Suddenly, Tibet is front-page news the world over, again. In some ways, that is to be expected, as part of the pre-Olympic fever. How can those in the west with multiple agendas (many of them valid), and those with grudges against China, be expected to lay low while the nation enjoys its ride to glory and onto the world stage with a coming-out party? In short, the torch has been hijacked, at least in spirit. In all my years as an adult, I cannot recall any Olympics being so politicised, and the torch being shown so much on the news.
Noises apart, for someone who has spent a good part of almost three decades taking part in exploration and conservation projects on the Tibetan plateau, I too feel compelled to speak up. I have made my small sacrifice in the face of all the recent disturbances; I gave up my opportunity as an Olympic torch-bearer in Lhasa . There is obviously no fun being the target of those wanting to disrupt the run, or being a target of protection by a large contingent of security officers. The spirit of why I chose to run in Lhasa no longer exists.
Instead, I have opted for a relay leg at Qinghai Lake. That is perhaps more symbolic of my work and philosophy. After all, the lake is the largest in China, situated in a region where Tibetans, Han Chinese and Muslims all converge. It is also the only place where the torch will be taken to a relatively pristine and natural environment within China - not counting Everest, as that is a statement in itself.
So, let's deal with something of global concern, but not yet too politically controversial - climate change and the degradation of our environment, as applied to the Tibetan plateau. Traditionally, nomads on the plateau saw their wealth as directly proportional to the number of livestock they owned.
Within the past two decades, many nomad families have seen their livestock numbers multiply greatly. This is due to a relaxed government policy, a market-oriented economy and some initial assistance from the local government. Take the yak as an example: it's the mainstay of a Tibetan family; it provides wool for their tents, meat for their meals and milk for butter. Its dung is used as fuel and they become beasts of burden when nomads travel or move camp. When sold, it brings in much-needed cash.
There are over 13 million yaks on the Tibetan plateau, effectively 21/2 for each Tibetan, children included. Excluding prime studs, a yak may fetch at least 2,000 yuan (HK$2,230). Thus, a family with 50 yaks would effectively have 100,000 yuan walking around. And having 50 yaks is not that unusual.
In recent years, many environmentalists have turned their attention to the fast degradation of grassland and pasture on the plateau. A number of reasons have been put forward, most popular being desertification due to climate change and overgrazing by domestic animals.