China Environ Prot (EP) Industry, Technology, Solid Waste Mgt, Liquid Treat: News & Discussions

[AndrewJin]

Harbin City

Colourful marigolds seen at scenic spot in Xinghua City, Jiangsu
Source: Xinhua | 2016-09-08 19:17:55 | Editor: Xiang Bo

These aerial photos taken on Sept. 8, 2016 shows colourful marigolds at a scenic spot in Xinghua City, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Xinhua/Meng Delong)

Autumn is coming!!!
Colourful

 

[TaiShang]

Xianghai Nature Reserve in Jilin ideal for nature lovers
September 29, 2016


Xianghai Nature Reserve in Tongyu county of Jilin province is a famed national-level nature reserve and home to red-crowned cranes. The scenery of cranes dancing with the floating clouds is mesmerizing.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Thirty-nine percent of this area is covered with wetland, water, reeds, and virgin forests. The Nature Reserve is the natural habitat for 293 kinds of precious birds, including six breeds of cranes. Both the idyllic prairie and the local Mongol folklore contribute to making this bird-watching place a fascinating scenic spot for nature lovers.


Xianghai Nature Reserve in Tongyu county of Jilin province is a famed national-level nature reserve and home to red-crowned cranes. The scenery of cranes dancing with the floating clouds is mesmerizing.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]


Xianghai Nature Reserve in Tongyu county of Jilin province is a famed national-level nature reserve and home to red-crowned cranes. The scenery of cranes dancing with the floating clouds is mesmerizing.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]


Xianghai Nature Reserve in Tongyu county of Jilin province is a famed national-level nature reserve and home to red-crowned cranes. The scenery of cranes dancing with the floating clouds is mesmerizing.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]


Xianghai Nature Reserve in Tongyu county of Jilin province is a famed national-level nature reserve and home to red-crowned cranes.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]


Xianghai Nature Reserve in Tongyu county of Jilin province is a famed national-level nature reserve and home to red-crowned cranes.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Xianghai Nature Reserve in Tongyu county of Jilin province is a famed national-level nature reserve and home to red-crowned cranes.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

 

[Three_Kingdoms]

We will lose all the sceneries and wildlives and our agriculture fast if we do not play our parts to preserve them

Stunning colors celebrate China's autumn harvest
[chinadaily.com.cn) Updated: 2016-09-21 09:52Comments

Villagers dry ginger in Tongling city, East China's Anhui province, Sept 13, 2016. [Photo/IC]


A villager checks whether sorghum in a field is ready for harvest in Zaozhuang city, East China's Shandong province, Aug 23, 2016. [Photo/IC]


Villagers dry corn cobs in the sun in Linyi city, East China's Shandong province, Aug 17, 2016. [Photo/IC]


A villager dries jujubes in the sun in Hami city, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Sept 10, 2016. [Photo/IC]


Villagers dry red peppers in Hoxud county, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Sept 15, 2016. [Photo/IC]


Villagers dry wolfberries in Shandan county, Northwest China's Gansu province, Sept 13, 2016. [Photo/IC]



A man dries cotton under the sun in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Sept 18, 2016. [Photo/IC]


A villager dries chrysanthemum flowers in Huangling village, Wuyuan county, East China's Jiangxi province, July 26, 2016. [Photo/IC]

 

[Three_Kingdoms]

Continued ...


Villagers dry wolfberries in the sun in Linze, Northwest China's Gansu province, July 13, 2016. [Photo/IC]



Workers dry tomatoes in the sun in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Aug 6, 2016. [Photo/IC]


Indulged in the golden color of autumn in Shanxi
(chinadaily.com.cn) Updated: 2016-09-28
First rays of morning sun in Luya mountan, Ningwu county in North China's Shanxi province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn



Scenery of Luya Mountain, in Ningwu county, North China's Shanxi province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]


Scenery of Luya Mountain, in Ningwu county, North China's Shanxi province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]




Scenery of Luya Mountain, in Ningwu county, North China’s Shanxi province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]


Families enjoy autumn foliage-watching in Luya Mountain, in Ningwu county, North China's Shanxi province, on Sept 24, 2016. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]


Autumn foliage in Luya Mountain, Ningwu county in North China's Shanxi province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

 

[Three_Kingdoms]

Flower terraces at Kangjinyan village, central China
Xinhua | 2016-09-25 17:04:14 | Editor: Tian Shaohui

Photo taken on Sept. 25, 2016 shows flower terraces at Kangjinyan village in Zhangjiajie, central China's Hunan Province. (Xinhua/Wu Yongbing)

