radioactive waste, not only will the animals, plants and people living in the Gobi Desert suffer,
but so do their future generations and people across the globe too. It has been scientifically proved
that long-term exposure to high radioactive level could cause the mutation of chromosomes,
which could lead to cancers, deformity or physical impairment. The Chernobyl Disaster is the best
evidence to justify this argument–there have been over 75000 cases of Chernobyl-related cancer
and deformity or impairment of infants even until now!
Seeing the enormous problems that the Gobi Desert is faced with, the Gobi Desert seems to
have changed from a legendary and beneficial place to a dying patient who is suffering from
some ailments whilst bringing others troubles too owing to his own ailments. Conserving and
preserving this ‘legend’ may be a matter of indifference to you. Nevertheless, we, as readers as
well as members of the global village, literally need to contemplate about some ideas to tackle the
mentioned problems for the sake of continuing of the legend of the Gobi Desert and improving
everyone’s quality of life.
To alleviate the problem of over-cultivation, the Chinese government should and could educate
the people about the importance of a sustainable farming practice, which stresses on the essence
of fallowing. The authority could also provide the farmers whose farmlands are left fallow with
subsidies, both in the forms of money and food. By educational and financial inducement, it can
effectively and efficiently reduce the number of farmers who carry out over-cultivation. While for
overgrazing, the government could set up a reasonable limit of the number of livestock a family
could keep at most. Anyone who is found to have kept more than the quota may be fined so as to
discourage people from keeping too many animals, which exceed the affordability and jeopardize
the sustainability of the desert.
Other than this, soil erosion is also a severe headache for the government. Concerning
the lack of plants, the government could expedite the process of legislation about setting up a
‘conservation zone’, in which any agricultural and economic activities are stringently prohibited.
After that, the government could start planting some vegetation again to serve as a windbreak.
Not only could the plants hold the soil cohesively with their roots, but they could also act as a
barrier to block the sand and dust brought by the wind. With the government’s persistence and
commitment to rejuvenate the places where soil erosion is commonly found with a ‘Green idea’
and to minimise the harms caused by people to the soil, the problem of soil erosion would be
mitigated gradually.
Last but not least, when it comes to the issue about the resolution to deal with the
development of nuclear power, we, as nationals of China, should and could voice out our opinions
bravely and loudly so that the demerits of the proposal of developing nuclear power in the Gobi
Desert could be heard by the government. We should urge the authority concerned to reveal the
plan about the development of nuclear power and entreat the central government to consider
terminating or modifying the plan in view of protecting nationals’ lives and the ecological
system in the Gobi Desert.
While seeing ones striving for a better Gobi Desert or even a better China, were I one of the
officials of the central government, I would gradually cut down on the use of nuclear power.
Minimising the mining of radioactive metals is a plausible and sensible means to reduce reliance
on nuclear power. The government should and could request the mining company to submit an
environmental impact assessment before carrying out any projects. The government could also
hire a team of experts, including biologists and environmentalists so as to visit the proposed
