The three Gorges Dam - Three Gorges Dam - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I had wondered how China was getting their energy and then I learned that they were leeching technology right from Canada. Nuclear tech, and hydro infrastructure tech being given to China, and for what! To build a dam which is only adding to the in-sustainability of resources.

The purpose was to supply China with energy I presume, but the amount they get is minimal; and when the Yangtze river is flooded farmland will be lost, 21 polluted cities submerged, and an estimated 2 million people displaced. Ofcourse the energy would help for a while, China needs energy but this is not going to stop them importing and doing what they can for oil. And the Yangtze delta is the fastest growing part of China, so even if the dam decreases flooding and soil erosion, why would the land around the soon-to-be-formed lake be used for farming. It'll be a sight for urban sprawl on top of the increased shipping. More industry, more people, and therefore more energy required. More food will be needed, and that is another commoditie China needs.

And when China does a project like this with only a pseudo-concern for the environment, developing countries are going to follow and add even more pressure to the planet. By not addressing the issue of the three gorges dam properly it will only get harder to make a movement towards sustainability.



Lets say that this project is really about helping the public, there is intended social progress here; heck its helping Canada by relieving the westerlees winds from pollution from coal plants (well I assume it will help), and hopefully Canada is getting something in return besides luxury for supplying this technology to China if what we truly want is a competitive society. But is it ethical to satisfy the customer? Does the customer really keep an ethical perspective, an environmental stewardship.

This "competitiveness" requires a sustainable economy first.