Mining Accident in Guizhou Kills 18
After one of the deadliest mine accidents in almost three years and another mining accident in Gansu resulting in 20 deaths, the Voice of America reports at least 18 people have died and 5 are missing...
View ArticlePolitical Connections Linked to Higher Worker Death Rates
At Bloomberg Businessweek, Christina Larson examines a previously featured study which found a strong correlation between executives’ political connections and higher death rates among employees. Coal...
View ArticleMongolia: Before the Gold Rush
China’s hunger for raw materials has brought double-digit economic growth to its northern neighbor, the coal and mineral-rich republic of Mongolia. But an anti-Chinese nationalist backlash has arisen...
View ArticleTibet Landslide Rescue Work Suspended
Rescue efforts have been halted at a mine near Lhasa due to fears that fresh landslides might add to the toll from Friday’s disaster. 36 bodies have been recovered, and little hope remains of any...
View ArticlePandas Survive Quake, But Some Face Other Threats
Xinhua reports that the 61 giant pandas at the Bifengxia breeding center were not physically harmed by the 6.6Mw earthquake that struck Sichuan province on Saturday, killing 193 and injuring over...
View ArticleTibet’s Untouchable Environmental Challenges
Tibet’s environment is in jeopardy due to mining and hydropower operations, but despite increasing damage, many are afraid to speak up due to the sensitive nature of Tibet-related topics. Even for...
View ArticleChinese Mine Threatens Afghan Buddhist Site
In Afghanistan, a planned Chinese mine at the site of the world’s second largest deposit of copper is threatening an ancient Buddhist settlement including the remains of a 100-acre monastery....
View ArticleMining Tibet, Poisoning China
At The Asian Review of Books, the University of Sydney’s Kerry Brown reviews Gabriel Lafitte’s forthcoming book, Spoiling Tibet: China and Resource Nationalism on the Roof of the World, available...
View ArticleChina Further Consolidates Rare Earth Industry
While China is home to around 25% of the world’s proven reserves of rare-earth elements (REE), lowest estimates claim they produce more than 80% of the global supply of the rare earth minerals (a...
View ArticleOn The Ground In China’s Fight To Quit Coal
With climate change on the global political agenda this week, much attention is being paid to China’s role in solving the environmental crisis, and in particular, the country’s dependence on coal. As...
View ArticleCoal Industry Faces Slowdown, Layoffs [Updated]
Recent government statistics indicate that China has been burning 17 percent more coal a year than previously recorded—creating a greater challenge in establishing goals for emissions reductions ahead...
View ArticleWith Protests on the Rise, State Sector Facing Layoffs
Amid an economic downturn and a plan to streamline the state-owned sector, the Chinese government announced cuts in numerous industries that would result in up to six million layoffs in the next two to...
View ArticleTrials May Spell End of Era for Chinese Labor Activism
Last month saw the long-anticipated trials of three Guangdong labor activists charged with “gathering a crowd to disturb social order.” Panyu Workers’ Center founder Zeng Feiyang and two associates...
View ArticleChina Pushes to Dig More Coal
With the U.S. expected to retreat from its role as a climate leader in the wake of Donald Trump’s victory, many are hopeful that China will step in and lead the global emission reduction effort in the...
View ArticleLithium Mining Crackdown Highlights Environmental Woes
A crackdown on rural Jiangxi’s lithium sector that might snarl global supply chains has cast a spotlight on the conflict between rural economic development and environmental protection. Earlier this...
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