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Thread: China's Pollution problem

  1. #61
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    Baby, I'm pretty sure the poor fellow was successful and did kill his self. He's just still walking around for a couple months.
    I do applaud his self esteem in rejecting to drown directly in that.
    "The perfect way to do, is to be" ~ Lao Tzu

  2. #62
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    whats with all these china sh1thole porn on off topic all the time lol

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  3. #63
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    Quote Originally Posted by bawang View Post
    whats with all these china sh1thole porn on off topic all the time lol
    Good for people to be thankful and have more respect. Think of people they treat better than their own government. Trade what they can with em?
    "The perfect way to do, is to be" ~ Lao Tzu

  4. #64
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    Breathe Again

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  5. #65
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    Shenyang haze

    50X higher than that considered safe by WHO. And WHO tends to be conservative with such estimates.

    China decries Shenyang pollution called 'worst ever' by activists
    10 November 2015


    AFP
    Pollution is a perennial problem in the industrial northeast of China

    Chinese state media and netizens have criticised high pollution levels in the northeast city of Shenyang, which activists have said could be the "worst ever" air quality seen in the country.

    On Sunday pollution readings were about 50 times higher than that considered safe by the World Health Organization.

    State media have blamed the local government for the thick smog.

    Pollution is a perennial problem in China's northeast, home to heavy industries including coal mining.

    In some parts of Shenyang, Sunday's readings of tiny particulate which can get into the lungs, known as PM 2.5, exceeded 1,400 mg per cubic metre, according to state media People's Daily.
    The WHO recommends a maximum 24-hour average of 25 mg per cubic metre.

    "As far as we are aware from the data we have been observing over the past few years, this is the highest ever PM 2.5 level recording" in the country, Dong Liansai a campaigner with environmental group Greenpeace, told AFP news agency.

    There has been no government confirmation of this assertion.


    AP
    Residents expressed their outrage on the microblogging site Weibo

    'Unreasonable'

    The deterioration in air quality came as the city's coal-powered heating system fired up for the winter.

    Local media reported delays in the enacting of emergency measures, such as warnings to the public and issuance of stop-work orders to work sites.

    A Global Times editorial blamed local officials for inexperience in tackling pollution and "inconsistent channels of communication". It also blamed "unreasonable modes of energy consumption and [the] industrial structure".


    AFP
    Many Shenyang residents were still seen on the streets without masks amid the choking levels of pollution

    But it also called for public understanding saying that in general, local governments "are still on a learning curve".

    On the microblogging platform Weibo, Shenyang residents have continued to post pictures of themselves wearing masks and of the city plunged in a hazy gloom, using the hashtag #Shenyang Haze#, as the pollution persisted.

    "I can't go on living like this, #Shenyang Haze#, if this goes on any longer everyone will probably get cancer," complained user BLS-Christine on Tuesday.

    Multiple Weibo users shared ghostly images of neon signs "floating" in the air as buildings were rendered nearly invisible by the smog


    Weibo


    Weibo

    Earlier this year China's environment ministry announced that only eight out of the country's 74 biggest cities had passed the government's basic air quality standards in 2014.
    Most of the cities found to have the worst air were in the northeast of the country.

    China is attempting to cut pollution but still relies heavily on coal for its energy and industrial needs.
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  6. #66
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    Cold smog

    Worst smog of the winter envelopes Beijing
    More than 250,000 people in China's biggest cities could have their lives cut short from high levels of air pollution.
    30 Nov 2015 09:41 GMT | Weather, Environment, Asia, China

    Authorities in the Chinese capital have warned of "severe pollution" and advised the city's 20 million inhabitants to stay indoors.

    Beijing has been shrouded in grey smog since Friday, reducing visibility to a few hundred metres.

    Some pollution readings in the city have reached 22 times the level considered safe by the World Health Organization - despite commitments from the government to improve the environment.

    Beijing and many other northern cities in China are notorious for their winter smog, which is caused by a combination of air pollution and weather conditions.

    More than a quarter of a million people in China's biggest cities could have their lives cut short by high levels of air pollution, according to a recent joint study by Peking University and Greenpeace.

