By: Jianli Yang – December 28, 2021
December 10 marked the thirty-second anniversary of the conferment of the Nobel Peace Prize to the Tibetan spiritual leader the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. The conflict between Tibet and communist China has been an international spectacle for decades. Ever since the Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959, disputes over governance, sovereignty, and religious freedom in Tibet have continued to escalate, and remain far from resolved. But while the courageous struggle of the Tibetan people is an ongoing matter of grave concern, there is another issue at hand that also requires urgent attention: the climate crisis in Tibet.
At last month’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, there was one notable absentee: the leader of the world’s largest polluting nation, Chinese President Xi Jinping. Understandably, Xi’s absence drew widespread criticism. China is the world’s largest polluting country, and its CO2 emissions continue to rise despite the fact that it has signed several environmental agreements. Tibet, nominally an “autonomous region” but actually controlled by China’s communist government, is of particular concern. The Chinese Communist Party not only governs Tibet but also exploits the region as a dumping ground for toxic waste. And it has failed to provide Tibet with the resources needed to protect its fragile ecosystem and unique biome.
The CCP’s wanton disregard for Tibet is evident from the rapid industrial projects implemented in the region over the past several decades. Even Beijing’s recent white paper on… [Continue Reading]
Source: https://providencemag.com/2021/12/tibet-climate-crisis-ccp-responsibility-china/