Yen

Chicago closer To banning Hand-Held Cell Phone

2005-05-10T03:01:00.000-07:00

In the article of Chicago closer To banning Hand-Held Cell Phone, the author mentions that Chicago will pass a ban on using hand-held cell phones while driving. Lawless driver would be fined between $50 and $200. The law would allow using hand-free devices and using hand held phones calling 911 or when the car is parked. The law allows using hand-free devices that was supported by cell phone industries, such as Verizon. The cell companies didn’t agree that talking while driving was not safe and was inattentive driving.
I think talk while driving that can cause drivers to be distracted. So, I agree with the author says that the ban was supported by cell phone companies.

Google lets users view search histories

2005-05-10T02:51:00.000-07:00

According to Google lets users view search histories, Google offer a new function that is recording what our search requests and results in past time . The service will record your personal search requests and results into your google account.
I think that the search histories are very helpful, because everytime when you search and don't print or save, but next time you also want look again or search more same requests or informations. you can easy to get what you will look for.
Yen

2005-05-02T05:19:00.000-07:00

Former smokers should rest easy

Almost CESL students might know who Peter Jennings is on ABC news. Sometimes, CESL can saw him from CESL’s listening video that usually was taken some tests to us, but do you know he got lung cancer on listen Tuesday with quitting smoke for 20 years ago. In the article “Former smokers should rest easy”from USATODAY, the author writes about smokers who quit smoking can only reduces the level of getting lung cancer, but the risk level will never like non-smoker. So, the best way is people who never smoker is better than quitting smoke. Also, the author motions about smokers quit smoking can improve their quality of life.
I am a smoker, but I never feel to quite smoking can improve my quality of life, because if I couldn’t smoke, I would feel very stress.
Posted by Yen

2005-03-04T04:49:00.000-08:00

Understanding of Coral Reefs

Summary and Response #2
In the article, “Coral Reefs”, J.S Levinton describes coral‘s growth, types, areas of distribution, and threats. In the first place, he explains that coral’s size depend on the “amount of carbonate calcium”(Levinton, 1982) in its frame, also different types of corals can grow quick or slow, for example branching corals can grew very swiftly, but they are easily destroyed by strong storms or human activities. In addition, the coral’s age can be calculated, like calculating the tree’s age. There are two kind of coral’s propagation, which are asexual reproduction or sexual propagation, also the producing of sexual reproduction is very wonderful which it happens on “August full moon in the Florida Keys” (Levinton, 1982) every year. Next, the coral reefs have three different types, which are “barrier reefs, fringing reefs, and atolls” (Levinton, 1982). Moreover, the distributional areas of coral reefs depend on their level of emerge and “amount of wave action” (Levinton, 1982). For example, Soft corals are Caribbean characteristic, such as sea whips and sea fans. In the most important thing is the function of coral reefs, which are preventing the shoreline from being to destroyed “tropical storm waves”, and offer habitat for several hundred species of marine lives, such as fish. Furthermore, coral reefs also offer coast’s economic benefits, such as diving, snorkeling, and sport fishing…etc. Unfortunately, the aggravation of the oceanic environment causes condition of coral health that became to go down. For example, In Florida Bay, there was a decreased freshwater flow that caused “sponge and seagrass die-offs, and fish kills” (Levinton, 1982). Also, the tourists damage the coastal environment, which can be discriminated between “direct human impacts” and indirect human impacts (Levinton, 1982). The coral reefs bring or offer to marine life and human economy and entertainments, but some people don’t know how to treasure the valuable coral.
To begin with, humans usually only consider how to have fun on their trip, but they forget the coral reefs are the most important things that offer habitat for many beautiful marine life. Assuming there weren’t any coral reefs, and then there would not be many beautiful marine lives. At the same, if the human will go to diving or fishing, or not. After that the local economy will descend. So, people should consider more about their activity if can effect the coral life or not.
The valuable coral reefs offer many species life, and supposing they are destroyed, then human will not have delicious food from sea to eat, because the coral protect these marine lives from tropical storm waves. Humans dump a lot of pollution into sea that can effect these coral’s health and marine life’s survival. Such as, tourist waste, pleasure-boat waste and dash against coral. So, human activities are most important key to destroy coral.
So, when people travel to beach, I hope people don’t make any human waste into seawater. Also, when people leave, they can do some things to protect the marine life and coral reefs such as picking up and clean up your own trash. Encourage your friends to protect and don’t touch coral reefs with you, if you are a dive.
In conclusion, coral reefs offer to human economy and entertainments, and give many species to life. So, people should know the protecting coral is very important thing because human and marine lives should depend on its functions.