    The Ministry of Environmental Protection has forecast severe pollution for Beijing and other areas until Tuesday, when strong winds are expected to clear some pollutants.


    Beijing has issued its highest smog alert of the year after pollution reached hazardous levels. [Andy Wong/AP]


    Smog has engulfed large parts of the country despite efforts to clean up the foul air. [Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters]


    Beijing plans to ramp up its already tough car emission standards by 2017 in an effort by one of the world's most polluted cities to improve its often hazardous air quality. [Reuters]


    A woman sells paper kites at Tiananmen Square on a day with poor air quality. [Mark Schiefelbein/AP]


    The Forbidden City seen through the haze. [Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters]


    Beijing's Environmental Protection Bureau warned that poor air quality could continue in the coming days. [Rolex Dela Pena/EPA]


    Some of the worst smog of the winter enveloped Beijing on November 29 where air pollution levels are nearly 15 times the safety limit set by the World Health Organisation, according to US figures. [Rolex Dela Pena/EPA]
    Ironic that this is happening while the Paris Climate Summit is happening.
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  7. #67
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    Well, that pollution isn't only China's problem. It all blows out to other countries, even including to North America.

  8. #68
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    So true, Jimbo

    I just spoke to someone in Beijing yesterday and they said it was unbelievably horrible but just that evening (he was calling at night to reach me in the morning) it cleared up inexplicably for a moment and he saw some stars.

    LOOK: Airpocalypse smothers Beijing as breathtaking PM2.5 levels hit 976 in some parts of the capital



    On Sunday, Beijing issued its highest smog alert of the year, upgrading the yellow warning which had been in place for the past few days to orange, resulting in more than 2,100 major companies in polluting industries suspending their operations and all construction sites stopping their work in order to cut emissions.
    But, it seems like too little, too late as the capital is now experiencing its most severe levels of pollution this year.



    People's Daily,China ✔@PDChina
    The reading of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in #Beijing on November 30, 2015
    9:01 PM - 30 Nov 2015
    58 58 Retweets 35 35 likes
    Yup, that reads a PM2.5 level of 2,242. The WHO consideres the safe level of PM2.5 particles to be 25 micrograms per cubic meter and China has a national standard of 75 micrograms. While this reading hasn't been confirmed elsewhere, several monitoring sites downtown recorded levels of more than 600 micrograms per cubic meter, while in the Beijing suburbs, readings were as high as 976 micrograms.
    With air pollution levels at 35 times what is considered safe, schools in Beijing have been ordered to keep their students indoors today. Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping is missing out on all the fun due to his impeccably timed trip to the COP21 UN Conference on climate change summit in Paris. He'll be back in Beijing on Sunday.
    This all comes as China has recently announced that it has achieved the pollution reduction targets for major pollutants outlined in its 12th Five Year Plan six months ahead of schedule. It also comes after reports that China is burning 17% more coal than it says it is.
    Cities in the northeast of China frequently experience high levels of air pollution during winter due to the concentration of heavy industry and coal-fired power plants in the region. On Sunday, Hohhot more or less resembled the landscape of Mars during a dust storm.
    Officials say that the heavy smog will continue until Wednesday when a cold front will move in from the west to help disperse the pollutants, allowing Beijingers to once again see more than 100 yards in front of them.



    Shanghaiist
    News/Media Website · 820,454 Likes · November 30 at 5:00pm ·
    In case you have trouble finding Beijing's CCTV Headquarters, helpful netizens on Weibo have drawn you this handy diagram.
    >> http://shst.me/cmw
    1,137 Likes · 103 Comments · 274 Shares





    At least people will stop complaining about how cold it's been.
    [Images via NetEase]
    Contact the author of this article or email tips@shanghaiist.com with further questions, comments or tips.
    By Alex Linder in News on
    There are more pix but they are all just gray...
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  9. #69
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    Red Alert for smog

    It's been over a decade since I've been in Beijing and the smog there was horrendous back then. What would a red alert be like? I can't even imagine.

