CHINA GREEN Multimedia Festival: The Third Pole
VIEW EVENT DETAILSOn the Tibetan Plateau, mighty glaciers melt into thin air, silently portending Asia's next environmental catastrophe. Tibetan nomads are forced to change pastures more often as the Plateau's grasslands become less productive. Growing mining activity depletes the natural environment, and Pica populations are expanding their habitats uphill, encroaching on pastures. These changes drastically alter the lifestyle and livelihood of the local population, but also have grave implications for the peoples across Asia. The Tibetan Plateau, the water tower of Asia, feeds the Yellow, Yangtze, Mekong, Salween, Brahmaputra, Ganges and Indus Rivers. The coming exhaustion of glacial feed and accompanying unpredictability of river runoff will leave river basins dry in the cold season and flood-prone during the wet season. Much of China Green's focus during the past year has looked at the Tibetan Plateau. On the evening of October 13, the Center on US-China Relations will showcase four short films focused on 'the roof of the world' in its first annual multimedia festival. The Everest Village, Hao Zhiqiang There is a village called Migu at the foot of Mount Everest in Tibet. The short film follows Pudun, the head of the village, as he defends his village from both an uncontrollable sandstorm and the county government. Less Blessed: Snow Mountains, Grassland and Yellow River, Michael Zhao In Qinghai, on the northern part of the Plateau, formerly lush pasture towns are becoming barren. Age old practices had nomads moving twice a year to allow winter and summer pastures to rest and restore vegetation. On a recent trip to Qinghai, Michael Zhao finds nomads relocating every month, chasing grass across the Plateau. On Thinner Ice A visual tour of the melting glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau, comparing historical photographs with images from renowned mountaineer, David Breashears's recent expeditions to the Karakorum, Kangchenjunga, Everest and other high peaks of the world. The Himalayan Consensus, Laurence Brahm A short film on the significance of cultural and ecological preservation on the Plateau and the battle against global warming and its ramifications locally and regionally in Asia. Following the presentation of short films, Orville Schell, Arthur Ross Director of Asia Society Center on US-China Relations, will moderate a discussion with Laurence Brahm, film director and author of, The Anti-Globalization Breakfast Club and Michael Zhao, Multimedia Producer at the Center on US-China Relations.