GreenWatch

B. McPherson  No water no life China’s great leap forward that started in the 1990s has exacted a heavy price on the environment and small farmers. Slack environmental protection laws have allowed the factory owners to dump toxic waste directly into waterways, polluting them in some cases to the point where it is dangerous to touch the water. In addition to widespread pollution of waterways and ground water, industry sucks up vast amounts of water in the manufacturing process. Much of China runs on coal power, a resource in abundance particularly in the north part of the country which also is amongst the driest of the territory. Coal uses about 17% of China’s available water, but much comes from already dry areas. Some of these areas are as dry as the Middle East. Water used for industry becomes unavailable for growing food. While the central government is aware of the looming crisis, many urban dwellers are going about their daily business in blissful ignorance of t...

B. McPherson China’s much publicized pig float in their showcase city of Shanghai is just the latest insult to their waterways. Floating, rotting carcasses can be fished out of the river water and barring new swine dumping, if that were all that polluted the river, it could be made safe again. The toxic soup of sewage, garbage and industrial waste fouls many of the great rivers of China and nothing seems effective in stopping it. The fouling of China’s waterways will not be dealt with as long as those responsible for ensuring safe water ignore the problem and lie to the public. The authorities in Shanghai have declared the water with the putrid pigs, garbage, sewage and toxic chemicals safe to drink. The public doesn’t believe them, but is still forced to use the water for washing and cleaning. A river that flows through the industrial area of Shenzen is so polluted that the locals refer to it as the Black Dragon River. It supplies the drinking water for Hong Kong. ...