【Haichuan Discussion】The animals kept in chemical plants over the years!
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The use of farmed animals as a symbol for environmental monitoring seems to have started with Baosteel; it was introduced in 1997. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Have you ever imagined a zoo inside an iron and steel plant? If you visit the Baoshan branch of Baosteel, China’s largest steel company, located in Baoshan, Shanghai, you can see a zoo built inside reinforced concrete. Wu, an employee at Baosteel, started working there in 1997. What impressed him the most at that time was the zoo he passed by every day on his way to work, where he could often see peacocks spreading their tails. “At that time, the peacocks were near the main road leading to the factory area by the river. The entire zoo was about the size of a football field; in addition to peacocks, there were also sika deer and camels there. ” The role of these animals is not merely ornamental; since they are highly sensitive to changes in the environment, Baosteel hopes to use them to monitor the conditions in the factory area. In steel plants, which are considered major sources of emissions, animals are indeed much more sensitive and intuitive than sensors in detecting any environmental changes. It is gratifying that, more than 10 years later, whether it’s sika deer, camels, or peacocks, they continue to live peacefully in Baosteel’s main factory area. They watch as vehicles transporting ore and steel come and go, and they also continue to monitor the air quality within the Baosteel complex. In people’s minds, steel companies have always been seen as potential threats to the environment, but Baosteel has been proving through its actions that steel mills can also have a beautiful environment and clean air.
Pigeons have high demands regarding their living environment; any distracting noises or bright lights can disturb them. They are also very sensitive to the oxygen content in the air (gas). This \"patrol team\" carries out real-time monitoring of the environment and air quality in the coking area, thereby providing support for the construction of Baosteel’s urban steel plants.
Baosteel Cares for Sika Deer to Monitor the Environment http://www.sina.com.cn October 25, 2004, 09:41 Shanghai Youth Daily Report by Zhang Caiping: Amidst the sounds of birds and the fragrance of flowers, lively sika deer strolled about, while green peacocks displayed their tail feathers – this was not a scene from a zoo, but rather something that the reporter witnessed recently at Baosteel as part of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference’s inspection tour to protect the Yangtze River. Reporters learned that since its establishment, Baosteel has invested over 4.3 billion yuan in environmental protection efforts, bringing its environmental protection standards to an internationally leading level. From 219 dust collectors, to 64 water treatment facilities, and then to 26 solid waste disposal and utilization facilities, since the establishment of the plant until the end of last year, Baosteel has built 316 environmental protection facilities, with a total investment of 4.34 billion yuan. It is reported that at present, Baosteel’s energy consumption per ton of steel produced is only 675 kilograms of standard coal, making its energy consumption rate the lowest among steel plants of similar scale, and its environmental protection standards are among the best in the world. The Baogang steel plant covers an area of 18.98 square kilometers. The green spaces not only beautify the environment of the plant but also serve to cool the air, retain moisture, block winds, and reduce dust, thereby significantly improving the surrounding environment. According to officials from Baosteel, there are 423 species of plants planted on the company’s premises. Depending on the level of pollution in different areas of the plant, different plants are used to help eliminate various pollutants. They also crush fallen leaves and dead branches to improve the soil quality, thereby increasing its fertility and reducing the need for chemical fertilizers ； Due to the reduced use of pesticides, 63 species of birds now inhabit the factory area, creating not only an environment filled with the songs of birds and the fragrance of flowers but also a healthy biological chain. To improve the ecological environment, in addition to meeting various quantitative targets, Baosteel also welcomed two groups of guests: sika deer and green peacocks. Internationally, these two animals are commonly used as environmental indicator species: sika deer and green peacocks are known to be quite delicate and highly sensitive to their environment; when the conditions around them are poor, they develop symptoms such as skin allergies. Over the past few years, the sika deer that have settled in the Baogang steel plant area have grown to over 120 individuals, while there are also more than 200 peacocks. A staff member from Baosteel told reporters that if this breeding continues, they will consider giving some of the animals to zoos. In just a few years, the number of sika deer has increased to over 120
June 5, 2005, 09:23 – Dongfang Net-Wen Hui Bao Report by journalist Zheng Wei and correspondent Sun Yan Our newspaper reports that a group of nine sika deer have recently found a new home in the Shanghai Chemical Industry Zone. These nine sika deer come from a deer farm in Songjiang. Due to their high sensitivity to the environment, they will serve as \"sentinels\" for environmental monitoring in Shanghai’s chemical industry zone. (See the image on the left.) Yesterday, the caretaker who was feeding the sika deer told reporters that these nine sika deer are currently all males; in the future, there will be three males and six females, forming three \"families\" that will continue to reproduce here. Since the six does that were originally supposed to \"settle\" in the chemical industry zone happened to be pregnant and thus not suitable for a \"long journey,\" six bucks were chosen instead to come to the \"hot house.\" The Shanghai Chemical Industry Zone, which is under construction, integrates a circular economic development model based on reduction, recycling, and reuse into its development and construction processes, thereby enabling traditional polluting industries such as the chemical industry to shift towards more environmentally friendly practices. The leaders of the chemical industrial zone told reporters that next month, they will also introduce 2 pairs of peacocks, 20 pairs of white geese, 20 pairs of mandarin ducks, and flocks of pigeons.
May 23, 2006, 09:23, Liberation Daily Report by our correspondent (Reporter Chen Jiang, Correspondent Sun Yan): The lush and vibrant Shanghai Chemical Industry Zone welcomed the birth of its first sika deer calf yesterday. Last June, the Shanghai Chemical Industry Zone, which was actively working to establish a demonstration base for a circular economy, introduced 9 sika deer – 3 males and 6 females – from a deer farm in Songjiang in order to enhance the monitoring of the air quality in the zone. In an environment with clear blue waters, the 9 sika deer quickly adapted to their new surroundings and formed 3 families to live there happily. Yesterday afternoon, the successful birth of the first sika deer calf added a new environmental-friendly member to the Green Chemical Industry Park. Last June, the Shanghai Chemical Industry Zone, which was actively working to establish a demonstration base for a circular economy, introduced 9 sika deer – 3 males and 6 females – from a deer farm in Songjiang in order to enhance the monitoring of the air quality in the zone. In an environment with clear blue waters, the 9 sika deer quickly adapted to their new surroundings and formed 3 families to live there happily. Yesterday afternoon, the successful birth of the first sika deer calf added a new environmental friend to the Green Chemical Industry Park.
To the east of the Shanghai Chemical Industry Zone, there is a wetland in an “L” shape with a total area of about 33 hectares. More than 40 pools of varying sizes are distributed there, each serving a specific purpose. Not long after the wetland in the chemical industry zone was established in 2007, it attracted many birds and poultry. Walking quietly through the wetland, one can see a few wild ducks floating and circling in the water. Suddenly, it dived in, came back up, and flapped its wings against the water’s surface. A moment later, the kingfisher circled down and flew swiftly over the water; in the blink of an eye, it gently landed on a reed. At the slightest sound, they quickly hid. Dawn and dusk are the most beautiful times in the wetlands, when flocks of wild ducks play in the water, larks and white-throated warblers fly back and forth. The most stunning sight is those flocks of egrets taking off and landing there – some foraging in the shallow water, some strolling leisurely, some dancing in the air, and some flying with outstretched wings – adding a magnificent backdrop to this tranquil wetland.