Newsletter from China (3/7/2005)
1. New technology to dispose of sewage, mud (SHANGHAI, Feb. 20, 2005)
Chinese scientists have developed a technology that can effectively turn sewage
water and mud, two main headaches of urbanization, into organic fertilizer and highvalue pesticide.
The closed microorganism aerobic fermentation technology, developed by aresearch group headed by Professor Chen Liqiao of the Shanghai-based Huadong
Normal University, has passed a technical appraisal by experts of the Shangha i
Municipal Science and Technology Committee recently. Experts spoke highly of thetechnology, saying it can remove the odor of sewage and mud, and turn waste intoresources. Experiments by the Shanghai Sewage Water Treatment Plant show that
disposing of mud with the new technology can generate 150 yuan (18.13 US dollars)
per ton.
Currently, China's sewage treatment plants discharge more than nine million tons of
mud annually and the figure is rising by an average 10 percent year on year. Two
methods are now used to deal with increasing urban sewage water and mud in China:
incinerating and burying underground.
2. HK's sustainability plans to be finalized (HONG KONG, Feb. 21, 2005)
Hong Kong's Council for Sustainable Development will soon finalize its
recommendations on a Sustainable Development Strategy for Hong Kong, following
the completion of a six- month engagement process. The council plans to forward its
recommendations on the way forward for a Sustainable Development Strategy to thegovernment this spring. During the public engagement process, the council received
nearly 2,000 responses on three pilot areas, including solid waste management,
renewable energy and urban living space.
3. Waste pollution more hazardous than mine disasters. 2005.
A noted geoscientist has warned that wastes left from the mining of mineral
resources can be ten times more hazardous than mine disasters.

These are largely heavy metals found in copper, aluminum and zinc mines," said Prof.
Sun Chuanmin, president of the Geoscience Institute of Chengdu University ofTechnology in southwestern Sichuan Province. "They pollute air and water and doharms to the people's health." According to Prof. Sun, excessive intake of heavy
metals can lead to cerebral vascular diseases and liver and kidney problems. He said
the general public needs to pay more attention to the industrial pollution, a byproductof the mining industry that can affect millions of people -- far more than gas blasts,
cave- ins and other mine mishaps that have induced widespread concern in China.
"Some experts and media organizations have started to look into the pollution, and theChinese governments have moved to tackle the problem, too," said Prof. Sun. "But it's
still a long way to go: most waste residue simply flows away with river water andposes a threat to the people's health and life safety." Sun, a deputy to the 10th National
People's Congress, is currently in Beijing to attend the incoming annual session of theChinese parliament. Two years ago, he proposed turning the industrial wastes into
resources to make up for China's inadequate supply and remove their potential harms
to the people at the same time. "It'll be a double-win solution," he said. "The Chinese
government should offer more financial support to foster technological research inthis field and promote the compulsory use of effective technologies at an earlier date."