Earth Equity News

Algae Invade China Olympic Venue. BBC, July 1, 2008. "More than 10,000 people have been mobilized in the Chinese city of Qingdao to clean up green algae, which have invaded the Olympic sailing venue. The algae had arrived in late May and now covered 13,000 sq km (5,000 sq miles) of sea, Xinhua news agency said. They occupy almost a third of the area that will be used for the sailing competition during the 9-21 August Olympic Games... More than 1,000 boats were involved in the clean-up operation and 100,000 tonnes of the weeds had already been removed... Coastal areas and lakes in China see frequent algae blooms, often caused by the discharge of nitrogen-rich chemical pollutants, sewage and fertilizers in the water. But Wang Shulian, of Qingdao's Oceanic and Fishery Department, put the presence of the algae down to the temperature of the water and its salinity."