Sunday, 12 August 2012

Europa? Me how...

China's Enormous Three Gorges Dam Could End Up Being A Huge Mistake

Sanya Khetani | Apr. 23, 2012, 8:30 PM | 202,752 | 46
    China Three Gorges
    AP
    When the construction of China's Three Gorges Dam was completed in 2006, most Chinese citizens must have hoped it was worth the huge cost: 1.4 million people had to be relocated from towns, cities, and villages to make way for the enormous structure, which would supplement a hungry China's growing energy needs.
    But their prayers have not been answered.
    Six years later, the government says a further 100,000 people may be displaced over the next few years, including 20,000 this year alone, because of increasing landslide risks in the area around the dam, Reuters reports. 

    The Three Gorges Project is located at Sāndòupíng in the Xilingxia gorge, one of the three gorges on the Yangtze river.

    The Three Gorges Project is located at Sāndòupíng in the Xilingxia gorge, one of the three gorges on the Yangtze river.
    Flickr/Pedro Vásquez Colmenares
    (Source: ctg.com.cn)

    It's one of the biggest hydropower complexes in the world.

    It's one of the biggest hydropower complexes in the world.
    Wikimedia Commons/Le Grand Portage/Rehman
    The 600-foot high, 1.4 mile-long dam with 386 gates holds a reservoir that's about 400 miles long, and the power generating complex contains 26 turbines.

    While official estimates put the cost of production at $23 billion, international experts believe it cost more than double that.

    While official estimates put the cost of production at $23 billion, international experts believe it cost more than double that.
    AP
    (Source: The New York Times)

    The project took more than a decade to complete.

    The project took more than a decade to complete.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    It was originally suggested in 1918 by Sun Yat-Sen, but the scheme officially started in 1994 and finished in 2008. 
    (Source: the BBC)

    It serves a purpose, however — The dam generates more than 18,000 MW of power a year.

    It serves a purpose, however — The dam generates more than 18,000 MW of power a year.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    That's more than eight times the capacity of the U.S.'s Hoover Dam and about three percent of China's energy needs.

    Additionally, it's intended to stop the frequent flooding in the region.

    Additionally, it's intended to stop the frequent flooding in the region.
    Getty Images/ChinaFotoPress
    (Source: PBS)

    The project also increased the amount of cargo transported across the river to 50 million tons, triple the maximum annual amount prior to the dam's construction.

    The project also increased the amount of cargo transported across the river to 50 million tons, triple the maximum annual amount prior to the dam's construction.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    (Source: China Daily)

    But the system has had some major problems from the very get go.

    But the system has had some major problems from the very get go.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    About 1.4 million people were displaced when construction began, and 13 cities, 140 towns and 1,350 villages were submerged when the reservoir reached its full capacity of 40 billion cubic meters (1,412.6 billion cubic feet). 
    (Source: The New York Times)

    A further 100,000 will be moved over the next three to five years because of landslides and bank collapses.

    A further 100,000 will be moved over the next three to five years because of landslides and bank collapses.
    AP
    (Source: the BBC)

    The number of landslides and other natural disasters has increased by 70 percent since the reservoir filled up in 2010.

    The number of landslides and other natural disasters has increased by 70 percent since the reservoir filled up in 2010.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    The enormous weight of the water in the reservoir, coupled with the rise and fall in its levels depending on the season, has made the banks unstable, according to the BBC.
    (Source: AP)

    Some say it played a role in the devastating 2008 Sichuan earthquake, which killed 87,000 people, though the government denies this.

    Some say it played a role in the devastating 2008 Sichuan earthquake, which killed 87,000 people, though the government denies this.
    AP
    (Source: AP)

    1,300 archaeological sites have also been submerged.

    1,300 archaeological sites have also been submerged.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    Among those threatened are the irreplaceable remnants of the homeland of the Ba, an ancient people who settled in the region about 4,000 years ago, according to CNN.
    (Source: PBS)

    The dam may have exacerbated China's 2011 drought.

    The dam may have exacerbated China's 2011 drought.
    Flickr/Euclid vanderKroew
    While there is no concrete evidence, critics say the dam altered regional water tables, which led to residents downstream of Three Gorges losing access to drinking water in the drought from January-April 2011, according to The New York Times. China's Xinhua news agency put the number of those affected at 10 million. It was widely considered the worst drought in 50 years.
    (Source: Nature)

    The drought negated most of the dam's plus points: ships were stranded and central and eastern China faced a power shortage.

