After a visit to Tibet, geologist Fred Schwab writes in Geotimes Magazine about the region’s potential as a renewable energy powerhouse, yet he worries that “China’s push to develop Tibet may irreparably damage it”:
Following our visit, we returned to “Interior” China and spoke to classes at our son’s university about our Tibet experiences and the changes taking place. I emphasized environmental issues, especially after seeing the shocked reaction of Chinese students to my wife’s Tibetan photos. The crisp, clear, windswept, pollution-free blue skies of Tibet bowled them over. Blue, smog-free skies are the rule thanks to elevation and the scarcity of coal-fired plants sited directly on the Tibetan Plateau. Smoggy skies are omnipresent elsewhere in China because almost 80 percent of the electrical power is derived from burning coal. Tibet is unusually rich in renewable energy, especially hydroelectric power, possessing a third of China’s total, with a much larger potential capacity. Tibet could be self-sufficient in electrical power generation. Plenty of geothermal energy sites (more than 600) have been identified. The Yangpachen Geothermal Plant provides much of Lhasa’s power. And only the Sahara Desert receives more hours of sun and stronger sunlight than Tibet. Improvised solar panels are set up everywhere. Some are focused on solitary teapots hanging in front of thousand-year-old Buddhist Temples. The Chinese search for living space and their eagerness to continue economic growth even faster than their population growth herald even bigger changes for Tibet. The 1.3 billion Chinese next door are unfortunately the proverbial 1,000-pound gorilla sitting when and wherever he wishes. [Full text]
Read also an article from Asia Times about the impact of the Qinghai-Lhasa railroad on Tibet’s cultural, ethnic and environmental heritage:
In light of the heavy investment in transportation infrastructure, the railway seems to take on a completely different significance, especially since it appears that heavy infrastructure will comprise a significant portion of China’s development aid in Tibet.
The cultural and ethnic identity of Tibet has changed dramatically in recent years, and recently implemented policies and projects indicate this change is intentional and that the railway was built to assist with the achievement of these goals. [Full text]
