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China Ranks Among Worlds Most Wasteful Users Of Resources
Shanghai, China (AFP) Mar 01, 2006 China ranks among the world's most wasteful users of natural resources, according to a report by a government-linked academic group released Wednesday. The study by the Chinese Academy of Science ranked China 56 out of 59 countries surveyed, with Denmark, Switzerland, Ireland, Britain, Holland and Norway the earth's most efficient allocators of resources. China's inefficiency in the use of five major commodities -- energy, water, cement, steel and non-ferrous metal -- was 1.9 times higher than the global average level in 2003, the report said. "This proves that China has not fundamentally broken away from its economic growth model that relies on the intensive use of natural resources," the academy said. The academy warned that risks continued to exist in the development of a sustainable economic model, while China's goal of creating an eco-friendly economy was currently "not feasible". The State Council, or China's cabinet, announced last month that environmental improvements, including the control of water, air and soil pollution, would be a major national priority over the next 15 years. But the academy urged leaders to take more comprehensive reform measures that would aggressively promote a viable economic growth model, while shifting towards greater technological innovation. The academy's index measuring China's pollution and efficient resource use found that 2003 compared better than 1980. But, after improvements in the 1980s, China entered a sustained period of wastefulness amid the near double-digit growth of the 1990s.
Source: Agence France-Presse Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links - Our Polluted World and Cleaning It Up
Suez Tanker Spill Damage At 12 Million Dollars
Cairo, Egypt (AFP) Mar 01, 2006An oil spill caused by a leaking tanker in the Suez Canal has caused at least 72 million pounds (12 million dollars) in environmental damage, Egypt's environment minister said Wednesday. The Liberian-flagged Grigoroussa 1 on Tuesday leaked 3,000 tons of heavy fuel into the canal, also affecting nearby tourist resorts and residents, Maged George told the official MENA news agency. |
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