Hell's gate on the Earth

Started by Blue Elf, April 21, 2015, 04:01:50 AM

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Blue Elf

Yesterday I found article in internet news, which describes comething what looks like Hell's gate here on Earth. You can guess where this place is located - in China. If you look at the pictures inside article, it really looks like Hell's gate on Pandora or reminds you scenes from Avatar game.
Source in Czech: http://zpravy.idnes.cz/sever-ciny-je-zniceny-tezbou-vzacnych-kovu-fk3-/zahranicni.aspx?c=A150415_143308_zahranicni_ert

Quote from: Rough English translation
China is the largest producer of precious metals that are used in the production of green energy sources. Dark side of progress, however, is mining these minerals, which changes the landscape in a devastated wasteland. The proof is the fate of Baotou in China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Name Baotou could be loosely translated as "City for deer." But you can hardly find them here. In Baotou, because there are giant mining complexes in the production of precious metals and the local landscape could well be filmed exteriors of postapocalyptic movie.

Once the green horizon is dominated by dozens of pipes and chimneys, air weighed down by the smell of sulfur and toxic waste. Rivers and lakes in the area turned into black chemical areas. In 1950 there lived about 97 thousand people. Today, 2.5 million live here. The reason? The desire for riches. The result of the mining fever is a place that is stuck somewhere between the modern city and the communist past. The city center consists of wide boulevards, which are next to each ads for modern electronics with models from the West and memorial Mao Zedong. The city has a golf course and although it lies in northern outpost of China short walk from the Mongolian border, to Beijing it is just 600 km.

One does not have to go out of town to industrial complexes and still recognize that environmental protection is wrong here. It is difficult to tell where the city ends and where industrial zone begins.

Pipes emerge from the earth and twine along roads and sidewalks, then soar high into the sky and as bridges crossing traffic arteries. The streets are wide enough to cope with the onslaught of hundreds of large trucks. When it rains, streams of black water flows in streets.

China, however, thanks to such sites became a major exporter of precious metals. It covers 95 percent of global demand, the majority of its production comes from Baotou and the surrounding area.

A few weeks ago city was visited by members of the British organization Unknown Field Division. Their first steps led to the factory processing rare metal cerium. It finds application in practice for example in glazing glass or catalysators. Guide to factory activists claimed that the factory only produces oxides of cerium, which is used for polishing touch screen smart phones and tablets.

During the excursion factory visitors were surprised that no one does not work here. Guide initially hesitated to answer why this is so. Eventually, he became suspicious and quickly ended the tour. One explanation is the possibility that the complex production was stopped for purely economic reasons - the Chinese government carefully controlls mining of precious metals to keep metal prices as high as possible.

Another rare metal, which is mined in China, is neodymium. It is used for production strong, yet very lightweight magnets, which are used in wind farms and cars with electric drive. Production of clean energy so paradoxically takes its toll on the environment, although far from windmills producing power for European and American cities.

Cerium and neodymium are not inherently extremely precious metals. Despite the fact that China produces 90 percent of the metals, only 30 percent of total world reserves are located on its territory. Other states, however, do not dare the complicated extraction which produces series of toxic side products. Dominance of China, therefore, is not based on mineral reserves, but rather on the willingness to violate any environmental standards.

Side products of mining and processing ends in a toxic lake decaying 20-minute drive from Baotou. Nobody can be ready to look at the endless black lake. Before man spreads frightening and life-threatening area. The lake is so large that it can be seen on satellite images.

Liam Young, one of the workers of Unknown Field Division, took several samples of the waste from the bottom of the lake and after returning to the UK analyzed them. "Testing samples of soil and clay from the lake showed that level of radiation is three times bigger than normal," he said.

Without places like Baotou, we could not use most modern technologies. Without modern technology, however, there would be no place such as Baotou in the world. If it makes you depressed, environmentalists have for you one piece of advice: get off the carousel of consumerism and armour against advertising that still imposes newest electronics to us. They are the same ads that illuminate the streets in Baotou.
Well, clean and green technologies in one part of the world are paid hard in another parts...
Oe lu skxawng skxakep. Slä oe nerume mi.
"Oe tasyätxaw ulte koren za'u oehu" (Limonádový Joe)


Toliman

Really Hell's gate. This is in China very common. Economy is favored over ecology and great economic development is hardly redeemed by destruction of environment.

QuoteWithout places like Baotou, we could not use most modern technologies. Without modern technology, however, there would be no place such as Baotou in the world. If it makes you depressed, environmentalists have for you one piece of advice: get off the carousel of consumerism and armour against advertising that still imposes newest electronics to us. They are the same ads that illuminate the streets in Baotou.
This is paradoxical. Many environmental activists protesting against things like this, but this "simple solution" ( get off the carousel of consumerism) is unacceptable for them (and most people).

Tìtstewan

Thanks for sharing!
Yeah, that like Hell's Gate... But unfortunately, there are more such "Hell's Gates"...

Quote from: Toliman on April 21, 2015, 05:44:46 AM
This is paradoxical. Many environmental activists protesting against things like this, but this "simple solution" ( get off the carousel of consumerism) is unacceptable for them (and most people).
Because we are sitting very deep in this problem. We can't get out of that except something "big" will happen that would force a change.

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