Dam Good, China

Check a victory for the environmental movement. China, home to about half of the world’s big, highly destructive hydroelectric dams, has taken a slight step back from the brink.

This week, in an unprecedented move, the Chinese environmental ministry suspended the construction of two large dams in the northern Yangtze River region because the companies in question began to block the middle of the Jinsha River in January without any environmental permits whatsoever.

Environmental groups of course applaud the move. According to the Berkeley-based International Rivers Network: “China has more than 25,800 large dams, more than any other country. These projects have forced more than 10 million people from their homes and land, many of whom are still suffering the impacts of displacement and dislocation. Around 30 percent of China’s rivers are severely polluted, and some rivers don’t meet the sea anymore.”