Assessment of the environment effects of constructing the Three Gorge Project on the Yangtze River
The Three Gorge Project is a multipurpose project with the primary function of flood control. Other functions include power and navigation and could include irrigation. A 200 m high concrete gravity dam, currently being considered, would be located in the lower reach of the famous Three Gorges of the Yangtze River in Hubei and Sichuan Provinces. The reservoir will store about 70 x 10 to the 9th cu m and extend upstream about 780 km. The proposed powerplant would have an installed capacity of 25,000 MW, consisting of twenty-five 1000-MW units. The Three Gorge Project, when constructed, would be the largest water resource project anywhere on earth. Beneficial effects include elimination of flooding along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, a substantial increase in much needed electric power for south and central China, and creation of a large body of water which could be used for aquaculture. Consideration is also being given to diverting water to the North China Plain, one of the most important agricultural areas of China. Major adverse impacts include relocation of more than 2 million people for the reservoir area; loss of habitat for many kinds of Yangtze River aquatic life, including themore » unique Chinese sturgeon; and the possibility of reducing nutrient input to the downstream and estuarine fisheries. The possibility of minimizing adverse effects seems high, if the potential environmental impacts are identified and means of mitigation are carried out. 22 references, 1 figure.« less
Accountability in the context of civilization change in China
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Assessment of Ground Regeneration around Borehole Heat Exchangers between Heating Seasons in Cold Climates: A Case Study in Bialystok (NE, Poland)
Based on the experimental studies, the process of ground regeneration around the borehole loaded with brine-water heat pumps working exclusively for heating purposes in the period of four consecutive heating seasons in a cold climate was presented. The research was conducted in north-eastern Poland. The aim of the work is to verify the phenomenon of thermal ground regeneration in the period between heating seasons on the basis of the recorded data and to check whether the ground is able to regenerate itself and at what rate. It was noticed that the ground does not fully regenerate, especially during heating seasons with lower temperatures. In the analyzed period, from 22 September 2016 to 12 October 2020, the ground probably cooled irreversibly by 1.5 °C. In order to illustrate and evaluate the speed of changes in the ground, the one’s profile with an undisturbed temperature field was presented for each month of the year. The presented results can be a very important source of information for the analysis of geothermal conditions occurring in the ground. They can be used to verify mathematical models and conduct long-term simulations that allow us to see the complexity of the processes taking place in the ground.