Foreign Ecologist Praises China's Environmental Protection The ecological environment in areas inhabited by Tibetans in China has been well protected and is almost unchanged from last century, said Bob Moseley, an ecologist of the United States. Moseley drew the conclusion after more than a year of first-hand research in the Diqing Tibet Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province, southwest China.

Hundreds Volunteer to Work to Save Tibetan Antelopes About 3,000 people nationwide have sent in applications to volunteer for three months?work at China's largest nature reserve for Tibetan antelopes. The figure is "much higher than expected," said Cai Ga, director of the Hol Xil Nature Reserve Administration Bureau. Volunteers must hold a college degree and pay their own expenses and medical costs.

China Warned of Water Crisis by 2030 Chinese experts warn that by 2030 when China's population reaches 1.6 billion, per capita water resources will drop to 1,760 cubic meters -- perilously close to 1,700 cubic meters, the internationally recognized benchmark for water shortages.

National Environment Report: Situation 'Still Grave' China Friday released its official national environmental status report for last year, which states that "the overall environmental situation in China is still grave."

China's 'West Electricity for East' Begins in Sichuan China's ambitious "West Electricity for the East" program has started in Sichuan, as the southwest province began transmitting electricity to coastal Shanghai and Zhejiang Province some 2,500 kilometers away Monday.

China Issues Annual Report on Environment China issued its 2001 annual report on the state of environment Friday, saying the general situation was "far from optimistic" even though total amount of pollution was reduced.

Zhuhai to Build a 'Romantic City', China's Riviera With a view to build a "romantic city", Zhuhai will inject 10 billion-yuan within three years to put itself up a coastal landscape, making it a Riviera in China. Zhuhai, backed up by mountains and facing the sea, lies in the Pearl River Delta, and has favorable natural resources.

North China Sandstorm Monitoring System Completed Software titan Microsoft will join hands with China's Flextronics Co. to produce Xbox, a new generation of video gaming system, in south China's Guangdong Province, "Economic Daily" reported.

Environment Watchdog Drafting Household Appliances Recycling Rules The State Economic and Trade Commission is formulating a series of eco-friendly measures on the treatment of waste materials to protect the environment and contribute to sustainable development, officials said yesterday.

Top Legislator Urges Rational Use of Mineral Resources China's top legislator Li Peng on May 16 urged the country to abide by laws on mineral resources exploitation and utilization, and protect and make efficient use of them.

Major Reforestation Project Announced A 10-year reforestation project in China that will cover 97 percent of the country -- and on a scale rivaling that of any land reclamation project previously undertaken anywhere in the world -- was announced by Lei Jiafu, deputy director of the State Forestry Administration at a press conference Tuesday. Lei said that seventy-six million hectares (293,436 square miles or over twice the size of the state of Colorado) of forest will be planted. [For full text see china.org.cn抯 regular press conference feature .]

Wild Horses to Return to the Wild in Northwest China Eighteen Mongolian wild horses will soon be returned to the wild in the Gobi Desert near Dunhuang Cityin northwest China's Gansu Province.

UNEP, Shanghai-Based University to Run Environmental College The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and Shanghai-based Tongji University will jointly run a college focusing on environment and sustainable development.

Severe Drought Hits South China Southeast China's coastal provinces and parts of southwest China are continuing to suffer from a lack of rain and high temperatures. The government in south China's Guangdong Province has allocated 12 million yuan (US$1.4 million) in emergency funds to fight the rarely seen persistent drought conditions that have plagued the province since last winter, according to reports reaching Beijing yesterday.

First Oasis to Be Built for Settlers in Inner Mongolia China will invest more than 200 million yuan (US$24 million) in the next decade to build the country's first large-scale oasis for settlers in the southern rim of Alxa, in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

'Caring for Wild Animals Hotline' Opens in Beijing The whistling of a dolphin is one of the sounds available on a "caring for the wild animals" hotline (86-10-29896000) that started April 15 in Beijing for an information fee per call that goes to conservation efforts for wild animals. All species -- birds, land animals, sea animals, amphibians and insects - are included for those who call

Hong Kong Launches Activities to Promote Public Health The government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region launched Wednesday a series of activities with a view to promoting health messages to the public and helping smokers in their efforts to quit smoking.

Say NO to Exotic Rubbish The news that trash, including electronic waste and old clothing, has been exported to China is causing grave concern nationwide.

New Ways Adopted to Treat Garbage Beijing is introducing new garbage disposal methods to replace traditional ones such as landfills which take up space and pose a potential threat to underground water resources.