Environmental Issues in East Asia March 2, 2015

The Yangtze River The Yangtze River flows 4000 miles from the northwestern part of China into the East China Sea It passes through over 185 towns where it provides a water source for almost 400 million people The Chinese use the Yangtze for drinking water, irrigation for their fields, and a water supply for their industries The Yangtze is highly polluted, however, for many reasons

Causes of Pollution in the Yangtze River Sewage dumped into the river Chemicals from fertilizer Industrial waste Acid rain The 2 biggest pollutants of the river are fertilizers and industrial waste

Risks of water pollution in China The Yangtze pollution puts all of the cities along its banks at risk Many species of plants and animals are disappearing Fish that are contaminated by pollutants are caught and eaten by people which causes them to become sick Other fish are dying because algae is growing in the water

Three Gorges Dam The massive Three Gorges Dam is being built along the Yangtze River to provide hydroelectric power to people who do not have electricity Hydroelectric power: electricity generated by water However, the project is causing problems with the environment A number of plant and animal species are now facing extinction because of the dam It is also being built in an area that is prone to earthquakes

Trying to clean up the Yangtze China is taking steps to try and clean up the river They are building more water treatment facilities to remove pollutants from the water People who live in cities along the river are being encouraged to dump their waste into landfills instead of the river

Air Pollution in China Air pollution is one of China’s most serious environmental problems Beijing, China’s capital, experiences some of the heaviest air pollution in the world There are many different causes of air pollution

Causes of air pollution in China Exhaust from cars and trucks Industrial smoke from factories Burning coal for a source of energy, which puts tons of ash and chemicals into the air

Acid Rain Air pollution also contributes to acid rain Acid rain occurs when chemicals in the air fall to the ground in the form of rain These chemicals mostly come from burning coal This is a problem for at least 1/3 of the farms in China Acid rain is harmful to plants, animals, buildings, and water supplies (rivers)

Trying to stop air pollution The Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau was established in 2006 to work on the quality of the air Automobile traffic was reduced and some factories were temporarily closed This helped reduce air pollutants by as much as 45% However, respiratory and heart diseases caused by air pollution are still the leading cause of death in China

Questions 1. What do the Chinese use the Yangtze River for? 2. What are 4 causes of water pollution in the Yangtze River? 3. What is happening to plants and animals as a result of water pollution? 4. How can fish in China make a person sick? 5. What is the name of the dam being built over the Yangtze? 6. What is the purpose of the dam? 7. What are 2 problems that are happening because of the dam?

More Questions 8. What are 2 ways that China is trying to clean up the Yangtze? 9. Which part of China experiences some of the heaviest air pollution in the world? 10. What are 3 causes of air pollution in China? 11. When does acid rain occur? 12. What is harmed because of acid rain? 13. What are 2 ways that China is trying to fix the air pollution problem? 14. What is the leading cause of death in China?