulong Snow Mountain, which used to be a brilliant white, is now mostly gray, worrying those who study it and see it as a sort of canary in a coal mine.

CORPORATIONS

China’s rising appetite for bullion and base metals (Commodity Online, 12/18/2009) No country in the world has such a rising appetite for base metals like copper, aluminum, lead and precious bullion metals such as gold, silver and platinum like China. The dragon country is going all out to amass massive quantities of base metals and bullion in its reserves.

China mulls European solar projects (Wall Street Journal, 12/18/2009) State-owned China Energy Conservation Investment Corp., the nation's flagship developer of clean and renewable energy, is in talks to invest and operate solar utility projects in Spain, Italy and Germany, a company executive said Wednesday.

Vega’s China venture to use special torrefaction technology in ten manufacturing plants (MarketWire, 12/17/2009) VEGA PROMOTIONAL SYSTEMS, INC. (PINKSHEETS: VGPR) recently announced the Company has entered into a Joint Venture Agreement to build multiple manufacturing plants throughout China to produce alternative energy using torrefaction technology.

Challenges for China’s recycling industry (CCTV, 12/17/2009) Towns and villages across China are facing the problem of mountains of rubbish. Experts say this waste material is one source of carbon emission in the country. CCTV reporter takes a look one small effort going on just outside Beijing to manage this problem.

China to invest $40 billion in water infrastructure (SmallCapInvestor, 12/17/2009) I ran this excerpt from Samuel Coleridge’s 18th century poem back in October when I discussed the global scarcity of drinking water. Today I’ve included it again because I’m adding a water stock to my SmallCapInvestor PRO portfolio that has the potential to help solve China’s water shortage, and post huge gains for investors.

The Green Rush is on in China (NPR, 12/16/2009) A new gold rush in China is actually a green rush — an urgent drive to develop green technologies. One group of Western companies, the Cleantech Initiative, suggests China's market for renewable energy could eventually be worth as much as $500 billion to $1 trillion a year.

Pepsi facilities in China, Chile deploy Orion energy systems technology (CNNMoney, 12/16/2009) PepsiCo International has chosen to install technology from Orion Energy Systems Inc. (Nasdaq:OESX) at its Nanchang, China, and Santiago, Chile, facilities -- projects that will reduce energy waste and associated energy costs.

China-Central Asia natural gas pipeline benefits all sides (People’s Daily, 12/15/2009) The China-Central Asia natural gas pipeline starts from the border between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, runs through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, and finally ends at Horgos City in China. It is a double-line pipeline, including line A and line B, and has a length of 1,833 kilometers. Line A was tested and put into operation at the beginning of December 2009. According to the project's construction plans, both lines will be completed and begin transporting natural gas in 2010.

Pigs potty-trained to reduce water pollution (The China Post, 12/14/2009) In response to the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA)'s new levy to impose a water pollution fee on factories and farms starting next July, hog farms — a major water polluter — are potty-training their livestock to abate the potential costs added by the levy.

Sparks fly as China quarrels over battery-powered bikes (Reuters, 12/14/2009) China's vast population of battery-powered bikes is the focus of uproar after new rules ignited public fears, and hopes among some, that these pack mules of the nation's economic boom could be run off the road.

Can China turn cotton green? (Miller-McCune, 12/14/2009) That "all-natural" cotton T-shirt in your closet? The one with the eco-friendly message brightly printed on the front? Ounce for ounce, it could be the most environmentally toxic item of clothing you own. From the water and agrichemicals lavished on cotton grown in some of the world's driest regions (approximately one-third of the pesticide and fertilizer produced worldwide gets sprayed or dusted on cotton), through multihued rivers of waste streaming from textile mills to landfills bulging with castoff clothing, the life cycle of the humble cotton tee has left ecological wreckage in its wake.

Caterpillar announces remanufacturing joint venture with China Yuchai to promote China’s sustainability and environmental preservation initiatives (PRNewswire, 12/14/2009) Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT), through Caterpillar (China) Investment Co., Ltd. (Caterpillar China), and China Yuchai International Limited (NYSE: CYD), through its main operating subsidiary, Guangxi Yuchai Machinery Co., Ltd. (Yuchai) have signed a joint-venture agreement to establish a company to provide remanufacturing services for Yuchai diesel engines and components and certain Caterpillar diesel engines and components.

UK company bribed Chinese official (Times Online, 12/14/2009) A British environmental consulting company which lists “integrity” among its corporate values bribed a Chinese official with £15,000 to win contracts, according to official reports of a court case in Shanghai. Environmental Resources Management (ERM) is said to have paid off an influential bureaucrat in the city’s environmental protection office who is now on trial.

GOVERNMENT

It is not China’s style to let the green inspectors rummage around (The Times, 12/18/2009) For nations of a nervous disposition, there is an ocean of difference between “transparency” and “scrutiny”: a commitment to the first is a sop, a commitment to the second is a surrender.

China to invest over 3 trillion yuan in environment: report (AFP, 12/18/2009)

China is to invest more than three trillion yuan (440 billion dollars) in environmental protection over five years from 2011, state media said Thursday, as the country battles widespread pollution.