Reference
Levintion, J.S. (1982). Coral Reefs. Marine Ecology. Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
Retrieved Feb. 03, 2005 from Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary website.
Posted by Yen

Heat Impact Coral Life

Summary and Response #1

In the article, “Some Tropical Corals Can't Take the Heat; Smith College Study Shows Some Reefs May Disappear If Sea Surface Continues to Warm”, Kristen Cole writes that the researchers of Smith College found if the “sea-surface temperature” changes, this can impact coral subsistence. To begin with, the researchers made a test which separates some corals from the heating sea waters to observing the death of corals. They found if the “sea-surface temperature” keeps changing it would impact the marine ecosystem. Moreover, the main thing the different temperature will affect is the protein, which is most element affecting coral flexibility or frailty. The protein allows it to adapt to temperature change if it has it will live, if not it will die. The Temperature anomalies unusual change had caused many corals to die in 1998, “such as in southern Florida”. Lastly, the sciences think if the sea-surface continues, warning will affect the tropical zone of the globe. It seems like not possible to change the unusual sea-surface continuing warning nowadays.
First, the global warming was caused by human activities which are ruining the environment. Nowadays, although some people try to improve the usual phenomenon, prevention of global warming will take a long time to prevent and improve ecological environment. For example, the ozone hole has been destroyed for several decades already. Although most people have stopped using ozone depleting substances for several years, the hole is still on the ozone layer at the present time. So, I think if the sea-surface temperature change can cause the corals death, and then a lot the ocean’s coral will die in next several years or several decades.
Moreover, humans can destroy things very quickly, but they can’t save and improve the environment quickly. People should think more about what they are doing if they are destroying the ecological environment, or not. Humans have very limited power to save nature, but we can do something to prevent other pollutions that continue to degenerate the environment. For example, we can prohibit human domestic water and industrial sewage from going into the sea.
In conclusion, we can’t stop global warming as soon as possible, but we can do something to prohibit human activities to continue destroying the ecological environment. This may be an only way to get our environment better. If we protect and stop destroying the environment, we would have more coral to see in the future. If not so, the global warming will not only impact the coral, but also humans will be impacted, such as injurious by ultraviolet rays.

Colek, K. (2004). Some Tropical Corals Can’t Take the Heat; Smith College Study Shows Some Reefs May Disappear If Sea Surface Continues to Warm. Ascribe Newswire. Retrieved by Jan. 27, 2005 from Lexis-Nexis website.
By Yen

Southern Illinois Bobcats

In the article, “Bobcat”, the author describes bobcats and their distribution, etc. To begin with, he talks about the bobcat’s appearance: that it is double the size of a house cat, and its height can be 20-23 inches. Its length can be 30-35 inches and weight can be 10-40 pounds. Bobcats were distributed in Illinois when the first Europeans came here. Unfortunately, the bobcat began to decrease in the 1880s, and it was the first threatened species of Illinois’s list in 1977, because of its “Habitat changes and unregulated harvest”. Until the early 1990s, bobcat’s number was beginning to increase, and in 1998 bobcats were put away from the Illinois’s threatened species list in 1998. Its distributions are in the southern and northwestern Illinois. Bobcats like to live not only in forest land or wooded areas, but also close to humans. They are a kind of nocturnal animal. Male may need about 8 square miles of activities area, and female may need about 3 square miles. Because Illinois has better protections of bobcat from hunting, the there begin to increase the number of bobcats in the early 1990s. Currently most deaths are caused by car, and small cats are usually killed by “coyotes, domestic dogs, and owls”. Bobcats use their sharp visioning and hearing to catch their food. They usually eat “rabbits, squirrels, birds, and mice, etc. Their mating season is from January through June, and the mating peak is in February, one female can generate 1 to 6 babies, but usually 2 to 3 kittens. Finally, the author writes that protecting forests is most important for animals because it is the home of plants and animals. Appropriate cutting down of trees is good for wildlife because forests, animals, and plants need enough sun-light.
I learned from the article of Bobcat, which let me know about the bobcat and its condition. Illinois did a good job for bobcat because in the past, the bobcats were an endangered species in Illinois, but now they had been getting away from the endangered species list since 1998. According to the article, the author talks about how humans should cut down some trees to offer more sunlight to wildlife, but I don’t agree with the author’s idea, because a long time ago, when the humans never touched these forests, most wildlife could live well without human activities or cutting trees. I don’t know why human should cut down some trees in order to give more sunlight to forest’s animals and plants. So, I think that human should let the natural world makes its own ecosystem without human activities, because the natural world has its own rules.
Retrieved from Bobcat.
By Yen

