Below you will find an annotated bibliography that lists and summarizes the primary sources used to produce this website. Following the bibliography will be fifteen discussion questions that can be posed to a class after they have studied the preceding bibliography.
Chameides, W. L., H. Yu, S. C. Liu, M. Bergin, X. Zhou, L. Mearns, G. Wang, C. S. Kiang, R. D. Saylor, C. Lou, Y. Huang, A. Steiner, and F. Giorgi. "Case Study of the Effects of Atmospheric Aerosols and Regional Haze on Agriculture: An Opportunity to Enhance Rop Yields in China through Emission Controls?"
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 96.24 (1999): 13626-3633. Web. 18 May 2010.
Many of the environmental issues concerning water and air quality have risen from the industrialization and economic focus of the Chinese government. I find this particular article significant to our research because the data that has been collected suggests that some of the side effects of inefficient industrialization methods are actually hindering the production rates in Chinese agricultural efforts. The research consists of satellite imaging of different regions of China that map air pollution densities across the country. Results indicate that the regions suffering from higher levels of air pollution and smog are hindering the crop yields in agricultural efforts. The research suggests that the air smog that consists of tiny micro-particle mixtures of chemical solids and liquids that are dispersed throughout the air are actually blocking sunlight and inhibiting the effectiveness of the plant’s photosynthesis. This data can be used to advocate a green revolution-like transition toward more environmental regulations and sustainable practices in China without interfering with China’s economic agenda of high production goals and economic growth in the agricultural sector of the economy.
Changhua, Wu, Crescencia Maurer, Yi Wang, Shouzheng Xue, and Devra Lee Davis. "Water Pollution and Human Health in China." EHP Online: Home of Environmental Health Perspectives. Web. 25 May 2010.
The article “Water Pollution and Human Health” discusses the issue of water scarcity and the leading factors in water pollution. There are many factors that negatively affect the water supply in China; the first one for discussion is the lack of proper sewage treatment. The rapid growth of the Chinese population has put enormous pressure on the surrounding environment especially in urban areas. As communities are being built quickly to fill the demand there is little attention paid to the water infrastructure of these areas. As a result sewage and water treatment are often lackluster if not nonexistent. Human waste in the water supplies brings an array of diseases such as “parasitic flukes and worms; hepatitis A, bacterial dysentery, infectious diarrhea, para-cholera, and typhoid” which is mentioned by the authors. Compounding the issue of human waste is the animal waste and fertilizers from the expansion of urban farming. The allowance of farmers to sell their surplus crops to a newly open market gave way to a large increase of urban agriculture. The effect of this is even more organic matter that includes above mentioned pathogens coupled with increased nitrogen in the water. Increased levels of nitrogen from fertilizers give a perfect breeding ground to algae blooms. These blooms kill off natural flora and fauna by depleting the water of oxygen. This phenomenon is visible in many countries including our own region in the Gulf of Mexico. Though these are major factors another leading problem in water pollution is industrial waste. As China pushes forward into a new industrial era; they like many industrial nations before have little to no policies about the dumping of industrial waste. As a result there is a large amount of chemical waste such as lead mercury and cyanide in rivers lakes and estuaries. The result of this could be an increase of cancer for the Chinese people. It is important for the health and prosperity of China to address this situation immediately.
China Sandstorm Leaves Beijing Shrouded in Orange Dust. BBC News. 3/20/10. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8577806.stm?lsf. Accessed 5/19/2010
In late March of this year, Chinese officials issued a Level 5 Pollution Warning (on the Air Pollution Index) and warned people to stay indoors due to a massive dust storm that effected 313,000 sq miles and 250 million people across both parts of China and South Korea. A Level 5 Pollution warning defines that the area is heavily polluted and that " Healthy people will be noticeably affected. People with breathing or heart problems will experience reduced endurance in activities. These individuals and elders should remain indoors and restrict activities." This storm adversely effected the regions of Xinjian, Shanxi, Shannxi and Hebei and officials in South Korea warned residents to stay indoors. This storm like others originated in the Inner Mongolia region and is believed to be caused by deforestation.
Dasgupta, Susmita, Hua Wang, and David Wheeler. Surviving Success: Policy Reform and the Future of Industrial Pollution in China. China's National Environmental Protection Ageny & The World Bank's Country Department EA2. Web. 17 May 2010.
