• China plans to invest US $175 billion (more than 1.5 per cent of its national GDP) towards protecting the environment during its 11 th five-year plan. The money will be spent on water pollution control, improving air quality in cities, disposing of solid waste, harnessing soil erosion and improving rural environment.

The mining sector in Asia has often been characterized more by poor rather than by good environmental management. Thus, "mining and the environment' occupy contested terrain. This article focuses mainly on the small-scale mining sector, with examples drawn from the region.

In November 2004, the Coastal Action Network (CAN) approached the Madras High Court, seeking a stay on SSCP public hearings. Their petition was dismissed. The court said: Before parting with the above cases, we would like to mention that we should not obstruct the scientific and technical progress of the country in the name of environment protection. No doubt, the environment has to be protected, but at the same time we must never overlook the basic aim of our country, which is to make India a powerful and modern industrial state. Today the real world is cruel and harsh.

• Environmentalists and commercial fishers in Tasmania, Australia have welcomed a recent ban on net fishing at night. This activity of recreational fishers was deemed harmful for birds and