With little notice, somewhere between 300,000 and 400,000 Chinese die prematurely every year from the effects of outdoor air pollution, according to studies by Chinese and international agencies alike.

By Joseph Kahn A prominent Chinese environmental leader lost his appeal of a three-year conviction on blackmail and fraud charges, even as the authorities promised to invest billions to clean up the lake he fought for years to protect.

BEIJING - A court has upheld a three-year jail sentence for a Chinese environmental activist who was convicted of blackmailing polluting businesses, a court official said Monday.

By Gzedit CHINESE peasant Wu Lihong crusaded to protect Lake Tai on the lower Yangtze River Delta, one of his country's environmental treasures. Deadly pollution from chemical factories threatens its waters.

By Joseph Kahn Third article of a series: * Jake Hooker contributed reporting from Beijing and Zhoutie. * Lake Tai, the center of China's ancient "land of fish and rice," succumbed this year to floods of industrial and agricultural waste.