Environment, Biodiversity & Pollution~
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China: mosquito bacteria fight Dengue & Zika

Chinese study discovers bacteria that fights Dengue and Zika in mosquitoes – resident mosquito gut bacteria disarms viruses and stops the spread of diseases Researchers from the Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences in Beijing have discovered a bacterium that live in the gut of some mosquitoes and secrete an enzyme that rapidly acidifies the insect’s Continue reading
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Ethiopia’s Chinese Electric Buses

Chinese electric buses introduced to Ethiopia to advance green transport agenda In Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, the city’s mounting gridlock is creating safety and health risks, producing more greenhouse gas emissions and impeding economic development. Ethiopia became a member of the BRICS bloc of emerging economies on January 1, 2024. In late March 2024, Continue reading
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Sustainability China’s next economic goal

Sustainability driving China’s next economic transformation Writing in the South China Morning Post, analyst Lub Bun Chong reflects on the fact that many Western narratives “red-flag” China’s economic situation but in doing so do not grasp that these are the side-effects of the transformations China initiated in 2014 by ushering in a “new normal” and Continue reading
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Major global environmental treaties US won’t ratify

Published 2021/08/23 Most of the world’s countries support these global agreements on conservation and pollution. China has ratified each of them, but the United States of America refuses In one of his first acts after taking power US, President Biden signed an executive order to have the United States rejoin the Paris climate agreement. This Continue reading
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The Kunming Declaration: Ecological Civilization

The Kunming Declaration: Ecological Civilization – Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth CHINA CHAIRS UN CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY Published2022/08/26 China currently holds the rotating Presidency of the Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Biodiversity (CBD). This is the first time China has overseen a major UN intergovernmental negotiation on the Continue reading
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Climate catastrophes: China hit by floods

World facing climate catastrophes? China hit by floods Published 2022/08/19 LEVELS OF RAINFALL IN CHINA NOT SEEN SINCE THE EARLY 1960S. Authorities across much of southern China have issued weather advisories for heavy rain and severe flooding. Over 80 rivers have already seen waters exceed warning levels after days of heavy rains. Over 1.79 million Continue reading
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China launches major ecology projects

China launches major scientific and technological projects in ecology and environment – Ministry of Ecology and Environment China has continued to launch a series of major scientific and technological projects and initiatives, including drones, big data, cloud computing, and the internet of things, in the ecological and environmental field, according to the country’s environmental authorities. Continue reading
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Drought triggers power shortages in China’s Yangtze basin

Published2022/08/19 Since mid-June, China has been facing the most intense and enduring heat waves since records began in 1961, according to the National Climate Centre. In the past week, the middle and lower Yangtze River basin has experienced exceptionally hot and dry spells in what is supposed to be the flood season, forcing provinces to Continue reading
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Noise affects mate choice in animals: Chinese study

Chinese researchers have discovered that noise influences mate choice based on visual information in animal Published2022/08/16 Chinese researchers have discovered that noise influences mate choice based on visual information in animals via cross-sensory interference, according to the Chengdu Institute of Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Animal communication is often hampered by noise interference, Continue reading
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Yellow River water rebalance

The Yellow River has been plagued by flooding for thousands of years, but decades of water conservancy and erosion control projects by China has tackled the root cause of the Yellow River’s flooding, promising to provide relief to the densely populated areas along its course. The Yellow River has undergone a dramatic shift during the Continue reading
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China tool renewal boosts green transition

China’s climate goals: action plan calling for renewal of equipment can also boost green transition In a circular issued on March 13, 2024, the State Council, China’s cabinet, released an action plan to promote large-scale equipment renewals and trade-ins of consumer goods to propel the high-quality development of its economy and to boost investment and Continue reading
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China adapts tradition for eco-living