People have fun in sunflower field, SE China
Xinhua | 2016-09-27 08:28:48 | Editor: Tian Shaohui

A young lady takes pictures in a sunflower field in Fuzhou, capital of southeast China's Fujian Province, Sept. 26, 2016. (Xinhua/Song Weiwei)

Local residents have fun in a sunflower field in Fuzhou, capital of southeast China's Fujian Province, Sept. 26, 2016. (Xinhua/Song Weiwei)

Picturesque Chongli bursts into autumn colors
By Zhang Yu (chinadaily.com.cn)Updated: 2016-09-30 15:43

Red maple leaves punctuate the scene amid white birches in Chongli district, Zhangjiakou city, North China's Hebei province, on Sept 29, 2016. [Photo by Liu Ping and Shi Jiasheng/ provided to chinadaily.com.cn]


White birches fill the landscape in Chongli district, Zhangjiakou city, North China's Hebei province, on Sept 29, 2016. The city shot to fame after its winning bid to co-host the 2020 Winter Olympic Games with Beijing. White birches and rime, contrasted with greenery, present a stunning picture of autumn. [Photo by Liu Ping and Shi Jiasheng/ provided to chinadaily.com.cn]



State Council adds 240 new national ecological function zones
Updated: Sep 28,2016 1:39 PM english.gov.cn

A circular issued by the State Council on Sept 28 adds 240 county-level regions across China to the nation’s major ecological function zones.

Efforts should be made to strengthen protection and restoration in the ecological function zones during the industrialization and urbanization process, the State Council said.

In addition to financial support, the system of negative list for industry access will be set up, and regular inspections will be carried out in the major national ecological function zones, according to the State Council.

The major national ecological function zones are defined as regions that are significant to ecological security in water and soil conservation, the prevention of wind erosion, and protection of biological diversity.

Submitted by the National Development and Reform Commission to the State Council, the newly added national ecological function zones are: 22 regions of Hebei province, eight in Inner Mongolia autonomous region, four in Liaoning province, two in Jilin province, 11 in Zhejiang province, nine in Anhui province, nine in Fujian province, 17 in Jiangxi province, 13 in Shandong province, eight in Henan province, two in Hubei province, 19 in Hunan province, 10 in Guangdong province, 11 in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, 14 in Sichuan province, 16 in Guizhou province, 21 in Yunnan province, 22 in Tibet autonomous region, three in Shaanxi province, 17 in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, and two in the Xinjiang production and construction corps.


RARE EARLY SNOWFALL IN SEPTEMBER, HEILONGJIANG
A TELLING SIGN OF A COLDER WINTER THIS YEAR
黑龙江九月罕见降雪 今冬或更冷
[ 责任编辑： 黄童欣] 来源：光明网综合　 　2016-09-29 14:06



　　当天，二浪河风景区银装素裹。前一天下了一天的小雨，晚间，小雨变成了小雪。第二天一大早，美丽的雪淞出现了。据当地工作人员介绍，9月份从未出现过这样的景象。
(google translation) On the same day, two wave scenic spot of snow. The day before the next day's light rain, evening, light rain became snow. The next morning, the beautiful snow song appeared. According to local staff, in September has never been such a scene.



　　中国气象局国家气候中心指出，赤道中东太平洋已于8月进入拉尼娜状态，对我国气候的影响之一就是冬季可能会更冷
(google translation) China Meteorological Administration, said the National Climate Center, the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean in August into La Nina state, one of the effects of climate in China may be colder in winter



　　据了解，近日，黑龙江大部分地区出现降水，省会哈尔滨最低气温达到2度。
(google translation) It is understood that recently, most parts of Heilongjiang precipitation, the provincial capital of Harbin minimum temperature reached 2 degrees only.

 

[ahojunk]

Good idea to have one standard system.

========
Unified warning system to be adopted for air pollution management in China
2016-10-09 13:18:39 People's Daily Online Web Editor: Zhang Xu

Heavy smog covers Beijing on March 16, 2016. [Photo: Xinhua]​

A unified grading standard for heavy pollution warnings will be adopted in China's very polluted Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region by the end of October, which may effectively tackle the region's deteriorating air pollution.

"The Beijing-Tianjin-Heibei region has suffered three long-term and large-scale bouts of air pollution since last winter. Though the level of air pollution may be similar to that in many cities, [the different warning systems of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei] have hindered the joint effort to curb smog, as well as adversely affected regional cooperation on pollution management," said an official from the Ministry of Environmental Protection to the Beijing Times.

