Where the Dragon Meets the Angry River

China’s meteoric rise to economic powerhouse might be chartedwith dams. Every river in the country has been tapped to powerexploding cities and factories—every river but one. Runningthrough one of the richest natural areas in the world, theNujiang’s raging waters were on the verge of being dammed when a2004 government moratorium halted construction. Might the Chinesedragon bow to the "Angry River"? Would Beijing put localpeople and their land ahead of power and profit? Could this remoteregion actually become a model for sustainable growth?

Ed Grumbine traveled to the far corners of China’s Yunnanprovince to find out. He was driven by a single question: could thislast fragment of wild nature withstand China’s unrelentingdevelopment? But as he hiked through deep-cut emerald mountains,backcountry villages, and burgeoning tourist towns, talking withtrekking guides, schoolchildren, and rural farmers, he discovered thatthe problem wasn’t as simple as growth versus conservation.

In its struggle to "build a well-off society in an all-roundway," Beijing juggles a host of competing priorities: health carefor impoverished villagers; habitat for threatened tigers; cars for agrowing middle class; clean air for all citizens; energy to power newcities; rubber for the global marketplace.

Where the Dragon Meets the Angry River is an incisive look atthe possible fates of China and the planet. Will the Angry Rivercontinue to flow? Will Tibetan girls from subsistence farming familieslearn to read and write? Can China and the United States come togetherto lead action on climate change? Far-reaching in its history andscope, this unique book shows us the real-world consequences ofconservation and development decisions now being made in Beijing andbeyond.