20070926 China warns of catastrophe from gigantic Dam (2)

clipped from www.chinadaily.com.cn The open discussion of the negative effects of the Three Gorges Dam comes a month after the Wall Street Journal reported on the rising concerns of landslides, pollution and flooding in the area. Both Tan and Li said the quality of water in the Yangtze tributaries had deteriorated and outbreaks of algae or aquatic weeds had become more common. The government has invested heavily in programs designed to restore and conserve the ecology of the Three Gorges area in recent years, including 12 billion yuan (about 1.5 billion U.S. dollars) spent on trying to harness geological disasters such as landslides. It has also closed or relocated 1,500 manufacturing ventures, constructed more than 70 sewage disposal and waste treatment plants and resettled about 70,000 people from disaster-prone areas. The Three Gorges Project, the world's largest water control facility, was launched in 1993, Located on the middle reaches of the Yangtze River completed in early 20

20070926 China warns of catastrophe from gigantic Dam (1)

clipped from http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-09/26/content_6137027.htm WUHAN -- Chinese officials and experts have admitted the Three Gorges Dam project has caused an array of ecological ills, including more frequent landslides and pollution, and if preventive measures are not taken, there could be an environmental "catastrophe". While the dam has served as a barrier against seasonal flooding threatening the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the electricity generated by hydropower has led to a decrease of 100 million tons of carbon emissions, the benefits have come at an ecological and environmental cost, officials said. They said the huge weight of the water behind the Three Gorges Dam had started to erode the Yangtze's banks in many places, which, together with frequent fluctuations in water levels, had triggered a series of landslides. Frequent geological disasters have threatened the lives of residents around the reservoir area Clear water discharged from the Three Gorges Dam has also threatened the safety of the protective embankments downstream

20070922 Arctic sea ice 'melts to all-time low'

clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk Photographs taken in September 2005 and 2007 Sea ice in the Arctic shrank to the smallest area on record this summer, prompting fears it could melt completely within decades and speed up global warming. The ice, which melts in summer months and regrows in the winter cold, shrank so much this year that the route became fully navigable for around five weeks. Sea ice reflects most of the sunlight that strikes it. However, once it melts, the dark ocean surface, which absorbs sunlight, becomes exposed. This causes waters to warm and increases the melt rate. If the sea ice were to disappear, the Earth would absorb more solar energy, which could accelerate global warming. Wildlife in the Arctic would also suffer, particularly polar bears which cross ice floes in search of food. scientists at the NSIDC warned that, at current rates, the Arctic could be ice-free in the summer by 2030 and blamed climate change for the record melting.

20070923 Ozone layer deal struck over chemical ban

clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk Chemicals that thin the ozone layer and exacerbate global warming are to be phased out more rapidly under an agreement by nearly 200 countries in Montreal at the weekend. The deal brings forward by ten years to 2030 a ban on hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) used in air conditioning, refrigeration and hairsprays, and sets a timetable for an accelerated phase-out of the chemicals in developed countries by 2020. HCFCs not only damage ozone, they have a global warming potential 1800 times that of carbon dioxide, so the agreement is estimated to mean a reduction of the equivalent of 26 billion tons of carbon dioxide reaching the atmosphere. The treaty was agreed in 1987 to slow down the manufacture and eventually eliminate production of substances that deplete the ozone layer which protects the Earth from harmful solar rays which can cause skin cancer and accelerate global warming. The black spot shows a "hole" in ozone distribution over the South Pole

20070918 白石角打造小矽谷 南豐﹕配套更勝數碼港

clipped from premium.mingpao.com 吐露港側將出現一個超大型豪宅區 新項目可供進駐科學園的大批科研人員和學者居住，使他們可24小時做科研，猶如美國矽谷的香港縮影，並表示配套設施將更勝數碼港。 不過，有現職於科學園的工程師表示，上述樓盤的售價估計甚高，他未必能負擔得起，因而沒有打算購買這些豪宅。 由於科學園2期的出租理想，大批國際及內地科研學者進駐，「科研人員需要有良好的住屋環境，以便讓他們24小時做科研工作」。問及會否參考美國矽谷發展概念，他回應說項目配套更勝數碼港，「項目會提供先進的生活環境，外國的生活模式，相信香港未曾出現過」。 測量師陳超國指出，由於科學園規模不大，未必能達到像美國矽谷的住宅加科研基地發展模式，估計該項目除吸引科研人員外，亦會以內地投資者為銷售對象；由於白石角地皮以低密度臨海住宅為賣點，加上配套設施較完備，料較數碼港發展為佳。

