Francie Tolle
Guangdong Water Woes 'to Worsen'
November 28, 2007
Chen Hong
SHENZHEN: Pollution and inefficient use is worsening the drinking water shortage in Guangdong Province, a province situated in the southern part of China mainland. Zhang Hong'ou, president of the Guangzhou Institute of Geography, which recently completed a study of drinking water in the province, said that the shortage threatening Guangdong - the country's manufacturing powerhouse - will mean that in three years' time, only a third of its water demand will be met.
By 2020, the shortfall will widen to about half of the province's water demand, or more than 3.1 billion cu m, if no measures are taken to address the problem, Zhang said. Guangdong possesses abundant water resources - its surface and ground water supplies are more than three times the country's average levels. But pollution has caused the crisis the province is now facing.
Figures have shown that more than 17,000 cu m of sewage are discharged into rivers throughout Guangdong every year, the China News Service reported. At least 16 million residents, or nearly 14 percent of the population of Guangdong, are facing water shortages because of pollution.
Meanwhile, the State Environmental Protection Administration said in a draft regulation that fines for some polluters of water resources have been raised by up to five times the previous amount to 500,000 yuan ($68,000). However, Chen said some companies were resisting the use of technologies to clean sewage before discharging it into waterways due to the extra cost. He said more severe punishment such as criminal charges are needed to address the problem.
China Must Step Up Nuclear Technology-Vice Premier
BEIJING, Nov 30 (Reuters) - China needs to boost its own nuclear technology capabilities on the back of major deals made recently with Western firms, Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan said on Friday. The comments underscore Beijing's determination to become self-sufficient in advanced nuclear technology, as evidenced by the deal it signed with France's Areva.
While the 8 billion euro ($11.8 billion) contract was the biggest for commercial nuclear power on record, it came along with the demand that Areva transfer its technology through a consortium with its Chinese partner. U.S.-based rival Westinghouse Electric, now owned by Japan's Toshiba Corp also had to agree to such demands when it finalized a contract to build four "third generation" reactors earlier this year.
China, the world's second-largest energy user, plans to spend some $50 billion adding about 30 reactors by 2020, raising its installed nuclear capacity to 40 gigawatts, nearly enough to power Spain. Keen to increase its own technological prowess, Beijing often makes such technology transfers a prerequisite of major purchases or investments in a range of sectors. (Reporting by Jason Subler; editing by James Jukwey) � � � �2 P2 � While this proposed legislation would significantly increase the FDA and USDA’s capacity to manage the growing volume of imports, it presents some potential drawbacks as well. Limiting the number of ports where food can be imported will likely increase the logistics costs of importing materials for some food processors. Likewise, increasing fees on imports is a tax which invariably will be passed on to US consumers. Food taxes are regressive and place a disproportionate burden on lower income families, posing a dilemma for politicians who vote to pass the bill. Additionally, the bill does not address other FDA-regulated imports including cosmetics and medical devices, which have recently been the subject of recalls and are attractive targets for counterfeiters.
Regardless of the strategy ultimately employed, it is clear that the US government will need to increase its capacity to effectively regulate imports of food, drugs and ingredients. The numerous recent crises demonstrate that the agencies are effective in responding to a crisis, but have little capacity to prevent a problem from occurring. The US manufacturing environment creates effective disincentives for domestic manufacturers to ensure they engage in safe practices, but foreign companies are not subject to the US court system or under the jurisdiction of US regulators. Expanding the capacity of US regulators to more effectively police exporters will further ensure that food and drugs imported to the US meet standards as well as the expectations of US consumers.
oalp.okstate.edu/files/china_korea.../China%20Current%20Events.doc
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