According to the standard released in the beginning of 2016, the pollution warning system for six major cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region contains four tiers and is color-coded, with red representing the most severe air pollution, followed by orange, yellow and blue. A red alert is issued if the predicted Air Quality Index (AQI) reaches 500 and is projected to last for over a day, or if the predicted AQI is higher than 200 for three consecutive days.

By the end of October, more cities in the region will adopt this warning system, as well as several cities in Shandong and Henan provinces.

As one of the most polluted areas in China, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region is home to China's largest steel and iron manufacturers as well as some of the most polluted cities in the world.

 

[ahojunk]

| Fri Oct 21, 2016 | 3:10am EDT, Reuters
China to encourage banks to help fund rural pollution fight: official


China will encourage banks to play a bigger role in providing the financing required to tackle mounting environmental problems in rural regions, a government official said on Friday.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) has admitted that the countryside has been a "weak link" in the country's "war on pollution", which has mainly focused on cutting hazardous smog in industrialized regions like Hebei.

The government has been looking for new ways to fund efforts to remediate contaminated land, cut fertilizer use and tackle the vast amounts of untreated household waste that threaten rural soil and water supplies, but governments have continued to foot most of the bill.

To help meet the vast funding gap, new guidelines have now been drawn up to encourage banks to provide more financial support for rural environmental treatment enterprises and encourage the use of public-private partnerships, the official said in comments published in China Environmental News, the official publication of the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP).

The official said China aims to treat or utilize 60 percent of livestock waste by the end of 2020. It would also aim to "effectively treat" more than 90 percent of rural household waste by the end of the decade.

But central and local governments have continued to bear the entire cost burden for crucial water treatment and transmission infrastructure, and China is still struggling to implement an effective "polluter pays" system for handling waste, the official added.

In the current round of environmental treatment work in the countryside, only 10 percent of China's 600,000 villages had performed the appropriate renovations, and many of those were now struggling to pay for work that had been done, he said.

"The funding of rural environmental treatment is inadequate at every level," he was quoted as saying.

As well as encouraging the involvement of financial institutions, China will use favorable power prices and other preferential policies to encourage the construction of biomass and biogas power plants in rural areas, he added.

China's five-year plan published in March said the country would give priority to cleaning up contaminated soil used in agriculture. It also promised to strengthen soil pollution monitoring systems and promote new clean-up technologies.

But treating agricultural land could end up costing China trillions of yuan, and policymakers are still trying to establish mechanisms that will allow private firms to profit from the clean-up.



(Reporting by David Stanway; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)

 

[ahojunk]

Winter smog control made a top priority
2016-10-25 08:57 | China Daily | Editor: Feng Shuang

Levels of PM2.5 in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area had been reduced by 14.3 percent year-on-year

The Ministry of Environmental Protection has sent 10 teams to inspect the performance of 20 provinces in controlling air pollution amid calls to reduce smog in winter after northern regions experienced poor air quality recently.

The inspection teams will focus on the implementation of major efforts such as shutting down illegal construction projects and polluting companies, and reviewing regular inspections of local environmental teams, the ministry said.

The 20 provinces to be inspected includes the northern and northeastern provinces of Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Henan and Liaoning, as well as southern provinces such as Fujian and Guangdong.

The ministry highlighted the need to address heavy smog expected in the coming winter, especially in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area.

When Beijing's central heating system is switched on in mid-November, a substantial rise in carbon emissions, as well as static weather patterns, would make it difficult for airborne pollutants to disperse, causing smog and poor air quality.

However, vast areas in the country's northern regions have already been hit by severe smog, several weeks before the central heating system has been switched on.

Smog affected 70 cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area and neighboring provinces on Oct 17 and 18, and expanded to cover an area of 260,000 square kilometers on Oct 19, the ministry said.

Chen Jining, minister of environmental protection, urged local governments to make greater efforts in dealing with air pollution.

Complicated issues such as industrial structures; energy consumption, particularly relating to coal; and heavy traffic have made controlling air pollution a tough task in the region, but it must be a priority in the coming months, Chen said.

The ministry has highlighted the need to reduce smog in winter if the country is to meet central government goals by 2017.

He Kebin, head of the School of Environment at Tsinghua University, said a national campaign to reduce smog has helped improve air quality, adding that until Oct 19, levels of PM2.5－fine particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter that is hazardous to human health－had been lowered by 14.3 percent year-on-year in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area.

"The improvement was not large enough to present visible changes, but continued efforts in the region could help to prevent the air quality from worsening in winter," He said.


********

Good that authorities are actively addressing this issue.
.