2005-03-03T04:35:00.000-08:00

Coral feefs in the Florida Keys

Argumentative Essay

Coral reefs are important to our life because they are the home of many million fishes and other species. Coral reefs with fishes and other species make a coral reefs ecosystem. There are not only many maritime organisms living depended on coral reefs, but also human tourism industries and seafood industries depend on coral reefs for the economy. Unfortunately, human activities cause many impacts that threaten coral health, such as ships hit coral reefs. For example, in 1993 to 1994, there were about 500 ships grounding in the Florida Keys. (Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, 2001, par. 10). In the Florida Keys, there are more than “three million people who visit the keys” (Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, 2001, par. 10), because many tourists like the clean water and beautiful coral reefs and fishes. But too many tourists cause local residents to build more ships, ports, and other facilities for entertainments, which had cause coral reefs that face threat.
In the Florida Keys depend on many beautiful coral reefs that bring to local economy such as tourism and food industries, and is one of the Earth most important ecosystem, but recent years the Keys coral death has been occurring so suddenly and rapidly, we should get to the bottom of the dying coral reef ecosystem.
To begin with, local residents should know how important the coral reef ecosystem is. Because local residents earn the money from tourists who come to the Keys for clean seawater, and amazing coral reefs and fishes. If humans destroyed the coral ecological balance, may be the Florida Keys would not have people willing to come. Because of a coral ecological imbalance, coral reefs don’t have good health or died, and then many fishes and other species would leave or died. At the same time, the Keys will not attract tourists who come again. According to the news writer of States News Service, coral reefs supply about “$375 billion to the world economy or more $3 billion to Florida per year from recreation, tourism, food, pharmaceuticals, and other purposes” (2004, par. 1), so the coral reefs are very important to coastal economical future.
Laws should strongly limit the over-development in the Florida Keys to protect the coral reefs. Over-development can affect coral reefs ecosystem because airports, ports and hotels can threaten the coral reefs. For example, wastewater from hotel through river into sea impacts coral and fish health. Marine life must have clean seawater because fishes get disease, and then human eat them that also damage to human health. The Florida Keys seems too crowded because there are “three million people who visit the keys, and more than 80,000 people who live full time” (Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, 2001, par. 10), in the small area with many people cause many pollution. So, people should make the law to reducing developments and pollutions in the Keys.
Finally, reducing human activities can be less threat to effect coral reefs ecosystem, such ship drives through shallow waters along the coast of coral reefs areas, and divers should learn how to avoid harming the coral reefs. For example, “snorkelers standing on coral and destructive fishing methods” (Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, 2001, par. 10). So I think like fish man, snorkelers and divers should learn about how to care for coral reefs.
In conclusion, coral reefs are very important things for human life, so we should protect them. Stopping over-development is a better way to protect coral reefs.

Posted by Yen

Impact coral in Florida Keys-proposal

2005-03-02T16:44:00.000-08:00

Research Paper proposalI became interested in one of most important thing of the sea of Florida Keys that is coral reef ecosystem after I read some articles about it. Coral reefs offer habitats for million fish and other species, such as home. Also, Coral reefs support the significant tourism industry depends on the clean seawater and amazing coral reefs and fish, and bring to local many economic benefits, according to the news writer of States News Service, coral reefs supply about “$375 billion to the world economy or more $3 billion to Florida per year from recreation, tourism, food, pharmaceuticals, and other purposes” (2004, par. 1). Unfortunately, human and nature cause some problem to effect the coral life. Anthropogenic disturbances, such as increasing the tourism industry causes water pollution. Natural disturbances, such as unusual temperature changes that sea-surface continues warming effect the coral life (Kirby, 2004, par. 2). Although coral reefs provide local many economic benefits, local people and tourists’ actions were sometimes a threat to the life, of the coral reefs ecosystem. For example, boatman drives a ship carelessly, and divers stand on corals, such as in 1993 to 1994, there were about 500 of ships grounding in the Florida Keys. (Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, 2001, par. 10). Moreover, Coastal developments contaminate coast and seawater, such as increasing tourism industries earn a lot of money and promote local economical growth (States News Service, 2004, par. 1). There are not only artificial factors, but also the natural factors impact the coral reefs too. For example, in 2002, the Black water caused some coral reef death in the Florida Keys because it included many “toxic and non-toxic microscopic plants” (Gutro, 2003, par. 1). In the Florida Keys depend on many beautiful coral reefs that bring to local economy such as tourism and food industries, and is one of the Earth most important ecosystem, but recent years the Keys coral death has been occurring so suddenly and rapidly, we should get to the bottom of the dying coral reefs ecosystem. I will write some thing that people should be done for protecting the coral reefs. Firs, Local residents should know how important the coral reef ecosystem is, because their economic source is from the coral reef ecosystem, and clean water. Second, Laws should limit over-development in Florida Keys for protecting coral reefs because that will cause more than more pollutants. Finally, reducing human activities can be less threat to effect coral reefs ecosystem, such ship drives through shallow waters along the coast of coral reefs areas, and divers should learn how to avoid harming the coral reefs.I have found some articles that show some information about how important coral reefs are to me. Moreover, I found some websites that can help me doing my paper. I still need some articles about why some coral reefs get disease or death, which I hope it can show to people know human influence and threaten coral health.Posted by Yen

