Water shortage hits pasture area in Inner Mongolia

HOHHOT – More than 370,000 people and 580,000 livestock living in pasture areas in the western part of North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region are having difficulties securing drinking water due to a severe drought….

21 injured after earthquake jolts Xinjiang

URUMQI – Twenty-one people were left injured after a 5.8-magnitude earthquake hit NorthwestChina’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region Thursday afternoon, local authorities said Friday. The quake rocked a border area between the region’s city of Atux…

Hordes of dead fish foung in C China river

Dead fish are seen in Zijiang River in Xinshao county, Central China’s Hunan province, August 11, 2011. [Photo/Xinhua]  CHANGSHA – A large number of fish were found dead over the past week in a river…

Experts warn of fragile sea environment

BEIJING – Following the continuing oil leak in Bohai Bay, experts warned that fast offshore development is polluting China’s fragile sea. With marine economy becoming another engine for the country’s economy in the 12th Five-Year…

Oil&water

A man looks at an oil slick off the coast of Tianjin in North China on August 3. Authorities can not confirm whether it was the result of oil spills in Bohai Bay. Photo: CFP…

Duckweed growth high this season

Shanghai water management authorities are seeking cooperation from Zhejiang and Jiangsu government authorities in managing excessive duckweed growth along its waters, after the most serious outbreak of the plant in a decade has affected waterways…

China to strengthen grassland ecology protection

A circular issued by the State Council, China’s Cabinet, has called for more efforts, increased investment and intensified supervision for the country’s grassland ecology protection. The circular told government departments to set up and implement…

3.6 million Chinese affected by Typhoon Muifa

The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters of China revealed that Typhoon Muifa, the ninth tropical storm of this year, went to the north along the east coast of China and landed in the…

Shark fin soup: The taste of extinction

A pending state bill would prohibit the sale of shark fin and help protect the threatened fish. The ban would affect Chinese Americans disproportionately, but Cantonese culinary culture would easily survive.   I still remember…

Environment ministry shuts battery plants

A total 583 lead battery manufacturing plants were shut down after government authorities conducted a series of inspections earlier this year in an effort to reduce heavy metal pollution. According to a statement issued on…