    Get your masks ready! Beijing issues its first ever RED ALERT for smog



    Despite earlier reports to the contrary, Beijing will issue its first ever red alert for air pollution as heavy smog is set to descend upon the city in the coming days.
    A red alert means that from 7 a.m. on Tuesday to 12 p.m. on Thursday, public schools will be closed and there will be a strict odd-even car ban imposed. Also, it should go without saying, but no barbecuing!
    The city's air pollution reached year-high levels early last week with thick smog that shrouded landmarks and horrified the world during a global conference on climate change in Paris attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
    Initiially, this latest batch of smog wasn't predicted to be quite so toxic as the last, though authorities raised the alert level to "orange" over the weekend. Schools were to be required to keep their students indoors and heavy polluting factories were required to shut down until Thursday, when the smog is once again predicted to be dispersed.
    But no longer! IT'S A RED ALERT! Everyone put on your masks, grab your industrial vacuum cleaners and follow Nut Brother into battle!



    Contact the author of this article or email tips@shanghaiist.com with further questions, comments or tips.
    By Alex Linder in News on Dec 7, 2015 11:59 PM
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  10. #70
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    Vitality Air

    Oh Canada....

    That's one way to escape the smog! Bottles of FRESH AIR from Canada are a hot sale in China as pollution levels remain high
    Sales of Vitality Air from Alberta soared since Beijing's smog red alert
    Last week authorities issued highest ever pollution warning in China
    Canisters of air are being sold for up to £42 each, depending on the size
    Company spokesman said Chinese customers have emptied their stock
    By CHLOE LYME FOR MAILONLINE

    PUBLISHED: 13:37 EST, 14 December 2015 | UPDATED: 22:12 EST, 14 December 2015

    Since China's capital city Beijing issued its first ever air pollution red alert last week, sales of bottled Canadian fresh mountain air to Chinese customers have soared.

    Two entrepreneurs from Alberta have been selling Vitality Air for just over a year, but over the last two weeks their sales to China have increased dramatically, reports The People's Daily Online.

    The red alert over air pollution was issued by Beijing authorities on December 7, lasting three days, amid the second bout of bad air this month. During this time PM2.5 levels - tiny hazardous airborne particles - exceeded 900 micrograms per cubic metre.


    A Chinese man shows how a canister is used. The demand for bottled air by Vitality has soared in China


    The company is in talks with distributors in China wanting to stock their product in stores across the country

    Vitality Air was co-founded by Moses Lam and Troy Paquette in 2014. They travel to high rocky mountains in Alberta, western Canada for the fresh air, which is home to over 600 lakes.

    In the mountains, massive cans are filled through clean compression with pure revitalising air, something that is not found in Beijing during the harshest days.

    On their website Vitalityair.com it says: 'We strive to provide a premium quality necessity that isn't always available.

    'The best and the freshest necessity of life - fresh clean air and oxygen.'

    Speaking to the MailOnline, Harrison Wang, Vitality Air's China representative, said: 'It's been a pretty wild ride for us as we only started to market the product a month and a half ago.

    We got the website up and running, then put Vitality Air on Taobao – a Chinese website similar to eBay for online shopping – and we sold out almost instantly.'


    Vitality Air: A screen grab from their website showing the different types of bottled air that can be purchased

    Their first shipment to China was a little over 500 bottles of air, their next shipment in two weeks will be around 700.

    'We have sold everything, and we now have a bunch of customers and a people wanting to be our distributors,' said Harrison.

    It's an exciting time for the company, putting their product on the market in China has been a fast learning curve, especially when it comes to the country's e-commerce industry.

    'Consumer spending power is like something we have never seen before and we are pleasantly surprised.

    'We know the demand is big so we are being reactive instead of proactive, and doing our best to accommodate for the market needs and demands,' he said.

    Moses and Troy from Vitality Air have spent time in China, and they are fully aware of the current pollution crisis.


    Tourists donned masks in Beijing's Tian'anmen Square as smog levels reached a red alert warning for the first time ever on December 8 last week


    Sales of pollution masks increased massively last week when Beijing was hit with a red alert pollution warning

    'The pollution is certainly a problem and the government is taking aim to sort it, we see it has an issue and we want to give people the opportunity to inject a little bit of fresh into their daily lives,' said Harrison.


    They initially put the fresh mountain air into sealed plastic bags and sold it on eBay for 99 cents (65p) per bag.



