Greenpeace Ignores Tibet’s Nuclear Poisoning via Tibet, Activism and Information

The world’s most high profile environmental organization, with a network of international offices and serious resources at its disposal is investing considerable time, effort, thought and finances into developing its Greenpeace-China operations.

With headquarters in Beijing and Hong Kong, it campaigns on a range of environmental issues in China, including industrial, agricultural, water and atmospheric pollution. Yet one area of significant environmental concern in China and occupied territories such as Tibet and East Turkestan, which Greenpeace-China does not campaign upon, is nuclear issues. It would appear that Greenpeace does not recognize the existence the considerable ecological damage caused by nuclear production, and uranium mining and the disposal of radioactive waste within China and the occupied territories of Tibet and East Turkestan.

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Mainland China has 20 nuclear power reactors in operation, 28 under construction, and more are scheduled, which intend to produce a sixfold increase in China’s nuclear capacity. Yet, as Greenpeace’s record testifies it exercises anti-nuclear protests around the world

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Currently a heavy importer of uranium, China is engaged in a determined effort to secure deposits within territory under its control. Significant amounts of the ore have been located in Eastern Tibet in Amdo (so-called Qinghai Province particularly in so-called Gansu Province). The China National Nuclear Corp operates in that region, and in 2008 agreed a new contract for further exploration http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/ENF-CNNC_to_develop_uranium_deposits_in_Qinghai-1707085.html

“The laborers have no understanding of health protection or prevention.Those kids sit on the uranium ore to smoke and eat their steamed buns, and at night they even set up their cots inside  and sleep in the uranium caves. I’ve told them that stuff could give people lung cancer, but they don’t understand any of it.”.

(Comments of mine employee working at No. 792 Mine located in Gansu’s so-called Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, one of China’s most important bases for uranium. This area was historically part of Tibet’s Amdo Region)

All forms of uranium mining, and the milling of ore, generate serious environmental hazards to the hydrosphere and atmosphere, waste deposits often dumped into heaps release radioactive dust particulates into the atmosphere and pollute a huge area. Two methods in particular, which are used in China, cause grave concern.’Leaching’ and ‘open pit’ extraction of uranium have resulted in radioactive contamination of soils and rivers. Not that Greenpeace appears troubled, despite these forms of mining posing a grave health-risk. Details of these mining methods, their environmental impacts, and health risks may be viewed on a slideshow here:

http://www.wise-uranium.org/stk.html?src=stkd01e&show=t

The deadly hazards of nuclear pollution is also suffered by First Nations peoples in the USA, which was documented in the film ‘Posion Wind’:

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A UK television documentary ‘Death on The Silk Road’ (Channel Four 1998) secretly filmed inside East Turkestan documented a range of illnesses linked to radiation exposure. Yet Greenpeace keeps a shameful silence, even though it would be aware of the detailed material which continues to document the extent and nature of environmental problems resulting from China’s nuclear industry, both commercial and military.

Read more at Greenpeace Ignores Tibet’s Nuclear Poisoning

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