Three Gorges Catastrophe
Away back when China, a hitherto-closed society, opened itself for investment and development assistance to the world at large, Scandinavian entrepreneurs, corporations and technological whizzes saw a good opportunity and betook themselves and their considerable expertise where it was needed and wanted, and where, just incidentally, they got in on the ground floor of enterprising rewards.
Canadian companies too have been in China for a considerable length of time. Offering expert services in feasibility studies, technical and infrastructure studies. Handing out bribes here, there and everywhere. Anxious to get established, to get their own kick at that promisingly-rewarding cat. Eager to get their expertise and equipment; telecommunications, natural gas, propane technology; as many personnel as needed through the crack in the door.
No direct Canadian government involvement to be sure, because of the potential public fall-out given China's abysmal human-rights record. But encouragement to Canadian business, and funds set aside to be slurped up when the time was right. Kind of funny, really; Canadian firms offering their services, the government of China with no disposable funds to pay for them, so loans could be arranged through government of Canada resources.
All for the purpose of aiding and abetting Canadian corporations' eager bids to get in on the ground floor. Those loans might even be interest-free, with pay back far into the future. Or at truly preferential rates, sub-prime. Even so, bribes were required to make any headway. Because China knew if they couldn't get what they wanted on their own terms from Canada, they could turn to Europe or the Scandinavian countries; they represented on the world economic stage, a "spoiled market".
Kind of like the spoiled kid who whines and tantrums and gets what he wants. Because he represents the future. Much as burgeoning China had yet to aspire to its true economic status, but the world could see the writing on the wall. And everyone was eager to be as much a part of that booming economic future as possible. The economic spill-over was just that alluring.
That economic juggernaut is on its way to approaching world economic domination. In good time, it will. With its immense and immensely skilled population, little wonder. An enterprising, hard-working, highly intelligent people, deserving of an eminent place in the world economy. But oh, that government; the very enormity of the population made it possible to view much of it as dispensable, disposable.
Need land for a project? Confiscate property. Forcibly remove the residents, with promises to re-locate, re-settle, reimburse. But no effort to fulfill those promises, no obligation to commit to doing so. The government just had too much on its mind and on its to-do list. Leaving millions to their own desperate devices. Displacing small subsistence farmers, swelling the hordes of dispossessed small-acreage owners.
Left to roam at random, seeking refuge, victims of a remorseless government wedded to economic success at any cost. Begging, looking for work in the shadows of Beijing and Shanghai. Where turgid, unclean air full of chemicals and metallic particulates imperil everyone's health. To the extent that traffic police in Beijing with their constant exposure earn a life expectancy of 40 years.
Coal-fired furnaces and individual belching smokestacks are everywhere. Each manufactory, every public building has its own smokestack befouling the atmosphere. But there is an ever-growing middle class now. Consumer goods available to greater numbers of people, affordably. Hand-drawn, oxen-pulled carts, bicycles traditionally used are slowly giving way to automobiles. Millions of trucks and cars clogging up the roads. More environmental tainting effluent.
Yet China is not oblivious to the impact her single-minded trajectory toward economic pre-eminence has had on her environment. That the health of the population suffers. That too much has been attempted too quickly without adequate controls. Concern for the environment has been evidenced latterly, and all the more so since the eyes of the world have turned on China because of next year's Olympics.
Causing the government to frantically attempt to turn back the tide of deadly smog and dirty fog that assails its immense cities. Now, head of the office in charge of building the Three Gorges Dam has publicly expressed a very special concern: "We absolutely cannot sacrifice our environment in exchange for temporary economic prosperity" according to Wang Xiaofeng as reported by China's official news agency.
Mr. Wang is warning of catastrophic aftermaths from the construction of the dam. None of which should have been surprising to his listeners. For after all, even Canadian companies were involved in the production of feasibility and environmental studies before construction commenced. The project has always been controversial. Its vast expense, its displacement of 1.3 million Chinese, the flooding of 116 towns.
Now the spectre of soil erosion, landslides and contamination of nearby rivers, impacting on the potable water for tens of thousands of people living in the area is causing Premier Wen Jiabao and his cabinet to realize that dealing with the problems which have resulted and are continue to surface must become a priority. At least as much a priority as the perceived need to build the dam, to begin with.
It is the largest hydroelectric project in the world. Conceived as a monumental source of electric energy for a power-hungry country. Providing flood protection for immense cities like Nanjing and Shanghai, both representing engines of prosperity in China's booming economy. The dam is not yet fully completed. Completion is slated for early 2009. Meanwhile, the fall-out of its presence is constantly being monitored. And the consequences don't auger well for the future.
"We absolutely cannot relax our guard against ecological and environmental security problems sparked by the Three Gorges project." Right. Well, how to solve this gigantic headache? The stupid undertakings that mankind strives toward tend to outlive their perceived usefulness while impacting negatively on the very society they were intended to benefit.
