PRESS RELEASE
China Blizzards Immobilize Millions;
Al Gore To Blame!
Feb. 2, 2008 (EIRNS)—The People's Bank of China has ordered banks to provide emergency loans to people and enterprises hit by the snow disaster throughout central, southern and southeastern China, according to the Feb. 2 Financial Times. The snow and ice storms, which began Jan. 10, have been the worst in many decades. Over 160 cities are still hit with power and water shortages, and the ice and rain continue. The unusual snow storms have especially affected southern China, just before the Spring Festival which begins next week. Over 1 billion people are on the move all over China for the Spring Festival.
There is a tragic irony in the fact that last year China was forced to close 553 coal-fired plants to placate Al Gore and his IPCC climate-change alarmists who claimed the carbon dioxide released in burning coal caused "global warming." This left many areas with inadequate power resources to cope with this massive winter storm.
On Jan. 29, the Chinese Cabinet set up a command center to coordinate emergency measures to ensure coal, oil and power supply, transportation and disaster relief in the snowbound regions, the National Development and Reform Commission announced. Some 23 party and government departments and organizations are involved. The Peoples Liberation Army has been mobilized to help restore transport and power, as they were to fight the "century floods." Also, the Chinese President Hu Jintao, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao and most of the Communist Party Politburo leadership have been touring the hardest-hit areas. Top priorities include the severe weather's effect on farmers and farm produce. Losses already amount to 53.8 billion yuan ($7.5 billion).
Yesterday, the southern section of the Beijing-Guangzhou railway was restored to operation, although the electricity system is still down, so trains are being pulled by internal combustion engines. In the past two days, over 200 trains were able to leave Guangzhou, four times the number of earlier this week. But over 2 million people are still awaiting transport. The worst-hit routes are Beijing-Guangzhou, Beijing-Kowloon and Shanghai-Kunming.