Science, August 1, 2008

Cover
Heavy pollution blankets Tiananmen Square,
Beijing, on 27 December 2007. Chinese authorities are taking drastic
measures to improve the city's air quality for the Olympics. Bad air is
just one of many environmental challenges China is facing.

China's Environmental Challenges
Three Gorges Dam: Into the Unknown
A marvel of
engineering, the Three Gorges Dam will start operating at full capacity
later this year. Already under way is an epic experiment on how a dam
impacts the environment.

Fears Over Western Water Crisis
Dramatic reductions
in water flow in the Tarim River, the lifeblood of Xinjiang Province,
mean provincial authorities must act fast to conserve water and find
alternative water sources.

A Green Fervor Sweeps the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau
In
a controversial venture, officials plan to halt open grazing, eradicate
rodents, restore "degraded" grasslands, improve wetlands, and plant
many trees and shrubs.

Beijing's Marathon Run to Clean Foul Air Nears Finish Line
Drastic
measures have brought down levels of some pollutants; a return to
business as usual after the Olympics could be bad for health.

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