Grassland community center in China’s Inner Mongolia adapts traditional Mongolian Ger for sustainable living In the vast expanse of China’s inner Mongolia’s grasslands, Ger Atelier and Inner Mongolian Grand Architecture Design have sited the Zhengxiangbaiqi Grassland Community Center — a cluster of buildings reimagining traditional Mongolian ger structures with a contemporary framework, addressing challenges of sustainable development Continue reading
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China nurtures green factories

China announces new measures on the phased nurturing and management of green factories On January 30, 2024, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued new measures on the phased nurturing and management of green factories, which came into effect immediately. These measures set out criteria and steps to nurture green factories. A green factory refers Continue reading
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China urges global efforts on marine issues

China’s climate change envoy urges global efforts to address marine issues Liu Zhenmin, China’s special envoy for climate change, has called for intensified global efforts at different levels to address the fragmentation in marine governance amid maritime tensions that threaten the world’s economic prosperity and overexploitation that jeopardizes ocean sustainability. He made the remarks during Continue reading
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Extreme heat and ozone pollution in China

Extreme heat and ozone pollution: Chinese scientists call for targeted control strategies Elevated surface ozone concentrations in China are posing a significant threat to both human health and crop yields. Extreme heat can greatly exacerbate ozone pollution through both complex chemical and physical processes. For example, extreme heat is often accompanied by stagnant weather conditions, Continue reading
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China & ASEAN – BRI sustainable development

China and ASEAN forge sustainable development pathways through collaborative action: ASEAN and China Dialogue on Bio-Circular-Green Economy and Climate Action for the Region China and ASEAN, as close neighbors and important partners, possess extensive opportunities for collaboration in multiple sectors, for example, the green economy and climate action, which also helps to promote the sustainable Continue reading
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Why China’s Water Usage Matters

Led by Zhang Jianyun, an Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering , a research team has delved into the concept of water peaking, which refers to the point where water consumption reaches a maximum and then stabilizes or declines. This phenomenon is vital for comprehending the future of China’s water resources. The researchers analyzed China’s Continue reading
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Three Zones Environmental Guidelines

China’s New ‘Three Zones’ for Environmental Protection Guidelines (UPDATED) Further information on the China’s Guidelines on region-specific environmental management has been provided on March 18, 2024 by Ying Xue from the China Ecological Civilization newsletter on Substack. The newsletter reports that the guidelines, titled “关于加强生态环境分区管控的意见” Guidelines on Strengthening Ecological Environment Zoning Management and Control, provide for three categories of zones. Continue reading
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Sino-Russian Siberian tiger conservation

Sino-Russian research lab established for Siberian tiger conservation A Sino-Russian joint research lab on Siberian tiger conservation was established at Northeast Forestry University in northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province on Thursday, 14 March 2024. The lab, with more than 20 experts from both sides, is co-developed by China’s Feline Research Center of the National Forestry and Continue reading
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China ecological monitoring

China to establish modern ecological environment monitoring system by 2035 China will exert great efforts to establish a modern ecological environment monitoring system by 2035 for building “Beautiful China,” according to a document released by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) in Beijing on Friday. Beautiful China Currently, three monitoring indicators for evaluating “Beautiful Continue reading
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China Updates Biodiversity Strategy

China Releases Updated Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Plan for 2023-2030 China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment released the China Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (2023-2030) on January 18, 2024. This plan outlines a road map for biodiversity conservation in the coming years, aligning with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. This marks the third Continue reading
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China government ecological work report

Key points related to ecological civilization in Chinese government 2024 work report Chinese Premier Li Qiang delivered a government work report on behalf of the State Council at the opening meeting of the second session of the 14th National People’s Congress on Tuesday morning, March 5,2024. China’s annual “two sessions,” a highly anticipated event on the Continue reading
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Clear targets for realizing Beautiful China

In the first weeks of this year, China’s central government issued a policy document clarifying what is meant by building a “Beautiful China” (2024 Guidelines to comprehensively promote the development of a Beautiful China), which set out a broad range of environmental targets through 2035 and even beyond. In a recent article for China Daily Global, Dimitri de Continue reading
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China-built solar train in Argentina

