Hope for Tibets Environment
I am very happy and feel especially honored to be
speaking to a group of people who are really dedicated to environmental
problems in general and the Tibetan environmental problems in
particular. I express my deep appreciation to Senator Bob Brown.
Now, environmental problems are something new to
me. When we were in Tibet, we always considered the environment pure.
For Tibetans, whenever we saw a stream of water in Tibet, there was no
question as to whether it was safe for drinking or not. However, it was
different when we reached India and other places. For example,
Switzerland is a very beautiful and impressive country, yet, people say
"Don't drink the water from this stream, it is polluted!"
Gradually, we Tibetans gained the knowledge and
awareness that certain things are polluted and cannot be utilized.
Actually, in India when our settlements started in some places, large
number of Tibetan fell ill with stomach problems as a result of
drinking polluted water. So through our own experience and by meeting
scientists we have become better educated about environmental issues.
When we look back at our :own country, Tibet, it
is a big country with a Vast land area with high altitude and a cold
and dry climate. Perhaps these things provided some kind of natural
protection to Tibet's environment - keeping it clean and fresh. In the
Northern pastures, the rocky areas, the forested areas and the river
valleys there used to be lots of wild animals, fish and birds. As a-
Buddhist Country there were. 'Certain traditional laws in Tibet
c_ncerned with a complete ban on fishing and hunting.
I remember in Lhasa when I was young, some
Nepalese did a little hunting arid fishing because they were not very
much concerned with Tibetan laws. Otherwise there was a real safety for
animals at that time.
There is a strange story. Chinese farmers and road
builders who came to Tibet after 1959 were very fond of meat. They
usually went hunting birds, such as ducks, wearing Chinese army uniform
or Chinese clothes. These clothes startled the birds and made them
immediately flyaway. Eventually these hunters were forced to wear
Tibetan dress. This is a true story! Such things happened, especially
during the 1970's and 80's, when there were still large numbers of birds.
Recently, a few thousand Tibetans from India went
to their native places in Tibet. When they returned, they all told the
same story. They said that about forty or fifty years ago there were
huge forest covers in their native areas. Now all these richly forested
mountains have become bald like a monk's head. No more tall trees. In
some cases the roots of the trees are even uprooted and taken away!
This is the present situation. In the past, there were big herds of
animals to be seen in Tibet, but few remain today. Therefore much has
changed.
The large-scale deforestation in Tibet is a matter
of great sadness. It is not only sad for the local area, which has lost
its beauty, but for the local people, who now find it hard to collect
even enough fuel wood. Relatively, these are small problems looking
from a wider perspective, deforestation has other extensive negative
consequences. Firstly, many parts of Tibet are high and dry. This means
that it takes longer for the land to recover compared to lower regions
with humid climate, and the negative effects therefore last much longer.
Secondly, many of the rivers which flow through
large areas of Asia, through Pakistan, India, China, Vietnam, Laos and
Cambodia, rivers such as the Yellow river, Brahmaputra, Yangtse,
Salween and Mekong, all originate in Tibet. It is at the places of
origin of these rivers that large-scale deforestation and mining are
taking place. The pollution of these rivers has a drastic effect on the
down-stream countries.
According to Chinese statistics there are 126
different minerals in Tibet. When these resources were discovered by
the Chinese, they were extensively mined without proper environmental
safeguards, resulting in devastation of the environment. As a result,
deforestation and mining are causing more floods in the lowlands of
Tibet.
The deforestation of the Tibetan plateau,
according to experts, will change the amount of reflection from snow
into space (forested areas absorb more solar radiation) and this
affects the monsoon of the next year, not only in Tibet, but in all
surrounding areas. Therefore, it becomes even more important to
conserve Tibet's environment.
I think the climate change in Tibet will not
affect Australia immediately. So your concern for Tibet is a genuine
altruistic one. Concern from China and India may not be genuine, as it
directly relates to their own future.
The Tibetan environment is very delicate and it is
very important. Unfortunately, as you know, in the Communist world, in
countries such as the former Soviet Union, Poland and the former East
Germany, there were many pollution problems in the past resulting from
carelessness, simply because factories are growing bigger and
production is rising with little regard to the damage this growth
causes to the environment. The situation is the same in the People's
Republic of China. In the 1970's and 1980's there was no awareness of
pollution, although now I think some awareness is developing. So I
think the situation was initially to do with ignorance.
According to some information. It seems that
during the Cultural Revolution (1966-l976) temples in China proper
suffered less destruction than in other areas. This may not be due to
government policy, but rather may be the result of discrimination by
local officials. So it seems that Chinese officials have neglected the
environment in the places where ethnic groups are living.