    Now they are selling one canister of compressed air for up to $46 dollars (£42) depending on the size.

    That's around 400 Yuan to Chinese residents for a can of air, which is 200 times the price of a bottle of mineral water - usually around two Yuan (20p).

    As well as China, the company has had sales in countries including Iran and Afghanistan.


    Businessman Chen Guangbiao made his fortune selling cans of air for 80p each to over 10 million people


    Air is already being sold to residents and tourists in China in glass bottles and tin cans

    Selling 'fresh air' in a bag or a bottle is not a new commodity in China.

    Entrepreneurs from both home and abroad have been trying to capitalize on the country's pollution problem for a while.

    In 2014 China planned to offer tourists affected by the smog, bottles of 'oxygen'.

    The bottles were to be manufactured as part of a tourism scheme by authorities in China's south-west Guizhou Province.

    In 2013 one lucky Chinese businessmen made millions selling soda pop-sized cans of air at 80 cents (53p) a can. Chen Guangbiao told reporters he sold 10 million cans in 10 days.

    When the red alert was issued in China, the authorities announced plans to close schools, temporarily shut factories and take half of the city's cars off the roads.

    The country's high pollution levels has been described as an environmental crisis by the World Health Organisation.
    Gene Ching
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  11. #71
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    China not the worst

    Good news for China, but still bad news for the earth.

    Which country has the worst air pollution? Clue: it's not China


    Smoke rises from a chimney of a garbage processing plant on the outskirts of the northern Indian city of Chandigarh. Image: REUTERS/Ajay Verma

    Written by Donald Armbrecht, Writer and social media producer, Freelance
    Published Wednesday 24 February 2016

    When people think of poor air quality, images of a smoggy Beijing skyline often come to mind. China's difficulties with pollution have given it the reputation of having the worst air quality in the world.

    But while China undoubtedly still has work to do, the world's second largest economy has made huge strides in improving its air quality. Last year, in the quarter ending 30 September, China was the largest centre of investment in the world for renewable energy, with $26.7 billion - twice that of the second largest, the United States. In 2014, it led the world in new clean energy, adding 56 gigawatts to the grid, four times what the US contributed.

    A new study by Greenpeace shows that these investments are starting to make a difference. Using NASA satellite images to measure microscopic particles, the study found that levels of PM2.5 particles in China had decreased by 17% between 2010 and 2015. In the United States the fall was 15%.



    That's great news for China, but not so much for India, where the situation has gotten worse. Annual PM2 levels in New Delhi were at 128 compared to Beijing's 81 and Washington D.C.'s 12. The study lays out recommendations for India to curb their PM2 levels, which include a pollution action plan to enforce compliance of coal-fired power plants and the institution of air quality monitoring systems in urban areas. China launched its own action plan in 2013.

    Thirteen of the top 20 most polluted cities in the world, according a World Health Organization (WHO) report from 2013, are in India. This has led to fears for the health of children living in Asia’s third largest economy.

    Using satellite technology to better understand the state and impact of air pollution has become increasingly valuable to climatologists. Davis Crisp, Senior Research Scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, presented the latest advancements and discoveries at the Annual Meeting of the World Champions last year.

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  12. #72
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    Water, Air, Earth...all polluted

    ...needs fire.

    ENVIRONMENT



    China's Toxic Waste Problem Is Just as Bad as Its Notorious Air Pollution

    By Jake Bleiberg

    March 8, 2016 | 9:40 am
    Chinese media reports that police have made a big break in a toxic waste case that came to international attention after a restaurant owner died from inhaling poisonous gases coming from his kitchen drain.

    Officials have traced the fumes back to highly toxic waste that the operator of a parking lot near the restaurant allowed allowed to be dumped on site, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.

    Between August 2014 and May 2015, the parking lot operator in the city of Baoding took payment from as many as 20 factories for the dumping of more than 3,400 tons of toxic waste, Xinhua said. Police arrested 27 suspects, according to the report.

    While the death caused by this dumping has seen a full-scale investigation, it is merely one of many such incidents in a country that for decades has pushed for massive industrial and economic growth at the expense of the environment, says Jennifer Turner, director the Woodrow Wilson Center's China Environment Forum.