    The drought negated most of the dam's plus points: ships were stranded and central and eastern China faced a power shortage.
    Getty Images/Andrew Wong
    (Source: Nature)

    Environmentalists say the reservoir is accumulating silt and waste from cities and industries.

    Environmentalists say the reservoir is accumulating silt and waste from cities and industries.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    Over 265 billion gallons of raw sewage are dumped into the Yangtze annually, which now collects in the reservoir instead of being flushed downstream and out into the ocean. However, the government insists the new sewage treatment plants have this under control, according to NPR. 
    (Source: PBS)

    The government finally acknowledged the problems in 2011, five years after Three Gorges was built.

    The government finally acknowledged the problems in 2011, five years after Three Gorges was built.
    Wikimedia Commons
    The Chinese State Council said it knew about some of the problems even before construction began 17 years ago, while some other issues have arisen since because of "new demands as the social and economical situation developed". 
    But despite this late admission, the plan was always contentious. A third of Chinese MPs voted against the plan or abstained.
    (Source: the BBC)

    But China still wants to build more dams.

    But China still wants to build more dams.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    There are plans to build a series of dams on a section of the upper Yangtze which, combined, will have a capacity more than twice that of the Three Gorges Dam. But not only is this region seismically active, the project could deprive Three Gorges of water, according to the AP.
    Other plans include possibly building dams along the Nu River and the upper Mekong, which would be fatal to the area's fragile ecosystems and endangered species, Foreign Policy reports.
    (Source: Nature)

    China isn't the only one with water problems.

    China isn't the only one with water problems.
    Wikimedia Commons

    This $7 Billion System Might Be The Last Chance To Stop Venice From Sinking Into The Sea >



    Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-enormous-three-gorges-dam-is-turning-out-to-be-a-huge-mistake-2012-4?op=1#ixzz23LGMIszP
    Posted by at

    China's Enormous Three Gorges Dam Could End Up Being A Huge Mistake

    Sanya Khetani | Apr. 23, 2012, 8:30 PM | 202,752 | 46
    China Three Gorges
    AP
    When the construction of China's Three Gorges Dam was completed in 2006, most Chinese citizens must have hoped it was worth the huge cost: 1.4 million people had to be relocated from towns, cities, and villages to make way for the enormous structure, which would supplement a hungry China's growing energy needs.
    But their prayers have not been answered.
    Six years later, the government says a further 100,000 people may be displaced over the next few years, including 20,000 this year alone, because of increasing landslide risks in the area around the dam, Reuters reports. 

    The Three Gorges Project is located at Sāndòupíng in the Xilingxia gorge, one of the three gorges on the Yangtze river.

    The Three Gorges Project is located at Sāndòupíng in the Xilingxia gorge, one of the three gorges on the Yangtze river.
    Flickr/Pedro Vásquez Colmenares
    (Source: ctg.com.cn)

    It's one of the biggest hydropower complexes in the world.

    It's one of the biggest hydropower complexes in the world.
    Wikimedia Commons/Le Grand Portage/Rehman
    The 600-foot high, 1.4 mile-long dam with 386 gates holds a reservoir that's about 400 miles long, and the power generating complex contains 26 turbines.

    While official estimates put the cost of production at $23 billion, international experts believe it cost more than double that.

    While official estimates put the cost of production at $23 billion, international experts believe it cost more than double that.
    AP
    (Source: The New York Times)

    The project took more than a decade to complete.

    The project took more than a decade to complete.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    It was originally suggested in 1918 by Sun Yat-Sen, but the scheme officially started in 1994 and finished in 2008. 
    (Source: the BBC)

    It serves a purpose, however — The dam generates more than 18,000 MW of power a year.

    It serves a purpose, however — The dam generates more than 18,000 MW of power a year.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    That's more than eight times the capacity of the U.S.'s Hoover Dam and about three percent of China's energy needs.

    Additionally, it's intended to stop the frequent flooding in the region.

    Additionally, it's intended to stop the frequent flooding in the region.
    Getty Images/ChinaFotoPress
    (Source: PBS)

    The project also increased the amount of cargo transported across the river to 50 million tons, triple the maximum annual amount prior to the dam's construction.