Another story comes from the Dingri region of
southern Tibet. Five years ago a local Tibetan told me about a river
that all the villagers used for drinking. There were also Chinese
living in the area. The Chinese residents belonging to the People's
Liberation Army (PLA), were informed not to drink the water from the
river, but local Tibetans' were not informed. Tibetans still drink the
polluted water. This shows that some form of negligence is going on,
and obviously is not because of lack of awareness, but due to other
reasons. In this light, any concern from other human brothers and
sisters for our unfortunate situation, unfortunate people and their
environment is very gratefully received and very important.
Then talking about the environment more generally,
it comes to mind that one key factor in the future is human population.
Look at India and China, there are so many people. The standard of
living is very low. It is very difficult to explain or educate the
masses about the environment when their most pressing concern is
survival.
For example, in our second home in the Kangra
Valley, (Himachal Pradesh, India), the local Indian villager's survival
depends on cutting wood and slate mining. 'On the eastern side of
Dharamsala we have large-scale slate quarries. Some of my Indian
friends told me' that I should speak-out about the huge environmental
damage that these quarries cause, but it is very difficult. For at
least a few hundred families livelihood depend solely on these
activities. Unless we show them new ways of earning their livelihood,
it is very difficult to stop them. Therefore, the population explosion
is ultimately a very serious matter. So family planning is crucial,
especially in the developing world.
Then there are industries such as the meat
industries, where killing of animals takes place on a large-scale. This
is not only cruel, but it has very negative effects on the environment.
There are industries which produce constructive machineries. There may
be some justification for their existence. But those which produce
destructive thing, such as war machines, do great
damage.
Some companies and governments actually make
profit from these activities, but the nature of their production is a
destructive one. For example, a bullet is designed to kill a person,
not as a decoration piece! All these war machines look very beautiful
When I Was small, these machines seemed beautiful to me, even small
toys like tanks and machine guns seemed very beautiful, very smart,
don't you think? The whole military establishment: their uniforms,
their discipline, everything seems very striking and very impressive,
but the very purpose of this organization is to kill. So we must think
of these matters if 'we are to be truly concerned about the
environment, not only for this generation, but for future generations
as well.
I think all these things are inter-related. As I
mentioned earlier, family planning should be encouraged. From a
Buddhist perspective it is quite simple. Each human life is very
precious. From this perspective it is better to avoid or control birth,
but today there are 1.5 billion precious lives - too many precious
lives! As a result it is not only one or two precious human lives that
are at stake, but the question is of the survival of humanity at large.
So therefore the conclusion we arrive at is that we must take family
_planning very seriously, if we are to save the prosperity of the
entire humanity, preferably through non-violent means, not through
abortion or killing, but by some other means. I often half j0kingly
say... more monks and nuns. That is the most non-violent arid effective
method. So if you can't become a monk or a nun, then practice other
non-violent methods of birth control.
Then there is the question of how to reduce
military establishments. The groundwork we must do is to promote
non-violence. But this is not enough because we have so many conflicts
in this world. So long as humanity remains, so will conflict.
One way of promoting non-violence against warfare
and the production of weapons is to promote ideas of dialogue and
compromise, and the spirit of reconciliation. I think we must promote
these ideas at the family and community level. It is much more
practical to solve problems through dialogue rather than through
confrontation.
So the concept of dialogue must begin at the
family level. As individuals we must look within, investigate, analyze
and then try to overcome contradictory ideas. We must not lose hope or
despair of the irritating conflict we find inside ourselves. So these
are some of the ways in which we can ultimately solve environmental
problems.
Finally, I want to tell you that self-confidence
and enthusiasm are the key to a successful life, and co success in any
activity one is engaged in. We must be determined and must have an
optimistic outlook, then even if we fail we will have no regrets. On
the other hand, lack of determination and effort will cause double
regret. Firstly because the objectives were not realized, and secondly
because you feel guilty and regret at not having made full effort in
the realization of the objectives.
So therefore, whether we commit ourselves or not
it is an individual choice. Once you have made up your mind, you must
go forward with a single-minded devotion in spite of the obstacles.
This is very important.
Finally I would like to express my deep
appreciation to all participants and those who organized this
conference. I very much appreciate it. I would also like to express my
deep appreciation on behalf of the six million Tibetan people whose
lives are very much in danger due to pollution. Some children are
already suffering from illness because of air pollution. There is
tremendous anxiety and suffering, and their voices may not be heard
widely. They simply express their grievances within the confines of
their small homes. I would like to express my deep appreciation on
behalf of all these innocent people.
Thank you!
His Holiness the Dalai Lama 's speech at the "Endangered Tibet" Conferenel' in Snlnn'. Australia on 28 September 1996.