Drastic increases in the Chinese economy have been both positive and negative for the country. While as a result of industrialization millions of Chinese have been alleviated from poverty and are experiencing a better quality of lifestyle than previous generations, the environmental impact taking place is becoming detrimental to the health of Chinese. Recent policies that enforce pollution regulations have produced positive trends that indicate lower pollution rates however, when considering the current rate of industry growth strict limitations on pollution emissions must be in place today just to keep the current levels of pollution from rising. Tens of thousands die every year due to polluted related illnesses and if current trends persist by the year 2020 the figures could rise to the hundreds of thousands of casualties. “Methods of regulation have varied from emission standards, pollution levies, and other regulatory instruments” (pg. 8) Penalties usually consist of fines and are determined on the degree of violation of the law. Unfortunately, regulation has varied by province and many times companies ignore regulations and policies if the risk of being caught is low. A chart indicated on page 10 shows that regulator response rates are related to complaints per capita. Thus, areas of high illiteracy rates suffer from higher pollution because the citizens are unaware and uneducated about the dangerous effects of pollution and their environment. We have decided not to use the entire study for data collection because beyond page 18 a lot of the information focuses on the comparing of collected data indicating pollution levels, costs, and different scenarios amongst a variety of the provinces in China. While the data is significant, it is irrelevant to our project that focuses on China holistically for the 9th grade audience that probably is not very familiar with China and its geographical features.
Hays, Jeffrey. "Air Pollution in China." Facts and Details. Apr. 2010. Web. 20 May 2010.
The website features a list with a wide range of facts and statistics about environmental issues in China. In addition to the collection of facts, the website offers a wide range of links and resources that includes organizations and educational databases related to pollution and environmental issues in China. The reasons I like the source is because of the accessibility and easy to view statistics that will be great for constructing a power point or other visual presentation for the freshman audience. Additionally the site exposes certain aspects of environmental issues that have not been focused on in other academic sources I have found. For example, underground coal fires in China account for more annual carbon dioxide production in a year than all of the vehicles on the road in the United States of America.
Jiaoa, Nianzhi, Zhanga, Yao, et al. Ecological anomalies in the East China Sea: Impacts of theThree Gorges Dam. Water Research Vol. 41. 2007. Pg 1287-1293
With the development of the Yangtze River’s Three Gorges Damn come unexpected consequences. A study was undertaken to examine the potential impacts to production in the Easy China Sea, where the Yangtze River ultimately ends up. With the aid of NASA, sensors were used to measure particulates in the water. Picoplankton densities, a low in the food web organism, were measured on the surface across the transect of the Continental Shelf and water temperature and salinity measurements were taken consistently as well. Noticeable changes in environmental and ecological paremeters were noticed. Within 2 months of the first one third of the reservoir behind the Three Gorges Dam being filled, noticeable changes within the microbial community were discovered in the East China Sea. One of the causes of this reduction is believed to be the reduction in sentiment deposits due to these now being held behind the dam. The authors contend that future manipulations of ecosystems like the Yangtze River should be carefully evaluated and discussed.
Kennedy, Bruce. China’s Three Gorges Dam. Visions of China. http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/1999/china.50/asian.superpower/three.gorges/ Accessed 5/18/10.
An overview of The Three Gorges Damn is provided including the benefits hoped for by the Chinese government. These include a source for energy as well as a hope for flood control in the Yangtze Valley. However the Three Gorges Dam and its construction has encountered issues and presented problems. The projected has already been scrutinized internationally as many around the World are referring to it as the largest construction project undertaken since the formation of the Great Wall of China. Also concerns about corruption that is perceived to have been involved in the project as well as the severe environment impacts imposed by the largest dam in the World are on the minds of both Chinese and foreigners. In fact, a Chinese citizen was jailed for 10 months for protesting the project and the Director for University Delaware's Center for Energy and Environmental Policy referred to it as an "energy dinosaur."
Liu, Lee Made In China: Cancer Villages Environment; Feb2010, Vol. 52 Issue 2, p8-21, 14p
This article describes a new phenomenon that is getting a lot of attention recently and is believed to be directly correlated to water pollution is “cancer villages”. Cancer villages are villages that have a remarkably high occurrence of cancer. Most of these villages are either found on or near riverbeds. There is an actual belt of cancer villages that is highly visible that follows that flow of the river. Water pollution from untreated industrial waste being dumped into rivers is said to be the leading culprit. The reason this situation is unique to china is because of the rapid economical transformation. A shift from communal living to a privatized market has put pressure on the industrial industry to produce at an incredible rate. The swift movement of the economy has left the Chinese people thinking progress first environment later. This way of thinking has lead to a massive pollution of almost all water sources throughout the country. It has also lead to the increase in occurrence of cancers and other diseases.