    "This is not an uncommon thing that happened. This is an epidemic," said Turner, who explained that until recently the penalty for illegal dumping in China amounted to a single, "slap-on-the-hand fine" that sometimes made it cheaper for factories to pollute and pay than to properly dispose of toxic waste.

    Baoding has a population of over 11 million and lies roughly 100 miles southwest of Beijing. In 2015 the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection found it to be the country's most polluted city. Baoding is in the same province, Hebei, as much of China's coal and steel industry and seven of the other top 10 most-polluted Chinese cities.

    Air in Baoding — as in many other cities in China — regularly exceeds the level of pollution that the World Health Organization deems dangerous. According to a recent study, air pollution in China contributed to 1.6 million premature deaths in 2013 and this number is likely to continue rising, even as the country tries to cut its notorious levels of smog. China's so-called airpocalypse is a rising concern internationally, as well as domestically, but according to Turner, dumping toxic waste may have even more dire implications for the country's water.

    In 2013, just under 60 percent of the groundwater in China's urban areas was classified as "very polluted," or "relatively polluted," according to a Ministry of Land and Resources study. Both of these statuses mean that water is unfit to drink without treatment, and Turner warned that the reality may be grimmer than official estimates suggest.

    "The numbers are a bit dodgy, but there's general agreement that 30 to 35 percent of all the river and lake water in China is polluted to the level that it should not come into contact with humans," said Turner.

    Pushed by political pressure from people living with endemic pollution, Turner said, China is beginning to crack down on polluters and work to disassemble the culture of corruption that often had local environmental bureaus turning a blind eye to illegal dumping at the behest of city governments. The shift has been facilitated by individual citizens and advocacy groups that use smartphones to photograph and report illegal waste disposal. In Beijing, Turner said, the ministries of environment and public housing have been crowdsourcing the effort to address water pollution, encouraging the public to send pictures and report the location of seemingly contaminated water.

    While online watchdogs may be making it more difficult to ignore dangerous waste disposal, many on Chinese social media took a deeply ambivalent view of the news that the government had made arrests in the Baoding dumping case.

    "Nobody gets caught if no one dies," wrote one person in a thread about the story on a news site run by Tencent QQ, a popular Chinese instant messaging app. "The environment pollution is just like chemical weapons."

    Follow Jake Bleiberg on Twitter: @JZBleiberg
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  13. #73
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    "Say unto Aaron"

    "Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone." Exodus 7:19

    Apocalypse now! Alarming images of a Chinese waterway that turned BLOOD RED due to illegal waste discharge

    The colour changing Zhongting river has baffled residents in China
    It's thought that the cause of the change is illegal waste discharge
    The river stretches towards north-east China's Tianjin municipality

    By VICKI CHENG and SOPHIE WILLIAMS FOR MAILONLINE
    PUBLISHED: 04:53 EST, 15 April 2016 | UPDATED: 05:37 EST, 15 April 2016

    Locals have been left baffled after a section of the Zhongting River, close to northern China's historic Shengfang town turned red.

    It's thought that the colour change which occurred on the April 12 has been caused by the illgeal dumping of excessive industrial waste, Huanqiu, affiliated with the People's Daily Online reports.

    Local residents say they the water changed colour all of a sudden.


    Dangerous: Residents say this isn't an isolated case and the river changes a bright red shade a year ago


    Colourful water: According to locals, the Zhongting river changed colour all of a sudden on April 12


    Water from the river is said to be undrinkable after it turned a toxic red shade earlier this week

    Environmental officials said on April 13 local iron and steel plants are the major source of pollution.

    According to drone footage provided by people online, a wide stretch of the water is completely covered with red patches.

    In images released online, the red river can be seen drastically contrasting with a clear river adjacent with it.

    Local residents say that this phenomenon occurred a year ago and they believe that factories are the main cause.

    Water from the Zhongting river is said to be undrinkable.

    This isn't the first time that this has occurred in China.

    In July 2014, residents of Xinmeizhou village, Zhejiang province were shocked to find that the nearby river had turned red in a matter of minutes.

    Some filled plastic bottles with water and reported that the water had a strange smell.


