Pollution makes half of China water undrinkable

[n2doc]

BEIJING | Mon Jul 26, 2010 9:33am EDT
(Reuters) - Almost a quarter of China's surface water remains so polluted that it is unfit even for industrial use, while less than half of total supplies are drinkable, data from the environment watchdog showed on Monday.

Inspectors from China's Ministry of Environmental Protection tested water samples from the country's major rivers and lakes in the first half of the year and declared just 49.3 percent to be safe for drinking, up from 48 percent last year, the ministry said in a notice posted on its website (www.mep.gov.cn).

China classifies its water supplies using six grades, with the first three grades considered safe for drinking and bathing.

Another 26.4 percent was said to be categories IV and V -- fit only for use in industry and agriculture -- leaving a total of 24.3 percent in category VI and unfit for any purpose.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE66P39H20100726

[hatrack]

1. Good to see they're on a secure growth trajectory, huh?

:eyes:

[The Croquist]

4. Not to worry

Let's just keep importing our stuff, exporting our pollution and consider ourselves "Green".

China is the worlds cesspool of pollution but who cares? If they were next door to California I have no doubt that California would import their electricity from them and pat themselves on the back for being "Green". They already do that from other western states.

I've been told that China is getting serious about Global warming. What a joke. Any country that pollutes their water and air like China does obviously isn't going to care less about something invisible like CO2.

Fight pollution and Global warming. Revoke China's Most Favored Nation status. The only problem is that we can't do it without the EU's assistance. It will cause higher CO2 emissions in the US and the EU but significantly lower emissions in China as well as more jobs in the US and the EU. Who knows, we might even slow down or stop the the exodus of illegal aliens back to Mexico and Central America (too bad).

[Peter1x9]

2. "leaving a total of 24.3 percent in category VI and unfit for any purpose."

:wtf: :rofl:

[pscot]

3. That's what they admit to

n/t