Mong, Adrienne. Trying to Green the Growing Gobi Desert. MSNB.com. 9/3/2009. http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/09/03/2045682.aspx. Accessed 5/19/2010
The massive sand/dust storms of China originate in the Gobi Desert of the Mongolia region. These frequency and the severity of these dust storms are believed to be due to desertification-the expansion of the desert. Deforestation, drought and climate are leading causes of desertification which some scientists believe is transforming a million acres of grassland into desert each year. Currently efforts are under way to promote sustainable grazing and crop rotation to slow desertification.
Myers, Norman, and Jennifer Kent. “New Consumers: The Influence of Affluence on the
Environment." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 100.8 (2003): 4963-968. Web. 15 May 2010. The report assesses the rise in potential consumers in countries around the globe and considers the environmental impacts of the increased consumption of meat in the average person’s diet as well as the co2 emission levels resulting from increases in consumer spending. The data used to determine the number of “new consumers” considers people with the purchasing power of at least $2,500 a year. Charts shown on pages 4964 and 4965 indicate China as the number 1 leader in new consumers, highest growth of GDP from 1990-99, highest increase in car ownership percentage, and a steady growth of feed grain consumption. China hosts nearly one fifth of the world’s population and with the economic growth rate doubling every seven years the levels of consumption are astounding. Compared to the United States meat consumption (%15), China consumes nearly twice the amount of meat at 28% of the world’s entire consumption. The environmental impact of meat consumption is considerable as the grain required to support livestock requires immense quantities of water and has contributed to water shortages and the drainage of underground aquifers. Environmental concerns for increased car usage are also significant because of emissions that contribute to smog and acid rain. In addition to pollutants, the use of automobiles requires costly land use for roads that destroy land that supports biodiversity. This scholarly source is valuable to our presentation because it provides statistical evidence that links the economic growth of China to environmental concerns including water supplies and air quality of the country.
Tilt, Bryan. "Chapter 5 Pollution, Perceptions, and Environmental Values." The Struggle for Sustainability in Rural China: Environmental Values and Civil Society. New York: Columbia UP, 2010. 83-107. Print.
This chapter gives a specific example of the impacts of the industrial movement on the environment and, the struggle between progress and health in China. For his research Tilt visits the village of Futian. His intentions are to get the villagers impression on the environmental situation in their surroundings. The Village is situated alongside a river that frequently is used to flush industrial waste. The waste comes from a coal mine that washes its coal before sale upriver. The washing of the coal frequently causes the nearby river to run black for days or even weeks at a time. During this time the villages are unable to use the water for drinking, watering animals, or their crops. Even after the river aesthetically looks clean the water still contains high levels of lead cadmium among other toxins. The villagers know that the waste is making them sick but feel helpless to improve their situation. Part of the reason for this the shift to a privatized market in recent years. As state owned factories are being sold off to private investors the once stable security of the iron rice bowl is disappearing. The factories are viewed as a means to a better living that is, if they can get hired on. These factories are also viewed by the regional government as local revenue. Because families as well as the local community depends on these industrial factories Tilt claims that little effort is put into pressuring them to clean up their environmental practices.
World Resources Institute. World Resources 1998-99: Environmental change and human health. The Environment and China Water and Air Pollution: Water and Health. http://www.wri.org/publication/content/7833
This document discusses the scarcity of water in China. Even though they have a large percentage of the worlds water in comparison to its population it is very sparse. Much of the water that is available in lakes and rivers is polluted and undrinkable. The reason for this is a large amount of industrial waste paired with immense amounts of untreated human waste. This has many impacts such as health issues, and economic problems for the Chinese people. This website provides an outline of issues surrounding water pollution, air pollution, and their health impacts. It offers statistics about these issues that help to supply a framework for the topic. An example of this is the statistic of untreated water waste “Both municipal and industrial wastewater is inadequately treated – only 5% of household waste and 17% of industrial waste received any treatment as of 1996, according to the UNDP and Chinese authorities”. Looking at statistics such as these offers a idea of the scope of the situation at quick glance.
Wu, Liguang, Zhang, Qiang, et al. Three Gorges Dam Effects Regional Precipitation. Geophysical Research Letters. Vol. 33. 2006.
The Three Gorges dam on the Yangtze River is so large that it is believed to effect regional precipitation. The independent satellite data and numerical models, created in conjuction with NASA clearly indicate that the land use changes created by the Three Gorges Dam increased precipitation in certain regions and reduced precipitation in others. For example, precipitation has increased between the Daba and Qinling Mountains. It is believed that the nature of such a large reservoir like that created by the Three Gorges Dam effects evaporation and regional air temperatures which in turn effect precipitation. However it is worth noting that the authors believe further study needs to be done to fully understand the regional environmental effects of the Three Gorges Dam.
