[sustran] Dontan Eco Village

[Rory McMullan]

I've heard several conflicting stories about Dong Tan Eco Village, I understand from sme sources like the article below that it is a model for future development in China, from others that the 'eco' part of the plan it is just a cover for developers to build on the island that is an important breeding area for migrating birds.
   
  I understand that it will not be car free, and the bridge to the mainland will accomodate cars. There has also been talk of developing a special hydrogen car as part of this project, which sounds slightly fanciful, and I'm personally not a fan of private cars powered by alternative power sources anyway. Perhaps they may be emission free, but they would not qualify as sustainable in my book.
   
          China's eco-entrepreneurs step up
By Christina L Madden 
   
  http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China_Business/IH23Cb01.html

China surpassed the United States this year as the world's top producer of carbon-dioxide emissions. This came as no surprise given China's size, economic growth and environmental record. 

According to the World Bank, 16 of the world's 20 most polluted cities are in China, and as many as 750,000 premature deaths occur in the country each year due to water and air pollution. Although civil society is similarly stifled, the Chinese environmental movement has taken great strides - and made great progress - in combating the harms of rapid development.
  
China's social entrepreneurs have taken up the environment as a principal concern, aided by international expertise and funding for a range of activities. The Shanghai Industrial Investment Corp has partnered with design and engineering firm Arup to build the Dongtan eco-village on a marshy island off the coast of Shanghai. Dongtan, slated to sustain 500,000 people with renewable energy and emission-free transportation, could serve as a model for green development in other cities around the world. 


       
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