    The project also increased the amount of cargo transported across the river to 50 million tons, triple the maximum annual amount prior to the dam's construction.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    (Source: China Daily)

    But the system has had some major problems from the very get go.

    But the system has had some major problems from the very get go.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    About 1.4 million people were displaced when construction began, and 13 cities, 140 towns and 1,350 villages were submerged when the reservoir reached its full capacity of 40 billion cubic meters (1,412.6 billion cubic feet). 
    (Source: The New York Times)

    A further 100,000 will be moved over the next three to five years because of landslides and bank collapses.

    A further 100,000 will be moved over the next three to five years because of landslides and bank collapses.
    AP
    (Source: the BBC)

    The number of landslides and other natural disasters has increased by 70 percent since the reservoir filled up in 2010.

    The number of landslides and other natural disasters has increased by 70 percent since the reservoir filled up in 2010.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    The enormous weight of the water in the reservoir, coupled with the rise and fall in its levels depending on the season, has made the banks unstable, according to the BBC.
    (Source: AP)

    Some say it played a role in the devastating 2008 Sichuan earthquake, which killed 87,000 people, though the government denies this.

    Some say it played a role in the devastating 2008 Sichuan earthquake, which killed 87,000 people, though the government denies this.
    AP
    (Source: AP)

    1,300 archaeological sites have also been submerged.

    1,300 archaeological sites have also been submerged.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    Among those threatened are the irreplaceable remnants of the homeland of the Ba, an ancient people who settled in the region about 4,000 years ago, according to CNN.
    (Source: PBS)

    The dam may have exacerbated China's 2011 drought.

    The dam may have exacerbated China's 2011 drought.
    Flickr/Euclid vanderKroew
    While there is no concrete evidence, critics say the dam altered regional water tables, which led to residents downstream of Three Gorges losing access to drinking water in the drought from January-April 2011, according to The New York Times. China's Xinhua news agency put the number of those affected at 10 million. It was widely considered the worst drought in 50 years.
    (Source: Nature)

    The drought negated most of the dam's plus points: ships were stranded and central and eastern China faced a power shortage.

    The drought negated most of the dam's plus points: ships were stranded and central and eastern China faced a power shortage.
    Getty Images/Andrew Wong
    (Source: Nature)

    Environmentalists say the reservoir is accumulating silt and waste from cities and industries.

    Environmentalists say the reservoir is accumulating silt and waste from cities and industries.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    Over 265 billion gallons of raw sewage are dumped into the Yangtze annually, which now collects in the reservoir instead of being flushed downstream and out into the ocean. However, the government insists the new sewage treatment plants have this under control, according to NPR. 
    (Source: PBS)

    The government finally acknowledged the problems in 2011, five years after Three Gorges was built.

    The government finally acknowledged the problems in 2011, five years after Three Gorges was built.
    Wikimedia Commons
    The Chinese State Council said it knew about some of the problems even before construction began 17 years ago, while some other issues have arisen since because of "new demands as the social and economical situation developed". 
    But despite this late admission, the plan was always contentious. A third of Chinese MPs voted against the plan or abstained.
    (Source: the BBC)

    But China still wants to build more dams.

    But China still wants to build more dams.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    There are plans to build a series of dams on a section of the upper Yangtze which, combined, will have a capacity more than twice that of the Three Gorges Dam. But not only is this region seismically active, the project could deprive Three Gorges of water, according to the AP.
    Other plans include possibly building dams along the Nu River and the upper Mekong, which would be fatal to the area's fragile ecosystems and endangered species, Foreign Policy reports.
    (Source: Nature)

    China isn't the only one with water problems.

    China isn't the only one with water problems.
    Wikimedia Commons

    This $7 Billion System Might Be The Last Chance To Stop Venice From Sinking Into The Sea >



    Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-enormous-three-gorges-dam-is-turning-out-to-be-a-huge-mistake-2012-4?op=1#ixzz23LGMIszP
    Posted by at
    Posted by at

    Europa? Me how...