Impact coral in Florida Keys - Outline

2005-03-02T16:40:00.000-08:00

Preliminary Outline

I. Introduction
A. Background Information

1. Why should we care about coral reefs?
a. Coral reefs offer habitats for million fish and other species.
b. Coral reefs support the significant tourism industry depends on
the clean seawater and amazing coral reefs and fish.
c. Coral reefs bring to local many economic benefits, according to
the news writer of States News Service, coral reefs supply about
“$375 billion to the world economy or more $3 billion to Florida
per year from recreation, tourism, food, pharmaceuticals, and
other purposes” (2004, par. 1).

2. Why do the impacts threatening on coral reefs?

a. Anthropogenic disturbances, such as Increasing the tourism industry causes water pollution.
b. Natural disturbances, such as unusual temperature changes that sea-surface continues warming effect the coral life (Kirby, 2004, par. 2).

B. Nature of problems

1. Natural factors effect coral health.
For example, in 2002, the Black water caused some coral reef death in the Florida Keys because it included many “toxic and non-toxic microscopic plants” (Gutro, 2003, par. 1)
2. Human activities threaten coral reefs ecosystem.
For example, boatman drives ship with careless, and diver stands on coral, such as in 1993 to 1994, there were about 500 of ships grounding in the Florida Keys. (Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, 2001, par. 10)
3. Coastal developments contaminate coast and seawater, such as increasing tourism industries earn a lot of money and promote local economical growth (States News Service, 2004, par. 1).
4. others

II. Thesis: although the local people depend on tourism and food industry for earning money, getting to the bottom of their economic lifeline is from the coral reef ecosystem.

III. Main arguments

1. Local residents should know how important the coral reef ecosystem is.

2. Laws should limit over-development in Florida Keys for protecting coral reefs.

3. Reducing Human activities threaten coral reefs ecosystem, such ship drives through shallow waters along the coast of coral reefs areas, and divers should learn how to avoid harming the coral reefs.

IV. conclusion

A. People should know or learn about coral reefs.

B. People should do something to protect the coral reefs.

C. I suggest that law should limit the over-deployments in Florida Keys.

Posted by Yen

2004-12-01T22:01:00.000-08:00

Research Paper --- Three Gorges Dam

Abstract

The
Three Gorges Dam policy caused many problems, such as invading human
rights, increasing pollution, and harming endangered species. The
Chinese government only looks at economic lifeline, development and
benefits of the Three Gorges Dam. This eassy will tell about the
problems and some suggestions to prevent increasing pollution and to
improve the current condition of dam. I will hope the any other
countries and people who can help Chinese people and environment to get
better.

Posted by Yen

Research Paper --- Three Gorges Dam

The world's biggest dam was built and filled with water on the Yangtze
River in the last year. The project was expected to control flooding
and generate a huge amount of electric power, prevent silt to deposit
on among the Yangtze River's lakes and provide navigation. China needs
to have enough electric power for its economical demand, and the river
usually has made some disastrous floods for a long time. So, the
Chinese government wants to build it for the economy and defend against
floods. Also, according to D. Chetham, he writes that the Three Gorges
Dam would bring more jobs and better education and economic benefits,
and there are many environmentalists and engineers had considered on
environment with many experiences of building small dams of the Yangtze
River that was very successful (2002, p. 220). Although the project
sounded good, in the reality the dam caused many problems, such as
forcing residents to move out from around the dam, and it would
submerge many cities and towns. China's government built the dam
quickly, but they ignored human rights, water pollution, and the
ecological balance and ecological environment. I think there are some
problems in the China's government's policies in deal with Three Gorges
Dam, such as control the river's pollutions, lack for protecting
environment policies, and persecute human rights, they should have more
situations to deal with existing problems.