    Illegal dumping: Environmental officials said local iron and steel plants are the major source of pollution


    According to drone footage, a wide stretch of the water is completely covered with red patches


    The red river can be seen drastically contrasting with a clear river adjacent with it
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  14. #74
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    Slightly OT

    Apocalypse coming? City residents shocked to see more than 30 TONNES of dead fish appearing in a lake

    The fish appeared floating on the water on May 4 in Hongcheng lake in Haikou, southern China's Hainan province
    Around 40 workers were sent to the scene to start the clean up operation and have so far recovered over 30 tonnes
    Haikou City Board of Marine and Fisheries say the cause of their death could be down to a change in salinity

    By SOPHIE WILLIAMS FOR MAILONLINE
    PUBLISHED: 05:32 EST, 5 May 2016 | UPDATED: 06:19 EST, 5 May 2016

    Residents of a Chinese city were shocked to see a vast number of dead fish appearing in a local lake yesterday.

    Horrifying images show the animals covering a large part of Hongcheng Lake in Haikou, southern China's Hainan province.

    Sanitation workers have been recovering the dead fish and have so far collected 30 tonnes, the People's Daily Online reports.


    Horrible discovery: The fish were discovered yesterday floating in Hongcheng Lake in Haikou, southern China's Hainan province


    Shocking images: Vast number of dead fish is seen covering a large part of the waters with modern city buildings at the background


    Starting the recovery process: The fish are thought to be scaled sardines, herring like fish that can be found in the Pacific Ocean

    According to Haikou City Board of Marine and Fisheries, the large number of dead fish is due to a change in salinity.

    Its suspected that the fish have floated in from another place.

    40 sanitation workers have attended the scene to recover the deceased animals.

    The fish are thought to be scaled sardines, herring like fish that can be found in the Pacific Ocean. Scaled Sardines can grow up to nine inches in length but are usually around half of that size.

    Staff at the Marine and Fisheries Agency told local reporters that pollution can be ruled out as a cause of death.

    They also said that they will investigate the matter further and take measures to prevent seawater from entering areas where freshwater fish reside.

    This isn't the first case of tonnes of deceased fish being found in China.

    In 2015, thousands of animals died overnight at a commercial fish farm in southern China's Guangdong province after the lake became polluted.

    Over 1,000 tonnes of dead fish were found floating in the water near Huizhou City.

    Workers rushed to clear the lake using plastic baskets and nets to scoop them out, creating a huge mountain of rotting fish on the shore.


    Disturbing images: Staff at the Marine and Fisheries Agency told reporters that pollution can be ruled out as a cause of death


    Clean up: According to Haikou City Board of Marine and Fisheries , the large number of dead fish is due to a change in salinity

    Sad images from Hainan: Sanitation workers have been recovering the dead fish and have so far collected 30 tonnes


    Haikou City Board of Marine and Fisheries say that they are investigating the cause of the animals' death further
    Mass fish deaths can be naturally occurring. We experienced a sardine mass death a few years ago when a massive school got stuck in the harbor, sucked all the oxygen up and died. The area reeked for a few days but no clean up was necessary as the seabirds took care of that promptly. It was a feeding frenzy. Of course, after that, everything was covered in seabird poop.
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  15. #75
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    Black and smelly rivers

    A 'black and smelly' job: the search for China's most polluted rivers
    A Chinese government campaign asks the public to hunt down polluted waterways that can then be mapped and cleaned up


    Shi Dianshou holds his nose on the banks of Beijing’s putrid River of Happiness. He is taking part in the government’s ‘black and smelly river’ campaign. Photograph: Tom Phillips for the Guardian

    Tom Phillips in Beijing
    Tuesday 21 June 2016 23.06 EDT Last modified on Wednesday 22 June 2016 17.00 EDT

    One sunny morning, Shi Dianshou sets off for China’s River of Happiness.

    “It’s not very happy right now,” the 24-year-old environmentalist admits as he drives north from Beijing to inspect the poetically named waterway.

    Driving 26 miles (42km) out of town, Shi’s car pulls up beside a putrid, rubbish-strewn creek. A black sofa pokes up from its murky waters; a landfill decorates its western bank; and beside another heap of refuse, a stray bra hangs lazily from the branch of a tree, lending a comic touch to the bleak scene.