Hindi-Chini camaraderie at Copenhagen (Business Standard, 12/18/2009) It has been a prickly year for China-India ties with the Arunachal Pradesh boundary dispute poisoning bilateral rhetoric. In Copenhagen, Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai is back in vogue with the two sides holding meetings up to six times a day, according to Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh.

China begins construction on world’s longest sea bridge (Mother Nature Network, 12/17/2009) The bridge, which includes an underwater tunnel, will span 50 km and provide a Y-shaped link between Hong Kong, Macau and China.

China continues grip on coal (UPI, 12/17/2009) While the Chinese government is embracing energy efficiency and investing in new green technology, China continues to burn coal at record rates.

Copenhagen climate summit: China is optimistic about a deal (Telegraph, 12/17/2009) Today world leaders, including Wen Jiabao, the Chinese premier, will gather in Copenhagen. Deal or no deal, they know that there must be a global effort to tackle climate change. China is upbeat about the prospect.

Xie overcame toxic spill to become China’s top climate official (Bloomberg, 12/16/2009) Xie Zhenhua was head of China’s state environmental protection agency in 2005 when a toxic spill almost ended his career. Four years later, Xie leads a Chinese delegation at odds with the U.S. at Copenhagen’s climate talks.

Tibetans to invite Chinese scientists and environmentalists for discussion at Copenhagen (Tibet.net, 12/16/2009) The Tibetan delegation has invited around 10 Chinese scientists and environmentalists based in Denmark for their participation in a panel discussion on 'Nomads: Climate Change and Human Rights, scheduled Thursday, 17 December.


China’s Lanzhou makes plans to reduce mass transport emissions (Cleantech, 12/16/2009) Lanzhou, China’s rapid transit system is going to be cleaning up its act, thanks to some recent support from the Asian Development Bank, according to Ecoseed. The $480.3 million project is expected to decrease transportation time and cost, as it cuts down greenhouse gas emissions.

Nuclear power expansion in China stirs concern (New York Times, 12/15/2009) China is preparing to build three times as many nuclear power plants in the coming decade as the rest of the world combined, a breakneck pace with the potential to help slow global warming.

China’s 2020 emissions based on sound science: expert (Xinhua, 12/15/2009) China's recently announced carbon intensity target is a notable goal based on sound science, said a Chinese climate expert attending the ongoing UN-led climate talks here.

China’s first solar energy village project launched (People’s Daily, 12/14/2009) The "Sunny Village" project, China's first pilot project centering on comprehensive utilization of solar energy, was recently launched in Xingtai City, Hebei province. The project is located in the Xingtai Development Zone's Baiquan Village. With a total investment of 6 million yuan, the first phase involves 100 wind and solar energy street lamps, 100 wind and solar energy landscape lamps and the application of photovoltaic solar energy technology in the construction of a residential building.

Water pollution plagues China (Free Speech Radio News, 12/14/2009) Water pollution is one of China’s most severe environmental problems. According to environmental monitors it affects almost 70% of the country’s rivers, lakes and reservoirs. The Chinese government has tried to implement a number of laws to address the problem, but a series of recent reports by Greenpeace has shown that the situation is only getting worse - and they're blaming major companies for continuing to dump their waste. From Beijing, FSRN’s Shuk-Wah Chung has more.

Heat on China to break impasse at Copenhagen (The Australian, 12/14/2009) Australia has appealed to China to step up to the leadership role expected of a global superpower, as a standoff between the US and China deadlocked the Copenhagen climate change talks.

Chinese vice premier calls for safe, environment-friendly river shipping (Xinhua, 12/12/2009) Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang urged efforts to ensure safe and environment-friendly river shipping to facilitate regional economic expansion.

U.S. climate negotiator ‘lacks common sense,’ Chinese diplomat says (New York Times, 12/11/2009) Chinese Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei lashed out today at U.S. climate negotiator Todd Stern, calling "extremely irresponsible" his recent pronouncement that no American climate change funding would go to China.

Shanghai to impose wider ban on smoking in public venues (People’s Daily, 12/11/2009) Shanghai is to impose a wider ban on smoking in the city's public places beginning March 1 next year, according to a draft amendment to the existing anti-smoking law approved by the city's top legislature.

Riverside Chinese city builds a waterborne passenger transport system (CCTV, 12/11/2009) Wuhan, a city perched in the middle reaches of the Yangtze, China's longest waterway, is building a waterborne passenger transport system to ease road traffic congestion.

IEA raises China oil demand outlook, probes gasoline use riddle (Dow Jones Newswires, 12/11/2009) The International Energy Agency raised its forecasts for China's oil consumption in 2009 and next year, but said Friday it has yet to solve the mystery of why the country's gasoline demand is subdued when car sales are surging.

Government promises new homes for central China sunken village (Xinhua, 12/11/2009) A total of 154 people will have new or renovated homes under a government-funded plan to reconstruct a central China village that was damaged by subsidence caused by rampant gypsum mining, local officials said Friday.