To
begin with, although China's Government wants to prevent silt to
deposit lakes, that sounds good for the environment, but the truth is
that the dam caused the river's water to get worse. For example,
according to B. Savadove's article, the water quality of the Yangtze
River had not only failed to improve, but also has become worse since
the Three Gorges Dam began to fill water into the reservoir (2004, par.
1). In this case, people and other species that live around the river
will not have good rates of water quality. Although human have a good
condition of water from water supplies because water supplies would
clean up the water at the standard of drinking water, but the animals
and other species will be threaten by the current water pollution.
China's government was only looking at their economy and pretentiously
shows their world's biggest dam and its station capacity of generating
electricity. Although the Chinese government thinks the Three Gorges
Dam is important for its economic development, I think they should
solve the problems of river water for getting better water’s standard.
For example, the Chinese government can build a lot of “Riverbank
Filtrations”, which not only is a cheaper and natural way to clean up
the water, but also “can remove most harmful microbes and organic
material” (Johns Hopkins University, 2004, par.1). In additional, they
can also build some sewage treatments and purifications plants to
filter the river water for giving underwater living things have a good
environmental condition.

Moreover, the
Chinese government ignored human rights, because their Three Gorges Dam
project should move a huge number of people out from around dam's area.
Although these people already moved out from around dam's area, there
are some people who didn't have home or house to live in, and others
have been offered house or indemnification by the government that is
lower than their former house. According to “IRN’s (International
Rivers Networks)” article, China ensured that they will compensate much
higher than the forfeiture of resettlement’s property in 1993, but
actually the resettled people are forced to buy house which is higher
than obtainment of their compensation; also, there are some case of the
compensations that have been used into other ways, or became some
official’s own money (2003, par 2). Also, there people not only are
homeless, but also are unemployed. Even though the project have offered
lands and jobs to them, these “are no longer available” (IRN & FOE,
2003, par. 2). So, these resettlement’s human rights are getting more
serious abuse, and I think the Chinese government should face these
problems, and punish with utmost severity for these corrupt officials.
For example, the Chinese government can offer jobs of cleaning up the
river to resettled people, and force local officials help them to buy
cheaper houses and report to government. For example, the local
government can provide resettled people to grant a long time of loan or
preferential price to buy the house. Settling down resettled people may
prevent a rebellion in the future of resettled people. China’s
government shouldn’t always use the anti-riot army to kill people,
according to an article of “Tian'anmen Square protests of 1989”,
everyone knows from Tian'anmen Square’s event in 1989 that Chinese
government used army to suppress students (Farlex, 2004, par. 1.).
China should consider if building a dam is worth it, because there are
not only the Three Gorges Dam damaged some ancient cities, but also the
Chinese government will build another dam in the Tiger Leaping Gorge.
The Tiger Leaping Gorge, which was included “in Unesco world heritage
site” (BECKER & HOWDEN, 2004, par. 2), is “one of the deepest gorge
in the world” (BECKER & HOWDEN, 2004, par.3). Like the Three Gorges
Dam, the Tiger Leaping Gorge has some historic towns and will be
submerged (BECKER & HOWDEN, 2004, par. 2). According to Facts on
File World News Digest, it writes that China’s Premier said that people
should stop to dispute about the Three Gorges Dam, because the dam has
already began to be built (2004, par 1). Although it was built and
caused many environmental problems, destroyed many ancient objects and
cites, and many vagrants, China still tries to build another one. More
and more dams, China seems never to stop to build dams for its economy.
China’s officials told people to stop disputing about the Three Gorges
Dam, but they didn’t consider about people and environment. Since I was
a child, I learned about the Three Gorges; it is described one of most
beautiful scenery in ancient and modern, and some ancient poets were
using poems to praise it. However, people will never see it again,
because I think once this is lost it will never come back. The
environment and ancient objects didn’t only belong to the Chinese
government, but also they are part of whole Chinese people and world’s
people. Nevertheless, the Chinese government not only never thinks
others, but also only thinks its economical demand. I think the Chinese
government should stop to build other dams, look to the future, and
find other sources of electric power, such as solar energy, and
terrestrial heat etc, also can raise the power rate for promoting
people to save electric power. Moreover, the Chinese government should
do more educations on saving electric power, such as switch off
unnecessary lights, and using solar energy for heating water and house.

