In the 1950s, the Yangtze river and neighbouring watercourses had a populationAnd now, it would seem, they are all gone. Another glorious milestone in the Chinese push to achieve a Western standard of environmental degradation. Though someone should tell them that they are already there, now producing more CO2 than the USA. (2)
of thousands of freshwater dolphins, also known as Baiji, but their numbers have
declined dramatically since China industrialised and transformed the Yangtze
into a crowded artery of mass shipping, fishing and power generation. A survey
in 1999 estimated the population of river dolphins was close to just 13
animals. (1)
And, inspite of the Chinese government's despotism, their apalling record on human rights, dreadful environmental record, labour abuses and corruption, New Zealand is aching for a free trade agreement. AND they get to hold the Olympics next year. A profoundly eil, despotic regime with no regard for the rights of its citizens is holding the Olympics, the games of peace. Berlin, 1936?
Why are we talking to the bastard junta in Beijing? They kill dolphins, for fuck's sake!
1 - "Yangtze river dolphin driven to extinction," by Ian Sample in The Guardian, 8th of August, 2007. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/aug/08/endangeredspecies.conservation)
2 - "China overtakes US as world's biggest CO2 emitter" by John Vidal and David Adam, in Guardian Unlimited, 19th
ofJune, 2007. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/jun/19/china.usnews)
No comments:
Post a Comment