2015 China’s Environmental Problems PowerPoints Jigsaw Group Homework Graphic Organizer Notes
Environmental Problem
Water Shortage
Main Characteristics
Residential use is rising from 31 to 134 bil. tons from 1995 to 2003
Industrial use rising from 52 to 269 bil. tons
Farmers cannot compete economically
1000 ton of water in agriculture = $200
In industry it = $14,000 of profit.
Number of days without flow up from 90 in 1980 to 230 in 1997
100 cities suffer from severe shortages, halting industrial production.
300 cities out of Chinas 617 Cities suffer from shortage
2/3 from groundwater mining – salt water intrusion in coastal areas and subsidence in some cities
Historical Evidence
Yellow River stopped flowing during 20 of the years 1972-1997
Water Pollution
Riverside chemical and power plants, along with paper, textile, and food production facilities, are a leading source of pollution of China's rivers and lakes
Their water is also being contaminated by the industrial growth with benzene which causes cancer
At least 300 million people in China do not have access to safe drinking water
As much as 70% of China’s lakes, rivers, and streams are affected by water pollution
Nearly 90% of China's cities and 75% of its lakes are impacted by water pollution.
Waste water is when raw sewage is dumped into the rivers and carries waterborne diseases like typhoid, cholera, dysentery and hepatitis. This leads to health epidemics and deaths. It also contaminates farmland due to irrigation
More than 700 million people consume drinking water contaminated with levels of animal and human excreta that exceed maximum permissible levels by as much as 86% in rural areas and 28% in urban areas
Effects
“This water shortage prevents the river from flushing its heavy load of pollutants into the
Yellow Sea
2/3 of China's 660 largest cities face water deficits
Beijing is among the cities most affected
For example, on
November 24, 2005, there was an explosion at a chemical plant in northeastern China. It spilled 100 tons of benzene in the Songhua
River. Due to this, the city of Harbin was forced to shut its water supply to 3.8 million people for a week
Pollution has often led to the temporary shutdown of tap water in areas along China’s rivers

Environmental Problem
Air Pollution
Main Characteristics
China is the world’s leading source of respiratory and cardiovascular disease and acid rain
Many different pollutants in the air, sulfur dioxide Iron, steel and chemical factories spew sot, fly ash and into the air, Black carbon produced by cars, stoves, factories and crop burning ,Desert dust from sand and dust storms in the
Gobi Desert, Mercury
Historical Evidence
As many as five million deaths are caused by air pollution every year in India
China gets 80% of its electricity and 70% of its total power from coal, around 6 million tons of coal is burned every day to power factories, heat homes, cook meals
Effects
Governmental leaders are starting to order businesses to clean up, and some of the worst polluting factories to shut-down
The air quality in Beijing is 16 times worse than NYC
Astronauts can see the smog in China from space
Smog is so bad in Beijing and Shanghai that the airports are often shut down due to poor visibility
January 29, 2013, more than 150 flights to and from Beijing were canceled due to smog
500 major cities in China exceed safe air quality levels
The US Embassy in
Beijing installed an air monitor on its roof and every hour on Twitter it posts the score from 1 being the cleanest to 500 the dirtiest
It is normally around 500 and public health notices are constantly posted that you should avoid all physical activity outside.
Nearly 30% of respiratory disease in
China is attributed to air pollution
Acid rain affects more than 30% of the country
The Asian Brown cloud is a brown blanket of smog that affects all nations of Asia
India, China, Japan, Thailand, etc.

Environmental Problem
Deforestation
Desertification
Main Characteristics
Little conservation of forests in China; much more in Japan
Reforestation programs have been unsuccessful
China’s natural forests have been declining over the last 50 years
Deserts are forming quickly due to this
China suffers from soil erosion and flooding
Historical Evidence
A desert in China will bury an area the size of New Jersey every five years
This is due to drought, overgrazing, incorrect use of ground water, and logging
Due to this, dust storms and sandstorms are more common
Over grazing- increase in number of goat, sheep and cattle
Human activity causing soil erosion:
Deforestation for agriculture and logging
Destruction of vegetation (grassland)
Cultivation on steep slopes drying out of wetlands for agriculture and city develop
About 900 square miles of land each year become desert in China
Expanding deserts cause China to lose about 1 million acres of land each year
In 2001, a new law was passed to try to control desertification. It asked that land occupants plant trees in areas where deforestation had already occurred and this has begun to slowly help
Effects
2/3 of China’s Forests
Lost, Leading to Floods and Deserts
Soil Erosion: Deposition of sediment in the river bed causing more frequent flooding leading to the deposition of coarse sediment particles and secondary alkalization
25% of China’s Land
Becoming Desert

Environmental Problem
Three Gorges Dam
Main Characteristics Historical Evidence
Purposes: hydroelectricity, irrigation and flood prevention
Generates 22.5 gig watts of power, at
1.4 miles long and 630 feet high
(roughly the height of a 50-story building), it is the world's largest dam
Flooded many towns
End Water Shortage issue and gather new tourism
China gets FIVE percent of its energy and TWENTY percent of its electricity from hydro energy
Cost about $59 billion
Pros: Cost:The dam is within budget
Resettlement: 15 million people downstream
Environment: Hydroelectric power is cleaner than coal burning and safer than nuclear plants
Culture: Many historical relics are being moved
Navigation: Shipping will become faster, cheaper and safer as the rapid waters are tamed and ship locks are installed.
Power Gen: huge potential demand for the relatively cheap hydroelectricity
Flood Control: The huge flood storage capacity will lessen the frequency of major floods.
Took 17 Years to complete
Cons: Cost: far exceed the official cost estimate Resettlement increase, it will flood many historical sites and ruin the legendary scenery of the gorges, heavy siltation will clog ports, Flood Control
Siltation will decrease flood storage capacity, the dam will not prevent floods on tributaries, earthquake tremors, and landslides
Effects
Displaced people are moved up the slopes or sent to other areas of China.
-Families separated
-New bridges replace submerged ones
-New building often on old landslip areas due to shortage of flat land for building

Overall Effects and Impact on China and World:
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Socio-economic losses
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Health cost App 300,000 death/year due to air pollution, lead blood level in cities twice the level considered to be dangerous
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Natural disasters soil erosion Drought damage increase flood frequency
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The sheer size of China’s population, its landmass and economy guarantee that its environmental problems will spread to the rest of the world
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China importing natural gas and oil– reduces environmental damage from the use of coal
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Exports causing damage at home, Products go abroad but pollution stays at home
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Invasive spices exported