Canadian companies too have been in China for a considerable length of time. Offering expert services in feasibility studies, technical and infrastructure studies. Handing out bribes here, there and everywhere. Anxious to get established, to get their own kick at that promisingly-rewarding cat. Eager to get their expertise and equipment; telecommunications, natural gas, propane technology; as many personnel as needed through the crack in the door.
No direct Canadian government involvement to be sure, because of the potential public fall-out given China's abysmal human-rights record. But encouragement to Canadian business, and funds set aside to be slurped up when the time was right. Kind of funny, really; Canadian firms offering their services, the government of China with no disposable funds to pay for them, so loans could be arranged through government of Canada resources.
All for the purpose of aiding and abetting Canadian corporations' eager bids to get in on the ground floor. Those loans might even be interest-free, with pay back far into the future. Or at truly preferential rates, sub-prime. Even so, bribes were required to make any headway. Because China knew if they couldn't get what they wanted on their own terms from Canada, they could turn to Europe or the Scandinavian countries; they represented on the world economic stage, a "spoiled market".
Kind of like the spoiled kid who whines and tantrums and gets what he wants. Because he represents the future. Much as burgeoning China had yet to aspire to its true economic status, but the world could see the writing on the wall. And everyone was eager to be as much a part of that booming economic future as possible. The economic spill-over was just that alluring.
That economic juggernaut is on its way to approaching world economic domination. In good time, it will. With its immense and immensely skilled population, little wonder. An enterprising, hard-working, highly intelligent people, deserving of an eminent place in the world economy. But oh, that government; the very enormity of the population made it possible to view much of it as dispensable, disposable.
Need land for a project? Confiscate property. Forcibly remove the residents, with promises to re-locate, re-settle, reimburse. But no effort to fulfill those promises, no obligation to commit to doing so. The government just had too much on its mind and on its to-do list. Leaving millions to their own desperate devices. Displacing small subsistence farmers, swelling the hordes of dispossessed small-acreage owners.
Left to roam at random, seeking refuge, victims of a remorseless government wedded to economic success at any cost. Begging, looking for work in the shadows of Beijing and Shanghai. Where turgid, unclean air full of chemicals and metallic particulates imperil everyone's health. To the extent that traffic police in Beijing with their constant exposure earn a life expectancy of 40 years.
Coal-fired furnaces and individual belching smokestacks are everywhere. Each manufactory, every public building has its own smokestack befouling the atmosphere. But there is an ever-growing middle class now. Consumer goods available to greater numbers of people, affordably. Hand-drawn, oxen-pulled carts, bicycles traditionally used are slowly giving way to automobiles. Millions of trucks and cars clogging up the roads. More environmental tainting effluent.
Yet China is not oblivious to the impact her single-minded trajectory toward economic pre-eminence has had on her environment. That the health of the population suffers. That too much has been attempted too quickly without adequate controls. Concern for the environment has been evidenced latterly, and all the more so since the eyes of the world have turned on China because of next year's Olympics.
Causing the government to frantically attempt to turn back the tide of deadly smog and dirty fog that assails its immense cities. Now, head of the office in charge of building the Three Gorges Dam has publicly expressed a very special concern: "We absolutely cannot sacrifice our environment in exchange for temporary economic prosperity" according to Wang Xiaofeng as reported by China's official news agency.
Mr. Wang is warning of catastrophic aftermaths from the construction of the dam. None of which should have been surprising to his listeners. For after all, even Canadian companies were involved in the production of feasibility and environmental studies before construction commenced. The project has always been controversial. Its vast expense, its displacement of 1.3 million Chinese, the flooding of 116 towns.
Now the spectre of soil erosion, landslides and contamination of nearby rivers, impacting on the potable water for tens of thousands of people living in the area is causing Premier Wen Jiabao and his cabinet to realize that dealing with the problems which have resulted and are continue to surface must become a priority. At least as much a priority as the perceived need to build the dam, to begin with.
It is the largest hydroelectric project in the world. Conceived as a monumental source of electric energy for a power-hungry country. Providing flood protection for immense cities like Nanjing and Shanghai, both representing engines of prosperity in China's booming economy. The dam is not yet fully completed. Completion is slated for early 2009. Meanwhile, the fall-out of its presence is constantly being monitored. And the consequences don't auger well for the future.
"We absolutely cannot relax our guard against ecological and environmental security problems sparked by the Three Gorges project." Right. Well, how to solve this gigantic headache? The stupid undertakings that mankind strives toward tend to outlive their perceived usefulness while impacting negatively on the very society they were intended to benefit.
Labels: Environment, Life's Like That, Realities, Technology
posted by Pieface | 6:48 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home