Finally,
the Chinese government only looks at China’s economic fast growth and
devoted to any construction for helping their economic demands, but
they ignore the impact of ecological environment. The dam will affect
the current ecosystem and threaten the habitats of various endangered
species of fish, and other animals. They construct the Three Gorges Dam
for solving a lot of power consumption, but it caused many green groups
to dispute about it bringing ecological crisis. For example, it may
cause the silt up the river to affect the navigation; and submerge
tract of forests, and than a lot of putrid woods to cause serious
pollution on river. Also, it submerge tract of forests that will cause
a lot of species couldn’t exist be drowned or become extinct ect. Even
some experts believe the Three Gorges Dam will be bringing bigger
earthquake, mudflows, and landslides ect (China Daily Business Weekly,
2004, par. 31&32). Even though the Three Gorges Dam will bring a
lot of negative results, the Chinese governments gaze at without seeing
and only think their economic development. Although Chinese people and
some environmental groups protest this project, the Chinese governments
believe in them can control whole things to well. However, in the fact
tells us that the Yangtze River and around its area are getting worse,
even though the dam was built and filled water for more than a year
ago. At the same time, according to B. Sacadove’s article, the Chinese
government strives to try cleaning up the Yangtze River, and the
officials said the Three Gorges Dam didn’t affect the water quality,
but actually they only try to clean up the surface driftage, such as
waste (2004, p.04). However, the river not only has waste problems, but
also around the river there are a lot of power plants that affect its
water quality. There are a lot of pollutions threatens the river form
the industries, such as heavy metals and toxic chemistry, from steel,
textile and chemical companies etc (Savadove, 2004, p. 04). The case
shows that China’s policies didn’t have a good totally plan on the
Three Gorges Dam project. The fact tells us China be unwilling to admit
its water quality was getting worse. China government didn’t like
people who are against its policies, so they usually use some wrong
information to hoodwink and tell to unaware Chinese people all
condition still unaffected by the Three Gorges Dam. Chinese government
should know the water is the most important vital source, which almost
human and other species need it, if Chinese people didn’t have health
where economic lifeline and economic development are. In the other
words, the economic development needs the Chinese people to create, but
the Chinese need good condition of health with water. Moreover,
although the Chinese government spends 40 billion yuan to build water
treatment plants for sewage treatment, they didn’t have control the
pollution source is no effect on improving water quality (Savadove,
2004, p.04). So the Chinese governments should have both way of
effective control and prevention, they should not only depend on sewage
farm. For example, they can build sewage treatment plant and drainage
pipelines around the industry areas, and manages the industrial sewage
collect to sewage disposal system or sewage treatment plant. In
prevention, they can make some laws to forbid waste water draining to
the river, and educate industries and local people how to protect
environment, such as didn’t discharge kitchen waste and chemical
contaminants to river.

The Chinese
government should look and face their problems; they should not always
conceal real things. Because I think if they want to make economic
efficacy and a stable country, there is the only basic way is having a
harmonious society. Although the dam already has been built, real
problems are still here, such as water quality; endanger species,
environment, from industrial polluter, resettlement’s life and jobs,
and human rights. Although there has some regulations that already had
been made for protecting Chinese human rights in the China’s law and
constitution, the Chinese government seems didn’t accord with the laws
it to protect its people, such as army put down a riots from people who
against the Chinese government to build the Three Gorges Dam. However,
I think if the Chinese governments try to close off and conceal about
any against their information, but the local Chinese people knew all
things of government did. They can conceal temporarily, but they
couldn’t conceal forever. On other hand, according to the article of
“No economic fire without smoke?; China's environment”, the China’s
Communist Party doesn’t like the people who do anything threaten its
authority, so there are not too many people daring to point out the
mistakes for its policy (2004, par. 4). Although the Three Gorges Dam
cause some problems, the Chinese government proceed to the dam’s
project, and on many people would say any thing to oppose against the
Three Gorges Dam policy. According to the China Daily Business Weekly’s
article, some experts think the main reason is political, because “the
dam would be the world’s largest hydroelectric dam, which would confer
prestige on China and confirm its technological prowess and the
superiority of socialism” (2004, par. 34). So, the Chinese government
and Chinese people if didn’t want to stop the project, and they should
look over their problem, and consider if the law is protecting people
or not. For example, if the laws didn’t get stronger, and then it will
be unable to restrain the company’s pollutions. So, there are most
important things about the laws to protect Chinese people and restrain
Chinese official and industries. Now, we didn’t know the Three Gorges
Dam can bring some things worth, but we know there already has caused
many problems since it begin to built. I think whole from out of
China’s investors should look at the global environment and think about
Chinese condition. For example, they can select their money on
conforming to industry of environmental protection and standard. In
other word, if a industry discharge the contaminants, and then
investors don’t their money on it until it changed or choose other
company. Moreover, the World Trade Organization and countries can do
some thing to help Chinese people, such as economic sanctions. They can
bring pressure to bear on Chinese governments to improve China’s human
rights and environment. For example, if the environment didn’t get
better, and some countries can be no importation from China or forbid
internal enterprises to invest in China’s company

In
conclusion, China should solve problems of river’s water, and settle
resettled people and offer jobs. Thinking more on the futurity didn’t
build more dams again because we only have one Earth, and the natural
rivers will not became more human knowable range. We should reserve
some natural scenery to next generation. China should not selfish and
egoistic black environment over and over again.

