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The Thirsty Dragon: Beijing Water Shortage Worse Than The Middle East
August 29th, 2013
Via ChinaFile, a report on China’s water stress: Much of Beijing’s water comes from the Miyun reservoir, an hour-and-a-half drive north of the capital. Visibly drying up, the reservoir’s pale banks are exposed to the the sky; islands formerly submerged have sprouted trees. Beijing’s annual water consumption has reached 3.6 billion cubic meters, according to […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: Majority of China’s Proposed Coal-Fired Power Plants Located In Water-Stressed Regions
August 29th, 2013
Via the World Resources Institute, a report on China’s coal fired power plant plans: To maintain its economic growth and provide for its massive population, China must reconcile two powerful, converging trends: energy demand and resource scarcity. One prime example of this tension is the country’s coal use and water supply. According to a new […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: China’s Dam(n)ed Future
August 24th, 2013
Via China Water Risk, a report on China’s hydro power sector: Apparently it will be wetter in the North, thanks to a switch in the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) from a warm to a cool phase (more on this in Food, Weather & Water Heading North). The bad news is that this switch will make […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon (The Hungry Dragon): Why China Wants US-Grown Pork Chops
August 24th, 2013
Via MotherJones, a look at the impact of water scarcity on China’s food supplies: When the Chinese company Shuanghui International bought US pork giant Smithfield in May—a deal that’s still on hold pending US government review—I read it as another sign that China’s rulers are ready to more or less outsource the nation’s food supply […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon and Parched Tiger: China ‘Less Than Enthusiastic’ To Indian Proposal On Water
August 22nd, 2013
Via The Economic Times, a report on Indian proposals to China regarding water: India today elicited “less than enthusiastic” response from China on its proposal to have a separate mechanism to deal with water issues amid its continued concerns over Chinese damming activities on Brahmaputra. During the 5th round of India-China Strategic Dialogue, the Indian […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon and Parched Tiger: China And India ‘Water Grab’ Dams Puts Himalayas In Danger
August 11th, 2013
Via The Guardian, an interesting look at China and India’s collective plans to develop more than 400 hydroelectric schemes are planned in the Himalayan region: The Ranganadi hydroelectric project in Arunachal Pradesh, India. The future of the world’s most famous mountain range could be endangered by a vast dam-building project, as a risky regional race […]
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