Latest comments posted about Dark water: coastal China on the brink (part one) on ChinaDialogue en-gb http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/1882-Dark-water-coastal-China-on-the-brink-part-one- http://staging.chinadialogue.net/images/cdlogo.gif http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/1882-Dark-water-coastal-China-on-the-brink-part-one- Research finds that the water of half of China’s rivers and lakes is unsuitable for human consumption. The extent of water pollution is measured and categorized by five classes. Class three and beyond indicates the water is not suitable for general use. The polluted rivers flow into the sea, bringing the pollutants into the vast water area. So you can imagine the consequences of dozens of rivers feeding into the sea. Will anyone dare to eat seafood or bathe in the sea any more? It will probably take some decades or more for the rivers and lakes to recover from pollution. If we just sat on our hands and allowed the ecosystem along the banks and the shores to be damaged completely, we would only leave our children and grandchildren a stretch of dark, stinky seas. Mon, 28 Apr 2008 19:51:30 -0400 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/1882#comment-7275 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/1882#comment-7275 With even more waters polluted and more inhabitants displaced, I think we can't afford to let the trend continue. Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:30:28 -0400 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/1882#comment-7235 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/1882#comment-7235 What is going to happen in the future? What will people eat? Who is responsible for this? I do not understand the short sightedness of the government, they seem to be sacrificing the environment for the development of the country, which will make life unbearable in the future. Once everybody has a car, TV and an apartment, we will realize that you can not eat money, let alone nationalism. Daniel Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:39:10 -0400 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/1882#comment-7230 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/1882#comment-7230 The rich consume, the poor will assume pollution. Who should pay for that? Fri, 11 Apr 2008 06:52:34 -0400 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/1882#comment-7218 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/1882#comment-7218 In the summer of 2007, we went to Lianyungang to intern. As soon as we got the coast of the city, we were hit with an unbearable, putrid fishy smell. Even having grown up in Sichuan, we had never come across such a smell. Afterwards, we caught sight of a rather ragged fishing boat along with it's sunburned crew. This is the reality of a fisherman's life, nothing resembling the idyllic scene described in children's books of life by the sea. Because today's fishermen are so dependent on the sea for their livelihood, they're in a precarious position. Once the water becomes polluted, they become helpless. Still, initial development costs for aquaculture are huge. I had the opportunity to talk with fishermen who were attempting to cultivate a form of edible purple seaweed and learned that the initial investment was approximately 1,500,000 Renminbi (£108,000 GBP). If a single crop fails, the entire operation fails. The more serious the water pollution, the more risky and unsustainable aquaculture becomes. --Loyi Wed, 09 Apr 2008 06:24:33 -0400 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/1882#comment-7211 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/1882#comment-7211 I don't have to travel to China to see that it is a disaster waiting to happen. Just use Google Earth to see the coastal regions of China. The fish farming operation is so dense that there is no question the rivers and coastal areas are beyond what nature can support. All the waste products from the intensive fish and shrimp farming must have disastrous impact in the aquatic plants and animals. I just wonder what the air is like. How much urea is in the air. Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:38:59 -0400 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/1882#comment-7209 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/1882#comment-7209