3 Gorges Dam Essay, Research Paper
What? A controversial dam construction site in central China, along the Yangtze River. The proposed size of the dam is roughly two kilometers across, and would rise about 185 meters into the air, causing a giant man-made lake.
Cost? $24.5 billion United States dollars, or $191.1 billion Chinese dollars. Three Gorges dam in central Hubei province say the structure could possibly increase flooding.
When? The dam is to be completed in 2009, was officially started in 1994, after the idea was 75 years in the making
Where? Central Hubei province, along the Yangtze River
Side Effects? More than a million people are being moved to make way for the project, provoke the sort of floods currently seen in the region, fertile agricultural lands will be destroyed, rare and endangered fish species will be threatened with extinction, and important archaeological sites will be forever lost under a man-made sea, Threatens 75 million jobs dependent on the Yangtze river (fishermen, farmers,) political tensions.
Why? To create protection for flooding in the central Three Gorges valley. The Yangtze River has a history of flooding, due to the geographical features of the area. The dam would also provide 18,200 megawatts of power to the Yangtze River valley and surrounding areas.
Yangtze! Yangtze! ??? Yangtze! Yangtze! was an independently published collection of interviews and essays critical of the three gorges dam project sent out in 1989. It spoken by the books editors at the press conference organized by, author Chengjing Jie declared: “We hope the authorities halt this big-name, big-money, low-benefit project that serves as a monument to a handful of people.” The critics’ news release stated: “For the first time ordinary Chinese people will not keep silent on a weighty economic policy decision. They don’t want to see an endless repetition of foolish policies. Yangtze! Yangtze!’s authors had released the book in the hopes of influencing delegates attending the National People’s Congress to take a stand against the project, and they succeeded. At the meeting, where Three Gorges project was to be approved, nearly one-third of those present voted against the project With this vote China’s communist party decided to postpone the building of the dam by five years. This controversial document sent tensions into high gear on the Three Gorges Project. Political opposition was a very strong issue, and often surfaced with outbursts such as protests and violence from the people, as well as delegates.