 

[TaiShang]

Carbon intensity in China reduced by 20 percent in 5 years
(People's Daily Online) November 02, 2016

[File photo]

China’s carbon intensity has decreased by 20 percent over the past five years, exceeding the country's goal of 17 percent, according to an official report released on Nov. 1.

The annual report, China’s Policies and Actions for Addressing Climate Change (2016), was published by the State Council Information Office to introduce China’s progress and achievement in coping with climate change since the 12th Five-Year Plan (2010-2015).

Xie Zhenhua, China’s special representative on climate change, reported the new statistic to media on Nov. 1. Energy in China has been optimized in the past five years, with the consumption of non-fossil fuels at 12 percent, exceeding the original target of 11.4 percent.

In addition to China’s effective control over greenhouse gas emissions, the country has also tackled climate change through the use of quotas. For instance, a quota of 120 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalents was imposed on seven pilot carbon emissions trading markets, with an accumulated transaction volume of over 3.2 billion RMB, Xie added.

As a prominent developing country, China has not only set a good example for curbing carbon gas emissions, but also gone to great lengths to help other developing countries adapt to climate change. China has launched 10 low-carbon projects and 100 climate change mitigation and adaptation projects. The country has also announced plans to train 1,000 climate change experts and officials in developing countries.

The report was released just before the 22nd Session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which will be held in Marrakech, Morocco between Nov. 7 and 18.

 

[ahojunk]

China vows to make garbage incinerators 'neighborhood friendly'
2016-11-07 09:00 | Xinhua | Editor: Mo Hong'e

Chinese authorities have released a guideline on urban garbage disposal through incineration to deal with the rapidly rising pile-up of household waste in the cities.

The guideline, jointly released by four agencies including the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and the National Development and Reform Commission, pledged to strengthen regulation on site selection of incineration facilities.

The facilities should be high-standard, safe and environment-friendly, and existing projects that failed to meet the standards should be shut down, according to the guideline.

It required regulators to strictly implement the responsibility-tracking mechanism and emergency response plans and take effective measures to control possible pollution.

It seeks to alleviate public resentment against incinerators by providing the neighborhood with more greens, sports and leisure facilities, as well as discounted water, heat and electricity to nearby residents.

The regulation came as China's rapidly growing cities have faced a pile-up of household waste, and disposal measures such as landfills and incineration have faced increasing concerns over air and soil pollution.

 

[TaiShang]

Beijing blue returns...

北京:立冬日迎“高颜值”好天气

2016年11月07日，农历立冬，北京出现4、5级偏北风，阵风达7级，大风彻底驱走多日雾霾，迎来蓝天白云的“高颜值”好天气。供图：金闻/视觉中国

 

[ahojunk]

Premier Li urges more efforts to green China's energy system
2016-11-18 10:10 | Xinhua | Editor: Mo Hong'e

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (4th R) speaks at a meeting with representatives of the Chinese energy industry
in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 17, 2016. Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli (3rd R) also attended the meeting. (Photo: Xinhua/Yao Dawei)​

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has called for China's energy mix to be more in tune with the sustainable development of the economy.

Addressing a meeting of the State Energy Commission on Thursday, Li said China should foster an energy system that is clean, low-carbon, secure and efficient.

"Given the profound changes in the global energy sector and a burgeoning technological revolution, China, as a major energy producer and consumer, must seize the opportunity [...] to optimize our energy structure and fix weak areas, including restrictions of resources and the environment, low quality and efficiency, poor infrastructure, and a lack of core technology," Li said.

China still relies on coal for nearly two thirds of its power supply, making the greening of the energy supply both necessary and urgent.

A plan approved at the meeting on development of the energy sector until 2020 highlights clean coal and new energy technology.

Li urged promoting cleaner and more efficient utilization of coal, which he said is the foremost task in transformation of the energy sector, and called for accelerating the development of hydro, wind, solar and biomass energy.

Nuclear energy shall be developed in safe and efficient way, he said.

Major sectors such as industrial production, construction and transportation must save energy and reduce emissions, Li said.

Outdated production facilities will be upgraded or closed down, according to the premier.

He said the government will actively support private companies to enter the energy sector, currently dominated by state-owned enterprises.

He also called for deepening international cooperation in the energy sector.

 

[TaiShang]

Xi calls for building of socialist ecological civilization
Xinhua, December 2, 2016

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for efforts to deepen reforms and establish the framework institutions of the ecological civilization.

Building the ecological civilization is a key part of China's overall development strategy and governments at all levels should bear in mind that clear waters and green mountains are invaluable ***ets, said President Xi, according to a statement released Friday by the central government.

