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Officials Hail Improved Air Quality During Car Ban

Beijing's overall air quality improved during the four-day test period carried out in anticipation of next August's Olympic Games. More than a million cars each day were barred from the roads.

·	Beijing: A Day to Use Public Transport
·	'Air Quality Important for Olympic Athletes'
·	Olympics: Preparations Stay On Track, Challenges Remain
·	Air Quality Not a Concern for US Olympic
·	Beijing Plans Exercise of Ban on Cars

Anhui Rivers, Lakes Crying for Help

SEPA announced in early July that no more new industrial projects would see the light of day in several cities and industrial parks lying on four major rivers to halt the spread of pollution.

·	Work on Taihu Lake Progressing
·	Vice Premier Urges Ensuring Drinking Water Safety
·	Key Water Source Threatened
·	River Still Polluted After Cleanup Efforts
·	Report Reveals Grim Reality of Huaihe River Pollution
·	Clean Production Evaluation Standards Issued
·	Water Quality a Major Priority
·	Five Officials Punished over Taihu Lake Pollution Crisis
·	Blue-green Algae Discovered in Chaohu Lake
·	Water Pollution Control Project Approved

Drought Affects 7.5m People

While much of the country has been inundated by the worst rains of the year, widespread and prolonged drought is plaguing the northern, northeastern and southern regions.

·	Worst Drought in 50 Years Hits Changsha
·	Drought Leaves 1.27 Mln People Short of Water
·	Half of Hunan Reeling Under Heat and Drought
·	Severe Drought in NE China May Be Alleviated in July
·	Drought Still Severe in NE China Despite Rain
·	More than 8 Mln Suffer from Drinking Water Shortage
·	Gov't to Set Up Center for Weather Control

Paulson Impressed by Green Efforts

US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson saw for himself yesterday efforts to reverse environmental degradation around China's largest inland saltwater lake, taking the spotlight off currency tensions for a day.

·	US Treasury Secretary Arrives in China
·	Tour de Qinghai Lake Puts "Green" in Primary
·	Chinese Cyclist Spurts at Tour de Qinghai Lake
·	Paulson: Madame Wu Yi Is 'Force of Nature'

Glaciers Melting at Alarming Speed

The Tibetan and Xinjiang glaciers -- the major source of Asia's biggest rivers -- have melted by up to an alarming 17 percent at certain spots in the past four decades.

·	Climate Change Taking Toll on Glaciers
·	Shrinking Glaciers in Xinjiang Sound Climate Warming Alarms
·	Experts: Melting Glaciers Could Harm Millions in Asia
·	Glaciers Gradually Shrinking at Alarming Rate
·	Glaciers on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Melting Away
·	Global Warming Threatens 'World Barometer'
·	Shrinking Glaciers May Cause Second Lop Nor Catastrophe

Jiangsu Vows to Clean Up Taihu Lake

Local officials in east China's Jiangsu Province, the location of a recent water pollution scare, put on record their promises to clean up Taihu Lake by closing small, environmentally damaging manufacturing plants.

·	Wen Urges Cleanup of Algae-stenched Lakes
·	Lakes Again Under Threat from Algae
·	Deadline Set for Cleaning up Taihu Lake
·	Five Officials Punished over Taihu Lake Pollution Crisis
·	Premier Demands Investigation of Taihu Lake Crisis
·	Experts Disappointed in Taihu Lake Improvements
·	Taihu Lake Crisis Affects Local Tourism
·	Polluters Barred from Operating near Lake
·	Factories Closed for Polluting Taihu Lake
·	Greater Investment Pledged for Pollution Prevention
·	Water Better, But Not Drinkable
·	Pollution Threatens Taihu Lake

18.7b Yuan Earmarked to Fight Desertification in Xinjiang

China plans to invest 18.7 billion yuan (about US$2.46 billion) in the next eight years to try to roll back desertification in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the regional government announced Tuesday.

·	320,000-sq-km Land Threatened by Desertification
·	Hu Vows to Fight Sands
·	China to Continue Desert Control Efforts in Africa
·	Over 95% of Chinese Worry About Environment

No Air Conditioning for Gov't Offices Until 33 Celsius Degree

Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, has told municipal government offices not to turn on air conditioning until 33 Celsius degree, in a sign of local administrations answering the call of the central government to save energy.

·	26 Degrees in Air-conditioned Rooms
·	Neglected Aircons Pose Threat to Health
·	New Water System Can Heat and Cool Buildings
·	'Raise Room Temperature And Save More Power'
·	Beijing Feels Blue over Poor Sky Conditions

Algae 'No Longer a Threat' to Water

Levels of the blue-green algae in Taihu Lake have returned to normal and no longer pose a threat to the water supply for the city's 5.8 million residents, a local official and scientist said on Friday.

·	Lakes Again Under Threat from Algae
·	Newly-found Blue Algae Not Affecting Local Tap Water
·	Taihu, Chaohu Again Hit by Algae Outbreaks

Algae Bloom Threatens Water for Millions

A blue-green algae bloom is threatening the water quality of a lake that provides drinking water for millions of people in the city of Wuxi, Jiangsu Province.

·	Deadline Set for Cleaning up Taihu Lake
·	Water Quality Returns to Normal in Wuxi City
·	Safe Water for All Is 2015 Goal
·	Diversion of Yangtze River to Tackle Wuxi Water Crisis

Captive-Bred Panda Dies in the Wild

Xiang Xiang, the first captive-bred giant panda to be set free into the wild was found dead on February 19 this year, but www.newssc.org released the news for the first time on May 31. Zoologists are convinced that Xiang Xiang died due to injuries sustained falling from a high place while fighting for food with other wild giant pandas.