Bibliography
BECKER, J. and HOWDEN, D, (2004, October 16). CHINA BEGINS HUGE
PROJECT
IN WORLD HERITAGE SITE, DISPLACING UP TO, P. 1, 2. Newspaper Publishing
PLC The Independent (London). Retrieved Nov. 21, 2004 from Lexis-Nexis
Database.
IRN and FOE International media’s writer, (2004, April 03). NGOs Decry Human
Rights
Crisis at Three Gorges Project as Reservoir Starts Filling. IRN / FoE
International media release. Retrieved Nov. 21, 2004 from http://www.irn.org/.
Chetham, D. (2003). Before the deluge: the vanishing world of the Yzangtze’s Three
gorges, (p. 220). Palgrave Macmillan.
China Daily Business Weekly writer, (2000, October 03). Three Gorges Dam Project.
From The Information Network for China. Retrieved Dec. 06, 2004 from Http://www.chinaonline.com/refer/ministry_profiles/threegorgesdam.asp
Farlex, (2004). Tian'anmen Square protests of 1989. The Free Dictionary Com.
Retrieved Dec. 08, 2004 from Http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com.
Savadove, B (2004, October 05). Yangtze injerits Toxic legacy of development, P.
04. South China Morning Post. Retrieved Dec. 03, 2004 from Lexis-Nexis Database.
Savadove, B (2004, November 03). Three Gorges pollution is getting worse: report,
P. 04. South China Morning Post. Retrieved Nov. 21, 2004 from Lexis-Nexis
Database.

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Sunday, December 12, 2004

Research Paper Proposal --- Three Gorges Dam

I am interested in the Three Gorges Dam because it is known as the
largest dam in the world. After reading some articles, I see some
problems in the Three Gorges Dam project. Several million people who
were living around the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River were forced to
move to other areas, and there were demolished several cities since
1994. The main reasons that China has built the Three Gorges Dam, are
that it will be controlling and preventing flooding, generating
electric power, and providing navigation. However, there are many
opponents who think that the reservoir will destroy local cultures,
deprive residents of "farms, and livelihood", and cause some people to
be homeless, and also destroy antique "villages with distinctive
architectural styles" (Jasper B. & Daniel H, 2004). Although some
people and environmentalists protest the project, China brushed them
aside, and pays attention to generating more electricity. According to
the article of Becker and Howden, lack of electricity compelled many
plants on the east coast of China to close down this summer and
importing oil increased more 30 percent this year (2004), because China
faces economical pressure, they should build more dams for generating
more electricity, but "China already has more than 50,000 large and
medium sized dams" (Jasper B. and Daniel H, par. 09, 2004) that still
are not enough for China use. Since last year the Three Gorges
reservoir has began to fill water, but the quality of its water still
didn't get better (Xinhua General News writer, 2004). In the future,
how many benefits the Three Gorges Dam can bring is still unknowable,
but it will cause a bigger impact on the ecological environment of the
Yangtze River and Yangtze River area.

I
plan to write about the Three Gorges Dam causing many problems of
ecological environment, and suggesting how to improve this condition.
First, the Chinese government should take environmental problems
seriously, because they are in speedy deterioration. Moreover, the
environment group of United Nations Organization should bring pressure
to bear on China, because China's officials usually don't allow the
Chinese people to say some discordant opinions with their policy.
Finally, the Three Gorges Dam already has begun to be build, and causes
many problems of ecological environment and threaten some endangered
species. Therefore people should help these species existence and
improve their habitat.

I have found some
articles that indicate some environmental and cultural problems of
Three Gorges Dam area. I still require some articles to support my idea
and cause people get more interested in condemning China's policy.

Reference
Becker, J. and Howden, D (2004, October 16). THE SECRET DAM; CHINA BEGINS
HUGE PROJECT IN WORLD HERITAGE SITE, ISPLACING UP TO. The
independent, London. Retrieved Oct 04, 2004 from Lexis-Nexis Database.
Xinhua News writes, (2004, June 21). Weather conditions improved, water quality
unchanged in Three Gorges Reservoir area. Xinhua News Agency. Retrieved Oct
04, 2004 from Lexis-Nexis Database.

Posted by Yen

Summary & Respond --- Three Gorges Dam

The
article, "Stop moaning and do something, green groups told; Activist
tells international community to help lower impact of the Three Gorges
Dam" from South China Morning Post by Ray Cheng, suggests and hopes
international communities can help to improve the quality of the
polluted Yangtze River. To begin with, he writes that because the Three
Gorges Dam has already started to be built, environmental groups should
stop to complaining about an ecological crisis of the Yangtze River,
and should pay attention to minimizing, impact the Three Gorges Dam
because it is ruining the environment, such as pollution on the Yangtze
River. Moreover, Because the condition of the Yangtze River is
proceeding to worsen, and polluters around the river didn't clean up
their pollution, and the water treatment plants around the region
didn't stop working, the officials have to find water from other water
systems. The author writes that one heartening thing is obtaining
support from the British and Canadian governments for the Green
Volunteer League, a local group who monitors pollutions, but there
should have more other international communities to support because
they can be very effective; so hoping they can help and improve the
region of the Yangtze River.