    China's Enormous Three Gorges Dam Could End Up Being A Huge Mistake

    Sanya Khetani | Apr. 23, 2012, 8:30 PM | 202,752 | 46
    China Three Gorges
    AP
    When the construction of China's Three Gorges Dam was completed in 2006, most Chinese citizens must have hoped it was worth the huge cost: 1.4 million people had to be relocated from towns, cities, and villages to make way for the enormous structure, which would supplement a hungry China's growing energy needs.
    But their prayers have not been answered.
    Six years later, the government says a further 100,000 people may be displaced over the next few years, including 20,000 this year alone, because of increasing landslide risks in the area around the dam, Reuters reports. 

    The Three Gorges Project is located at Sāndòupíng in the Xilingxia gorge, one of the three gorges on the Yangtze river.

    The Three Gorges Project is located at Sāndòupíng in the Xilingxia gorge, one of the three gorges on the Yangtze river.
    Flickr/Pedro Vásquez Colmenares
    (Source: ctg.com.cn)

    It's one of the biggest hydropower complexes in the world.

    It's one of the biggest hydropower complexes in the world.
    Wikimedia Commons/Le Grand Portage/Rehman
    The 600-foot high, 1.4 mile-long dam with 386 gates holds a reservoir that's about 400 miles long, and the power generating complex contains 26 turbines.

    While official estimates put the cost of production at $23 billion, international experts believe it cost more than double that.

    While official estimates put the cost of production at $23 billion, international experts believe it cost more than double that.
    AP
    (Source: The New York Times)

    The project took more than a decade to complete.

    The project took more than a decade to complete.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    It was originally suggested in 1918 by Sun Yat-Sen, but the scheme officially started in 1994 and finished in 2008. 
    (Source: the BBC)

    It serves a purpose, however — The dam generates more than 18,000 MW of power a year.

    It serves a purpose, however — The dam generates more than 18,000 MW of power a year.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    That's more than eight times the capacity of the U.S.'s Hoover Dam and about three percent of China's energy needs.

    Additionally, it's intended to stop the frequent flooding in the region.

    Additionally, it's intended to stop the frequent flooding in the region.
    Getty Images/ChinaFotoPress
    (Source: PBS)

    The project also increased the amount of cargo transported across the river to 50 million tons, triple the maximum annual amount prior to the dam's construction.

    The project also increased the amount of cargo transported across the river to 50 million tons, triple the maximum annual amount prior to the dam's construction.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    (Source: China Daily)

    But the system has had some major problems from the very get go.

    But the system has had some major problems from the very get go.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    About 1.4 million people were displaced when construction began, and 13 cities, 140 towns and 1,350 villages were submerged when the reservoir reached its full capacity of 40 billion cubic meters (1,412.6 billion cubic feet). 
    (Source: The New York Times)

    A further 100,000 will be moved over the next three to five years because of landslides and bank collapses.

    A further 100,000 will be moved over the next three to five years because of landslides and bank collapses.
    AP
    (Source: the BBC)

    The number of landslides and other natural disasters has increased by 70 percent since the reservoir filled up in 2010.

    The number of landslides and other natural disasters has increased by 70 percent since the reservoir filled up in 2010.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    The enormous weight of the water in the reservoir, coupled with the rise and fall in its levels depending on the season, has made the banks unstable, according to the BBC.
    (Source: AP)

    Some say it played a role in the devastating 2008 Sichuan earthquake, which killed 87,000 people, though the government denies this.

    Some say it played a role in the devastating 2008 Sichuan earthquake, which killed 87,000 people, though the government denies this.
    AP
    (Source: AP)

    1,300 archaeological sites have also been submerged.

    1,300 archaeological sites have also been submerged.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    Among those threatened are the irreplaceable remnants of the homeland of the Ba, an ancient people who settled in the region about 4,000 years ago, according to CNN.
    (Source: PBS)

    The dam may have exacerbated China's 2011 drought.

    The dam may have exacerbated China's 2011 drought.
    Flickr/Euclid vanderKroew
    While there is no concrete evidence, critics say the dam altered regional water tables, which led to residents downstream of Three Gorges losing access to drinking water in the drought from January-April 2011, according to The New York Times. China's Xinhua news agency put the number of those affected at 10 million. It was widely considered the worst drought in 50 years.
    (Source: Nature)

    The drought negated most of the dam's plus points: ships were stranded and central and eastern China faced a power shortage.

    The drought negated most of the dam's plus points: ships were stranded and central and eastern China faced a power shortage.
    Getty Images/Andrew Wong
    (Source: Nature)

    Environmentalists say the reservoir is accumulating silt and waste from cities and industries.

