The Stream, August 31: Leaked U.S. Cables Reveal Perception of Chinese Environmentalism

Extreme levels of radiation have been detected in soil within 40 kilometers of the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, Asahi Japan Watch reported, citing the country’s Science Ministry.

China
The Guardian’s Jonathan Watts ploughs through thousands of diplomatic cables and highlights what U.S. diplomats in China have reported about China’s fledgling environmental movement.

Meanwhile, this opinion piece in the Financial Times argues that by having its hand on Asia’s water tap, China is acquiring significant leverage over its neighbors.

Beijing will cap its annual coal consumption at 20 million tons by 2015, China Daily reported. The city will rely on other forms of energy, such as natural gas, petrol, diesel, and import electricity from other provinces to meet its increasing energy demand.

Food and Energy
In a desperate attempt to reduce food insecurity, Mauritania is expanding irrigation schemes, popularising new crops and harnessing the energy of recent graduates, according to IPS News.

As of this summer, the United States is using more corn for ethanol than for food, according to Grist. Is agriculture losing the battle with the energy industry for land and water?

And here’s a topic open to discussion. Solar generators may produce most of the world’s power within 50 years, according to a new projection by the International Energy Agency, Bloomberg reported.

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