The article
told me that the Three Gorges Dam has not only already been built and
will be done by 2009, but also is ruining the environment and causing
ecological crisis. So, people should stop no complaining about the
Three Gorges Dam. Now, people should consider more environmental
reformation. I hope more people who can help them to get better the
environment and ecology of the Yangtze River. Because complaining seems
too late, now people only can do change for the better, such as
reforming the environmental regulations.

The
article writes that the weak law causes many local water suppliers to
disobey the regulation of stopping water supply, and still supply water
from the Yangtze River. Although the plants of cleaning water had never
started, some water supplies still supply to the region. So, there
should have more people to stand on enforcing the water suppliers who
stop using the water from the Yangtze River, and find new water sources.

The
most unfortunate thing is a lot of local polluters who don't clean up
their contaminants and continue to destroy the environment and ecology.
There should be Chinese and international organization who superintend
the both of China government and factory's contaminants. I hope People
can bring pressure to bear on the Chinese government to make effective
environmental regulations. That would be better to control the
factories and polluters, and improve the ecological disaster.

Reference:
Cheung, Ray (2004, May 07). Stop moaning and do something, green groups told; Activist tells
international community to help lower impact of the Three Gorges Dam. South China
Morning Post. Retrieved Oct 28, 2004 from http://web.lexis-nexis.com

Posted by Yen

Summary & Respond --- Impossible to get improvement on China’s Environment

In the article, “No economic fire without smoke?; China's environment”,
from the Economist Newspaper, the author writes about how the faster
economic development of China causes decreasing the level of China’s
environment, such as extensive lands becoming the desert, and huge air
pollution more than other cities in the world. To begin with, the
author indicates some reasons for China's decreasing environmental
quality, which is the leadership wants to keep social stability and
power, and the feeble laws. Moreover, unlike America, China does not
have enough money to care for its environment, so it only can focus on
its economic growth. Also, the Communist Party doesn’t like people who
do anything to threaten its authority, so there are not too many people
daring to point out the mistakes of its policy. Last, China uses its
natural resources and destroys its environment for faster economical
growth with large riches, and Chinese people can not change the
policies except the Communist Party, it loses its power. I agree with
the article that China’s economical growth causes the low-grade of its
environment.

To
begin with, although almost people know the cars are one of most
important thing that causes the air pollution; Chinese people need
cares, same as other countries. China has a huge population that causes
its government to be unable to change its policy and slow down its
economical growth. Such as other countries, people need to have cars,
so can anyone say the Chinese people can’t have cars because there are
too many people driving cars and causing too much air pollutions? So, I
think if people want to change China’s air quality that is impossible
because Chinese people are the same as other countries people who need
to use cars, unless the cars have be changed their emissive pollutants.
In China, more and more people need using cars, so it seems that
improving car’s emission is the only way we can change the air
pollution.

Moreover, China has been poorer
in the world for more than one hundred years, and now it begins to earn
more money, so it is hard for them to think and care about the
environment more than the economy. 20 years ago, it is hard for other
countries to imagine how the lifestyle of the Chinese people was. I
have eared a lot about Chinese life, which is poorer than other
countries people can imagine. Does anyone even eat roots of a plant or
trees for life? But Chinese did before 50 years ago. So, Chinese people
didn’t want to live a poor life anymore. So, China’s leaderships are
incapable to stop or slow down China’s economical growth for protecting
environment because they have a lot of pressures from people. The
Chinese are unable to understand why they should protect the
environment. They may think the environment is not more important than
their food.

Last, basic Communist Party
officials are usually difficult to get out of power, so it is
impossible to sacrifice China’s economical growth to protect
environment. If they want to keep their power, they should make some
advantages for their country. So, they are difficult to pay attention
to protecting environment, because that way is not making advantageous
for country, and not only people didn’t agree with them, but also
higher Communist Party officials didn’t agree too. Also, if China makes
higher standard and law to improve environment, I think there are not
too many foreign investment and foreign-invested enterprise want to put
money to China because that will cause more cost to improve their
discharging contaminant.
In conclusion, the low-grade of its
environment seems impossible to get improvement. Most of reason,
Chinese are poorer, and Communist Party’s autocratic political power
didn’t allow anything to oppose its policies.

Reference:
Economist
Newspapers writer, (2004, July 10). No economic fire without smoke?;
China's environment. Retrieved Oct 22, 2004 from The Economist
Newspapers Ltd.

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