China-built solar tourist light rail to operate in the Argentine Andes Jujuy Province in Argentina inaugurated the only solar train in Latin America in early-December, 2023. China, India and Australia already have solar trains in operation. The Argentine rail service is powered by an extensive set of lithium batteries, has two passenger cars designed to carry Continue reading
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South China Sea impacts global climate

The continued warming in the South China Sea is likely to lead to increased precipitation in South Asia and East Asia and affect global weather Climate change in the South China Sea and its surrounding areas could have “profound impacts” on both local and global climate patterns, a new study has found. The South China Sea, Continue reading
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New pumped hydro storage soars in China

China’s construction of pumped hydro storage capacity increased dramatically in the last year, with capacity under construction reaching 167GW, up from 120GW a year earlier, with investment in hydopower pumped storage in 2023 increasing 38% year on year to reach $47 billion USD. This growth is illustrated in the figure below, which shows pumped hydro capacity under construction or Continue reading
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China’s Jiaolong ocean submersible

China’s Jiaolong ocean submersible joins China’s 83rd ocean expedition China’s first independently developed manned submersible, Jiaolong, has arrived with its mother ship Shenhai Yihao (Deep Sea No. 1) in the hydrothermal area of the south Atlantic for the country’s 83rd ocean expedition, the China Ocean Mineral Resources R&D Association (COMRA) announced on Saturday. With a variety of conventional environmental survey Continue reading
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New Fukushima radioactive water leak

Latest Fukushima radioactive water leak part of pattern of repeated accidents at plant – China An accident in Fukushima once again demonstrates the deep-rooted problems of disorder and chaos in the internal management of Japan’s Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO). Japan has the responsibility to promptly and fully disclose information about the incident in a Continue reading
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Siberian Tiger Kills Amur Leopard in NE China

Siberian Tiger Kills Amur Leopard in Northeast China National Park Wildlife experts describe this clash between the two endangered species in China’s Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park bordering Russia as highly unusual, given the rarity of tigers encountering the more agile and cautious leopards in the wild In the heart of northeast China’s dense Continue reading
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China to reach climate goal – West fails

Martin Jacques In this concise opinion piece for the Global Times, Martin Jacques discusses the extraordinary progress made by China in recent years in green technology, in particular solar photovoltaics, wind energy and electric vehicles. Martin Jacques is a visiting professor at Tsinghua University, and the author of the best-selling book “When China Rules the World: Continue reading
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China to restore Hainan ecosystems

China’s Hainan island to restore 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030 Hainan province is one of 34 biodiversity hotspots globally, and boasts the most well-preserved and extensive contiguous tropical rainforests in China. Hainan, south China’s tropical island province, has released a biodiversity conservation strategy and action plan, calling for the restoration of 30 percent of Continue reading
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Diversified Forests Improve Carbon Storage

Diversified Forest Could Improve Carbon Storage – Chinese Scientists In the past few decades, China has invested more in afforestation than any other country. China took action earlier, now it has large area of artificial forest in the world, accounting for more than 1/3. But monoculture makes it fragile. Young Chinese scientists are exploring how to achieve Continue reading
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Red Panda conservation in China

Red pandas (or lesser pandas) have long, fluffy striped tails like a raccoon, and faces and diets that resemble a giant panda’s, but they clean themselves like a cat. However, they are not raccoons, bears, or cats — they were until recently thought to be the only living species in a genus of their own Continue reading
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China outlines 2024 environment goals

China’s environment minister outlines goals for 2024 On 23 January, China’s ecology and environment minister Huang Runqiu outlined his department’s achievements in 2023 and priorities for 2024, in a 20,000 character-long (or approximately 14,000 word-long) speech. In the following, Carbon Brief translates and summarizes some of his key talking points. The speech was delivered at the Continue reading