Yanfei Sun and Dingxin Zhao, 2008. “Environmental Campaigns,” in Kevin J.O’Brien, ed. Popular Protest in China. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Pp. 144-162.
This article focuses on the rise of environmental activism in China in recent years. The movement began in the 1970’s but really started gaining momentum in the 90’s. There are three different issues that are addressed in the article but, for the purpose of this project I will only discuss the Nujiang Campaign. The Nujiang Campaign is of importance in that it shows that strength that ENGOs and SEPA have obtained in recent years. Although they were unable to completely stop the campaign the efforts of these environmental groups was not a complete failure. The quick actions and organization of the groups brought to surface the many harmful circumstances that could arise from conducting the Nujiang dam projects without properly assessing the environmental impacts it could cause. They initially had great support from the media and, surrounding communities and countries that would also be affected by the campaign. With this quick action SEPA was able to put a hold on the start of construction for the project. However because of a massive counterstrike backed by local government and investors that implemented popular scientists and manipulation of the situation the Nujiang Campaign was lost in the end. When all was said and done the final decision was made by top leaders who inevitable sided with the local government. This is mainly due to the amount of controversy and social awareness that the Nujiang Campaign aroused. When the there is little controversy situations like this are left to work themselves out.
Zhang, Yanzu, Shu Tao, Huizhong Shen, and Jianmin Ma. "Inhalation Exposure to Ambient Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Lung Cancer Risk of Chinese Population." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 106.50 (2009): 21063-1067. Web. 20 May 2010.
The research investigates the dangers of ambient polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) found in the Chinese atmosphere’s impact on the human population’s health. High concentrations of PAHs have been mapped across approx %12 percent of China’s total land mass in the North China Plain, East Sichuan Basin, and part of Guizhou. Although the high concentrations of PAHs are found in a small fraction of the total land mass of the nation, biomass consumption and coal usage account for 48- 66% of the national use. The data indicates that coal burning and coke furnaces are major sources of PAH dispersion into the atmosphere. Upon understanding the source of the toxic pollutants it becomes evident that populations that live or work near these coke furnaces are subject to a higher risk of the side effects. Furthermore it has been found that rural residents may be at even higher risk due to indoor pollutants from household coal burning furnaces. The reasoning behind the research to understand the sources and concentrations of PAHs are due to the detrimental side effects to human health. PAH has been known to cause heritable mutations in laboratory mice and is a leading cause of lung cancer among humans. Widespread studies to indicate all potential health risks have not been conducted however, it is understood that increases in respiratory exposure does increase health risks. This report is important to our research because it presents data that can be used to promote environmental change in China’s industrial policy. Evidence is shown that current rates of PAH in pollution have cause serious health problems for many Chinese people and the issue must be addressed.
i. What impacts did the Nujiang campaign have on the environmental movement in China?
ii. What is the Cancer belt and why is its location important?
iii. What are the leading factors of water pollution in China
iv. With the Futian village what were some of the issues that environmentalist faced in trying to address their pollution problems?
v. What percentage of household water waste and industrial water waste is actually treated?
vi. What are your initial reactions to the images presented today? Were you previously aware of the environmental concerns in China?
vii. Who recalls watching the Beijing Olympics? During the weeks leading up to the games officials were concerned for the health of athletes attending the games because of the smog hovering over the city. What are your reactions to this concern for the athletes?
viii. The example of smog inhibiting crop yields is a great example demonstrating potential for environmental regulation while at the same time fostering economic growth. Do you see any other potential markets that may be available for companies to invest into to alleviate environmental burdens while generating profits and economic expansion?
ix. What exactly is causing the ecological changes in the East China Sea due to the construction of the Three Gorges Dam? What do researches believe will be the long-term effect of these changes?
x. How is the Three Gorges Dam effecting regional precipitation? What do you foresee the long-term effects of these changes to be?
xi. What are some of the characteristics of the Three Gorges Dam that cause such drastic changes to the environment?
xii. How does a sandstorm that originates hundreds of miles away effect so many millions of people?
xiii. What is being done to slow the advance of the Gobi Desert? Do you believe these changes/regulations/etc. will slow desertification and improve the air in the regions surrounding the Gobi Desert?
xiv. What are the leading causes of air pollution in China?
xv. Cars are a significant source of emissions in China. Aside from exhaust emitting from the automobiles what else is directly related to the rise in automobile usage and responsible for air pollution as well? (Consider the need to accommodate traffic and road construction.)
