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Dear John,
Tibet isn’t just in a humanitarian crisis… it’s also in an environmental crisis—one that affects the whole planet.
All of us at the International Campaign for Tibet share your concerns about the coronavirus. We are taking precautions to keep our staff healthy working from home, and we hope you and your family are safe.
Yet, the secrecy with which China treated the initial virus outbreak reminds us of their secrecy about conditions in Tibet, and how these policies can have a negative, even disastrous impact on a global level.
How much do you know about the environmental crisis in Tibet? Take our quiz to test your knowledge, learn more and share with friends and family to raise awareness about this important issue.
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Not many people know that China’s rampant industrial operations, in service of exploiting Tibet’s natural resources, are polluting Tibet’s water, harming wildlife and displacing Tibetan nomads.
And not many people know that the Tibetan Plateau is the biggest reservoir of frozen freshwater outside of the North and South Pole, supplying vital drinking water and irrigation for people across Asia.
Scientists call the Tibetan Plateau the Third Pole, acknowledging the importance of its glaciers for the entire planet. But the Chinese government refuses to share information with downstream countries on the dozens of dams they’ve built on Tibet’s rivers, endangering access to water, agriculture and livelihood in Asia.
To make matters worse, the Tibetan Plateau is warming faster than the global average, making this one of the most urgent climate crises on the planet.
As Earth Day approaches, it’s an important time to raise awareness about the environmental issues in the Land of Snows. Without free access to Tibet, and genuine cooperation with scientists and the Tibetan people, China’s government will continue its exploitation unchecked and unimpeded. We have to stop them from destroying the Third Pole—and the first step is to spread knowledge on the climate crisis in Tibet.
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