Part I:

2007 in China started off rather early with a sudden e-mail requesting my assistance on a journalistic assignment. It was from my friend the writer, Charles Mann, who you may remember from an assignment back in 2002 (if you've actually looked through the confusing mess that is my web site). Vanity Fair wanted a story on China's growing water problems, looking at the implications of the privatization of water treatment and even supply, and what problems this change may address in China's political and physical environment.

Simply put, rapid industrialization combined with population growth and urbanization has led to serious water pollution all across the country. The north is plagued by a lack of water resources, while the south has plenty of water, but has rendered most of it undrinkable by polluting it with untreated [or undertreated] waste.

We had little time to prepare and only 10 days in China to find the story, certainly not easy when approaching such a huge problem in an equally giant country. Due to limited time, we focused our efforts in three locations: Shanghai, Changzhou, and Liuzhou (in that order).

I didn't take many pictures on this trip, since we were extremely busy, and I had also just received a new camera (this trip began on my birthday) which I had no idea how to use, nor the time to practice or pore over the manual. There are a few pictures which are not directly related to the story, however. Enjoy the dogmeat!

See some pictures already! (part I)

[31 jan 07]

 

Part II:

It was just as unexpected and sudden as last time... At the end of February I returned to China with photographer Stephen Wilkes and assistant Michel Leroy to complete coverage for the Vanity Fair article. I took them to the same locations that Charles and I visited not one month earlier, but since I was already familiar with the situation and we had a bit more time, we were able to expand our search area and saw some pretty amazing stuff.

Lucky for you, I was also a bit more familiar with my new camera, so you, too, can see some of that amazing stuff.

*note: there is a hidden section of this part of the site with a few details I'd rather not make public; if you'd like access, send a self-addressed envelope to my bungalow in Alaska, or you can email me, your choice

See some more pictures already! (part II)

[16 mar 07]