    “I’ve seen this kind of river so many times,” complains Shi, pacing along the sewage-scented canal to evaluate the grime. “It makes me feel bad. I’m not happy about it.”

    Shi is one of hundreds of Chinese citizens fanning out across the country in search of what the government has labelled “black and smelly rivers”.


    The severely polluted River of Happiness in northern Beijing, China. Photograph: Tom Phillips for the Guardian

    As part of the “hei chou he” (“black and smelly river”) initiative, China’s environment ministry is asking members of the public to help it hunt down severely polluted waterways that can then be catalogued and, hopefully, cleaned up.

    Volunteers can post the locations and images of such waterways on a public WeChat account operated by the ministry.

    Since the project started in February, citizens have used smartphones to identify and log more than 1,300 locations. They have been added to a pre-existing blacklist of more than 1,850 polluted waterways, says Shi, who works at the Beijing NGO Environmentalists in Action.

    Shi, who has so far denounced five such rivers, says he hopes his work puts pressure on authorities and draws attention to toxic waterways they do not know about.

    “We think many black and smelly rivers have yet to be discovered,” the activist says during a 6km trek along the River of Happiness or Xing Fu river. “We want to get those ones on the list so they can deal with those rivers too.”

    Decades of unbridled industrialisation and urbanisation mean China has no shortage of black and smelly rivers.

    In 2012, a senior official from the ministry of water resources admitted 40% of waterways were seriously polluted while 20% were absolutely toxic.


    The severely polluted River of Happiness in northern Beijing, China. Photograph: Tom Phillips for the Guardian

    Even so, activists have expressed hope that the current environment minister, Chen Jining, is at least trying to clean up the mess.

    Chen, an academic who studied at Imperial College London during the 1990s, took office early last year vowing to confront an environmental crisis that was “unprecedented in human history”.

    Within months Beijing had unveiled a major anti-water pollution initiative – the so-called “10-point water plan” – that it called the strictest in Chinese history.

    The “black and smelly” project is one part of that push to detoxify Chinese waters.


    Shi Dianshou and Luo Mengxiang visit the severely polluted River of Happiness. Photograph: Tom Phillips for the Guardian

    Environmentalists have praised the scheme as the first time the government has enlisted ordinary citizens to help fight its war on pollution.

    “I’m really happy to see the government calling on the people to take part in this activity,” says Deng Fei, a journalist and environmental activist who has compiled an online map of China’s pollution-stricken “cancer villages”.

    Deng says he started a similar project himself in 2013 – calling on internet users to help identify China’s 10 foulest waterways – but gave up after two fellow activists were detained by police.

    Deng cautions that the complex and systemic problems responsible for water pollution will not be solved overnight. “Just because we have the information, it doesn’t mean we can solve the problem straight away,” he says. “But this is the first step and I believe that as long as the government is determined to solve the problem then we will see the second and third steps.”

    A morning spent along the banks of the excrement-filled River of Happiness highlights the scale of the task.

    “We’ve reported the situation to the environmental protection department but nobody comes,” complains Xing Wenhua, a 56-year-old villager, as he picks spring onions from an allotment near one riverside fly-tip.


    Xing Wenhua, a 56-year-old farmer who lives along the River of Happiness in northern Beijing, China. He says environmental officials have ignored the contamination of its waters. Photograph: Tom Phillips for the Guardian

    Xing jokes that the stench of effluent is so foul it had caused all his hair to fall out.

    “I smell it every day and it stops my hair from growing! It’s so smelly!” laughs the bald farmer, who says the river’s downhill slide began after China’s economic opening started in the late 1970s.

    “How nice it would be if the river and the air were clean,” adds Xing, as he tends to his vegetables. “We could drink the water when I was young. We’d go down there with a bucket to collect it from the river,” he reminisces.

    Asked what would happen if you drink the water these days, Xing lets out a loud guffaw.

    “What sort of a silly question is that?” the farmer bellows. “This water stinks. And you ask me if you could drink it? Do you think Chinese people are foolish? Are we all fools?”

    Additional reporting by Christy Yao
    I keep hearing the song 'Black Muddy River' playing out in my head when I read this.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

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