China is Poisoning its Water

The Tai Lake (in Chinese Tai Hu or “great lake”), the third largest lake in China (approximately 2250 kmq. of surface) located on the plains of the Yangze River delta, is dying. The hundreds of chemical industries which surround it are destroying it with their waste. They are infesting the lake with cyanobacteria and coloring it a fluorescent green (with nitrogen, phosphates, fertilizers and sewage). The populations who live along the canals, the rice paddies and the chemical plants can not utilize its waters for drinking or for cooking (which they were able to do until a short time ago): this is the umpteenth confirmation of the unstoppable pollution that is enshrouding China.

In order to promote the economic growth of their country, local politicians have no scruples regarding the environment: for example, the fines for infractions of environmental laws are usually less than 1,000 Euro. Further, they can not be applied twice for the same infraction.

The Chinese economy is based on coal power plants, which render the air unbreathable as they emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, above all CO2 (carbon dioxide).

In spite of the doubts and contestations regarding their social and environmental impact, new dams are being constructed. The dams guarantee the supply of cleaner electricity, but they have forced millions of people to leave their homes and have scarred the countryside.

An example of this the Three Gorges Dam, which was completed last year. It is the largest dam in the world concerning dimensions as well as the quantities of earth, stone, cement and steel utilized. The dam can boast of having conquered another top place: 1 million people evicted from their homes and forced to leave their land.

In western China, the price for the economic advantages furnished by hydroelectric power has been paid by those forced to relocate, by the environment, by the land and by the cultural heritage.

Fan Xiao, geologist of the Sichuan province, affirms that “while on the one hand the development of the hydroelectric plants has taken place in a disorderly uncontrolled manner, at insane levels, on the other hand hydroelectric power is one of the most abundant and least exploited energy resources in China.” In fact, China can count on a large network of large rivers that come down from the Tibetan plateau, but at the same time many parts of the country suffer from a serious lack of water.

In the meantime Beijing satisfies its hunger for energy by continuing to build coal power plants which guarantee approximately 70% of the energy requirements.

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