    Environmentalists say the reservoir is accumulating silt and waste from cities and industries.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    Over 265 billion gallons of raw sewage are dumped into the Yangtze annually, which now collects in the reservoir instead of being flushed downstream and out into the ocean. However, the government insists the new sewage treatment plants have this under control, according to NPR. 
    (Source: PBS)

    The government finally acknowledged the problems in 2011, five years after Three Gorges was built.

    The government finally acknowledged the problems in 2011, five years after Three Gorges was built.
    Wikimedia Commons
    The Chinese State Council said it knew about some of the problems even before construction began 17 years ago, while some other issues have arisen since because of "new demands as the social and economical situation developed". 
    But despite this late admission, the plan was always contentious. A third of Chinese MPs voted against the plan or abstained.
    (Source: the BBC)

    But China still wants to build more dams.

    But China still wants to build more dams.
    Getty Images/China Photos
    There are plans to build a series of dams on a section of the upper Yangtze which, combined, will have a capacity more than twice that of the Three Gorges Dam. But not only is this region seismically active, the project could deprive Three Gorges of water, according to the AP.
    Other plans include possibly building dams along the Nu River and the upper Mekong, which would be fatal to the area's fragile ecosystems and endangered species, Foreign Policy reports.
    (Source: Nature)

    China isn't the only one with water problems.

    China isn't the only one with water problems.
    Wikimedia Commons

    This $7 Billion System Might Be The Last Chance To Stop Venice From Sinking Into The Sea >



    Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-enormous-three-gorges-dam-is-turning-out-to-be-a-huge-mistake-2012-4?op=1#ixzz23LGMIszP
    Posted by at

    Wednesday, 4 July 2012

    Take the rye out darlen..'


     

     

    Years past on them rivers, breaching and a crawling, but, the same old warmth greets the morning wisp... A valley's speech is as new as a new sock dried after a long walk home in the echo of the evenings glow...

     

     

    'God particle' discovery hailed

    Scientists at Cern say they have found a sub-atomic particle 'consistent' with the Higgs boson (© Cern/PA)
    Cern/PA
    Scientists at Cern say they have found a sub-atomic particle 'consistent' with the Higgs boson (Cern/PA)
    Scientists have hailed the "momentous" discovery of what appears to be the "God particle" that gives matter mass and holds the fabric of the universe together.
    Teams at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the £2.6 billion atom smashing machine near Geneva, say they have found a new sub-atomic particle "consistent" with the Higgs boson.
    The results are preliminary and more work is needed before the scientists can be sure of what "species" of particle they have captured. But observations carried out so far show it looks and acts like the long-sought particle that has eluded them for 50 years.
    Finding the Higgs is vital to the Standard Model, the theory that describes the web of particles, forces and interactions that make up the universe.
    Without the Higgs boson to give matter mass and weight, there could be no Standard Model universe. If it was proved not to exist, scientists would have to tear up the theory and go back to the drawing board.
    The announcement came at a packed seminar at the Geneva headquarters of Cern, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, where a tense audience heard the latest progress report from the LHC.
    Speaking at a London briefing with a live link to the seminar, Professor John Womersley, chief executive of the Science and Technology Research Council, said: "They have discovered a particle consistent with the Higgs boson. Discovery is the important word; that is confirmed. It's a momentous day for science."
    Scientists have confirmed that two of the LHC's giant detectors, CMS and Atlas, had delivered results that reached the definitive "five sigma" level of proof. A sigma is a measure of how likely it is that a finding is down to chance. At five sigma, the likelihood of a statistical fluke is one in a million.
    Professor Peter Higgs, the retired British physicist from Edinburgh University after whom the particle was named, was in the Geneva audience. He dreamed up the concept of the Higgs mechanism to explain mass while walking in the Cairngorms in 1964. The unassuming Prof Higgs, who is known to shun the limelight, could now be on his way to winning a Nobel prize.
    Professor Higgs wiped a tear from his eye as the findings were announced. He said later: "I would like to add my congratulations to everyone involved in this achievement. It's really an incredible thing that it's happened in my lifetime."

    How it works

    Hank Williams - Lonesome Whistle

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYjUcYZ4orc/
    It'll be a barns sugar stack in a door's creep for dinner mam, ain't no stranger hail yonder porridge...
    Posted by at
    Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)