Month: <span>January 2012</span>

What was omitted in US Congress hearings on China resource boom?

  Extremely informative hearings “China’s Global Quest for Resources” were held on January 26, 2012 in the US Senate.  Leading American and Indian experts delivered their testimony on China’s role in mineral extraction, hydropower, water consumption, energy use, and fisheries, but the hearings somehow omitted forestry and agriculture. We will …

From now on China considers basin-wide impacts of hydropower

A new policy on basin-wide strategic assessment of relations between hydropower and environment called “Provisional Measures for the Evaluation of River Hydropower Plans (RHPs) and Environmental Impact Statements (EISs)” (“????????????????????????”) was issued by National Reform and Development Commission (NRDC). Methodology is intended for use in “Important River” Hydropower Plans, which …

The Economist insulted indigenous environmental movement

Why The Economist is publicly discrediting green movement leaders and traditional way of life in Mongolia? Editors of the transrivers.org were astonished by “Mine, all mine” article published by The Economist on Jan 21st 2012. It is not the first time we see this magazine publishing biased material to support …

New Centerra Gold operations conflict with water protection law and threaten biodiversity

Centerra Gold officials once boasted that they work on amendments that reduce effectiveness of the Law with Long Name that protects Mongolian rivers from mining impacts. Company’s rich web-site has documents clearly outlining its plans to make mining licenses exempt from the Law. But Mother Nature does not forgive such …

New development plan for Erguna – green, low-carbon and multi-cultural

Occupying the right bank of transboundary Argun River, Erguna municipality (Inner Mongolia,China) has vast land area with a population of only 85,000. Livestock raising, dairy and dairy processing, tourism, forestry, coal and construction materials make up the economic backbone of the area. Cross-border trade with Russia through 2 river crossings …