·	China to Build 3 More Panda Nature Reserves
·	Panda Baby Boom, 28 Healthy Cubs in One Year
·	Sichuan, Sweet Home for Pandas
·	Panda Prepares for New Life in the Wilderness
·	Giant Panda to Return to Wild in Sichuan
·	Human-raised Giant Panda Able to Survive in Wild

Water Pollution Control Project Approved

A nationwide water pollution control project has been approved aiming at developing monitoring and early-warning systems and water quality management technology to ensure drinking water security.

·	Drought Eases off in SW China, Gets Worse in North
·	Polluted Water Deals a Blow to Fishermen
·	Unclean Drinking Water Threatens Health of 320 Mln Chinese
·	Clean Water for 300 Mln Rural People in 10 Years
·	China Promises Safe Drinking Water for Peasants

Hot in the City: Beijing Summer Arrives

This year is the earliest summer in Beijing since 1971. Records show that since 2000, summer generally arrives in the capital in middle or late May. Before 2000, the season started even later.

·	Inclement Weather on Horizon
·	Floating Dust Hits Beijing on Monday
·	China Records Three Sandstorms in April
·	Official: China Attaches Importance to Climate Change

China Gears up for Second National Land Survey

The State Council has mobilized local governments to prepare for the second national land survey, which is expected to cover 2,800 counties nationwide and record the ownership of every piece of land in use.

·	China Clamps Down on Illegal Land Use
·	New Land Rules to Be Enforced
·	Anti-corruption in Land Deals Stressed
·	Illegal Land Use Monitored From Above
·	Gov't Not to Ease Control of Land Use

Report Shows Yangtze Water Environment Deteriorating

The 2007 annual report on Yangtze River protection and development shows that more than 600 kilometers of the river are in critical condition. The report warns of the irreversible impact of human activities on the Yangtze water ecology.

·	Nitrogen, Phosphorus Threat to Yangtze
·	Fishermen on Lower Yangtze River Hang up Their Nets
·	Yangtze River Endangered in Heavy Pollution
·	Yangtze Reef Clearing Project Begins

Invasive Alien Species in the Cross Hairs

Beijing will launch a campaign against assaults by alien insect species on the city's trees to guarantee plenty of greenery for the 2008 Olympic Games, said a senior forestry administrator yesterday.

·	North China Braces for Moth Infestation
·	Parasites Bred to Destructive American White Moths
·	Aerial Assaults Planned on Destructive Moth
·	White Moths Plaguing in North China
·	Anti-moth Campaign to Protect Beijing's Trees
·	Alien Flora and Fauna Pose Threat to Capital
·	Warning System to Guard Against Alien Species

One Morning, China Awoke in Green

To commemorate the first "Green China Day," over 10,000 people across eight Chinese cities planted 5,000 trees on Sunday to launch a new initiative to help repopulate China's diversity of flora.

·	Public Urged to Fully Participate in Protecting Environment
·	State Leaders Join Beijingers for Tree Planting
·	Chinese Ministers Plant Trees
·	Tree Time
·	Blind People Get Involved, Planting Trees on Arbor Day
·	2.16 Billion Trees Planted in China in 2006
·	China to Enhance Public Awareness of Environmental Protection

Porpoises Find Purpose in Poyang Lake

A group of 20-odd Yangtze finless porpoises were discovered in Poyang Lake on March 20 by patrolling fishery staff. Poyang Lake, in Jiangxi Province, stands as China's biggest freshwater lake. The oddity of this find is due to the fact that porpoises tend to prefer smaller groups of three to five members.

·	China's Freshwater Lake Launches Spring Fishing Ban
·	NPC Deputies Call to Save Poyang Freshwater Lake
·	'Porpoise Tourism' Program to Save the Species
·	Number of Finless Porpoises Halved in 15 Years
·	Water Level in Largest Fresh Water Lake Drops Sharply

Tibetan Antelopes Unfazed by Railway

An investigation conducted by the Hoh Xil Nature Reserve Administration showed that the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, which began operation on July 1 last year, has not interrupted the migration of Tibetan antelopes or altered their behavior, Xinhua News Agency reported on March 19.

·	Protect Tibetan Antelope, Boycott Shahtoosh Shawls
·	Environmentalist Calls for Protection Park for Endangered Antelope
·	Ge Yuxiu: from King of Birds to Environmental Activist
·	Five Discoveries of Hoh Xil 2006 Scientific Expedition
·	Herd of Tibetan Antelopes Found in Geladaindong
·	Saving the Tibetan Antelopes
·	Tibetan Antelopes Under New Threat
·	Cause of Tibetan Antelope Migration Found

Report Cites Unsafe Water as Top Environmental Fear

Unsafe drinking water in rural areas topped last year's environmental concerns, according to the recently released report themed "China's Environment in 2006: Changes and Struggles". The report was published by the Social Sciences Academic Press and the Friends of Nature, an NGO based in Beijing.

·	Clean Water for 300 Mln Rural People in 10 Years
·	Prolonged Drought Deprives Chinese of Drinking Water
·	6.5 Mln More People in NW China to Drink Clean Water
·	Millions of Farmers Away from Unhealthy Water in 2006
·	Drought-relief Project to Benefit Millions
·	Clean, Safe Water for All Chinese Rural Residents by 2015
·	8 Bln Yuan Earmarked for Clean Drinking Water

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