China Forcing Tibetan Nomads to 'Settle' in order to Preserve the Environment

Tibet sand dune

The Chinese government are forcing the nomadic tribes of Tibet to settle into towns as animal grazing is causing erosion.

"By the end of this year, 60,000 Tibetans will have been moved into new towns in Qinghai, with the number to grow to 100,000 by 2010, Xinhua reported, citing a government document and local environment officials.
While the agency highlighted compensation packages of up to 8,000 yuan (US$1,060) a year for families, it acknowledged that not all Tibetans were happy with having to give up the lifestyles their families have known for centuries" - Taipei Times

This is where environmental issues become iffy for me. As we move forward in an increasingly globalized world we are dragging behind us people who wish to preserve the old way of life. I mean we are the ones destroying our planet. Factories, electricity generators, dams, these are the things we need to preserve our way of life. Nomadic life may be detrimental to the environment, but they do not come close to comparing with the destructions we commit.

Read the full article here.

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