More should be done to institutionalize and legalize ecological civilization, promote green, renewable and low-carbon growth and make our way of production and life resource-saving and environmentally-friendly, Xi pointed out.

 

[ahojunk]

Xi calls for building of socialist ecological civilization
2016-12-03 07:38 | Xinhua | Editor: Wang Fan

Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli (C rear) speaks at a meeting on building the ecological civilization,
in Huzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Dec. 2, 2016. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)​

President Xi Jinping has called for more to be done to deepen reforms and establish a framework of institutions to promote ecological civilization in China.

The goal of achieving an ecological civilization is a key part of China's overall development strategy and governments at all levels should remember that clear waters and green mountains are invaluable assets, said Xi, according to a statement released Friday by the central authorities.

More should be done to create a legal and operational ecological civilization framework, which will feature green, renewable and low-carbon growth and economical and environmentally-friendly way of life, Xi pointed out.

China will increase environmental inspections and punish polluters accordingly to ensure the environment improves, Xi said.

Ecological civilization should be an important task for governments and Communist Party of China branches at all levels. They should implement policies earnestly and contribute more to a greener China and global ecological security, Xi added.

Premier Li Keqiang spoke about ecological civilization's key role in achieving sustainable growth, adding that local governments should bare this in mind when drafting supply-side structural reforms.

China will continue to optimize its industrial structure, cut excess capacity, reduce pollution and improve air, water and soil quality, Li added.

A national meeting on ecological progress was held Friday in Zhejiang Province, where Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli urged local governments to use their previous achievements to kick-start faster and better ecological civilization development.

Moreover, more should be done to promote green urbanization and sustainable industrial structure, and improve the efficiency of resource utilization, Zhang added.


********

Fantastic to note that the President is concerned about the environment.
That's the way to go.
.

 

[TaiShang]

Source of major pollutant in China's smog revealed
Xinhua, December 22, 2016

Scientists said Wednesday they have solved the perplexing puzzle of how a major smog component, known as sulfate, forms during haze events in northern China, including Beijing.

The study, published in the U.S. journal Science Advances, identified reactive nitrogen chemistry and water particles in the air as the two missing pieces, suggesting that reducing nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission in particular may help curb China's air pollution.

The findings were based on an analysis of the January 2013 winter haze event in Beijing, one of the worst atmospheric pollution events ever recorded in China, which saw the daily concentration of fine particle called PM2.5 exceed the World Health Organization guideline value by 16 times.

At that time, researchers performed aerosol measurements on the roof of a Tsinghua University building in Beijing and analyzed data throughout the surrounding regions.

They identified a reaction pathway that could account for the missing source of sulfate, discovering that fine water particles in the air acted as an reactor, trapping sulfur dioxide (SO2) molecules and interacting with nitrogen dioxide (NO2) to form sulfate.

The reaction rate was further facilitated by stagnant weather in the 2013 haze event, which trapped NO2 near the Earth's surface, resulting in NO2 concentrations that were three fold higher than clean conditions.

This process, according to the researchers, was "self-amplifying," as increasing aerosol mass concentrations led to higher aerosol water content -- accelerating the accumulation of sulfate and causing more severe haze pollution.

"This study unfolds the unique sulfate formation mechanism in NCP (North China Plain) haze events, which differs from traditional scenarios," study author Guangjie Zheng of Tsinghua University said in an email to Xinhua.

"In cleaner environments such as the U.S. or Europe, sulfate is mainly formed through the traditional OH (hydroxide) reaction pathways in atmospheric gas phase, or the H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) and O3 (Ozon) reaction pathways in cloud chemistry. In NCP haze events, however, the dominant sulfate formation pathway shifts into the NO2 reaction pathway in aerosol water."

Zheng said results in this research reveal "the complex nature" of haze pollution events in China.

"The SO2 comes mainly from power plants, NOx is from power plants and mobile vehicles, while the NH3 (ammonia) and mineral dusts, which serve as the neutralizing substances, are from both natural and anthropogenic emissions such as industry and fugitive dusts," she said.

"These pollutants from various sources were emitted in high intensity at the same time, resulting in the unique heavy haze conditions, and thus the shifting in the dominant sulfate formation pathway. The complexity of haze pollutions in NCP further illustrated the importance of scientific emission-reduction strategies."

For example, reductions of NO2 and nitric oxide, which can react in the air to become NO2, are expected to lower sulfate pollution levels much more than anticipated by traditional air quality models.

These results "will need to be considered in future air quality and pollutant emission control strategies in northern China, and perhaps also in other regions," the reseachers concluded in their paper.