20090917 退耕還林暫停 突顯制度缺陷

clipped from premium.mingpao.com 　【明報專訊】日前內地媒體有一則新聞，相當重要，但似乎沒有引起足夠的關注，新聞內容是﹕「為確保『十一五』期間耕地不少於18億畝，原定『十一五』期間退耕還林2000萬畝的規模，除2006年已安排400萬畝外，其餘暫不安排。」這段新聞很能說明中國當前的制度缺陷。 　缺陷之一是重發展輕環保。中央設定18億畝耕地死線，是為了保障國家糧食安全，耕地近年大幅減少，是因為各個大中城市拚命擴張，把原來的鄉郊農地變成屋地，市政府和地產開發商從中獲得巨利，但由此引起的耕地不足後果，卻要退耕還林計劃來承受，這計劃是為了補贖過去多年過度開墾，導致水土流失黃沙漫天，如今計劃不過初見成效，暫時扭轉了國土沙漠化的危機，中央不去叫停過度的城市化步伐，卻要退耕還林計劃煞車，箇中荒謬與無奈，思之令人嘆息。 　缺陷之二是有政策無配套，不可持續發展。退耕還林計劃是在1999年做試點，2002年全面推行的，中央為此專門立法，並撥款逾10億元，補償給受計劃影響的農戶，同時要求地方政府制訂農戶轉業計劃，以免中央政府無了期地補貼退耕農戶。有一些地方確實做出了成績，就連內蒙古這樣氣候惡劣不宜植林的地方，當採納了錢學森等科學家的建議，把不宜耕作的農地改種沙棘、甘草等耐乾旱植物，並引進沙棘果醬或製醋工廠，農戶自退耕土地上得到的經濟價值，比昔日勉強種植糧食還要多。然而，這類成功事例只屬少數，更多的地方政府是鐵心長期倚賴中央救濟，甚至包容濫竽冒領，中央不忍心農戶捱餓，果然宣布2007年底起繼續資助5年，但這個宣布等於承認了政策不可持續，將來一旦失去補貼，農戶便只有把還林土地再次砍伐耕種。 　退耕還林計劃推行以來，中國恢復了約3. 64億畝林地或草地，相當於再造了一個東北、內蒙古國有林區，這個成績必須保住，但願今年8月宣布的暫停真的只是暫時停止前行，而不是節節敗退的開端。 　【本欄逢周一刊出】 　明報駐京記者 劉進圖

20070917 空氣污染嚴重天濛濛 邱騰華：盡快諮詢停車熄匙

clipped from premium.mingpao.com 　【明報專訊】受反氣旋影響致風勢微弱、污染物積聚不散，本港空氣污染持續嚴重，銅鑼灣、中環及旺角路邊監測站昨均錄得「甚高」的空氣污染水平，預計灰濛濛的天色至周四才有改善。有耳鼻喉專科醫生指出，近日求診人數較平時略多，主要是鼻敏感及傷風感冒患者。環境局長邱騰華表示，政府會盡快就立法管制「停車熄匙」諮詢公眾，進一步改善路邊空氣污染情況。 　路邊監測站指數超過100 　華南地區上周六起受反氣旋影響，本港風勢微弱，懸浮粒子積聚，藍天不再。昨日銅鑼灣、中環及旺角路邊監測站指數普遍超過100，中環最高指數達143，其餘各區路邊監測站亦錄得偏高至甚高水平。天文台科學主任李子祥說，本港現時吹偏北風，風勢較穩定和緩，難以吹散空氣中的懸浮粒子，直接影響能見度。天文台預測今日氣溫介乎攝氏27至32度，隨後數天天晴，預計空氣污染要到周四、周五風勢較大時才有改善。 　耳鼻喉求診人數增加 　耳鼻喉專科醫生顧德政說，近日求診人數較平時略高，主要是鼻敏感及傷風感冒患者。他說，空氣污染可刺激呼吸系統，本港有四成至五成人有敏感病徵，空氣污染會令敏感人士出現流鼻水、喉嚨痕癢等病徵，鼻敏感及哮喘的發病率亦會較高，建議市民盡量留在室內，在戶外要多喝水。 　環境局長邱騰華對本報表示，本港空氣質素欠佳，是由於區域性污染所致。他說，粵港將擴大合作層面，他日前到廣州，與廣東省多個部門商討環保議題，包括廣州市環保局、發改委及經貿委等，廣東省方面已決定逐步關閉小型電廠、水泥廠及鋼鐵廠，加強工廠的環保設施，年底前會再提出新措施，進一步紓緩空氣污染。他強調，內地將加大力度減排，包括推行具約束指標，以示決心。 　另外，本港會盡快就立法管制「停車熄匙」諮詢公眾，他強調，政府過去投入大量資源，包括更換石油氣的士及小巴，巴士公司未來幾年亦會更換排放量更低的型號，「要做的已做了」，停車熄匙是「行多一步」的措施，有助本港在秋冬季受區域空氣污染影響時，紓緩路邊空氣污染情。