Tibetans protest environmental degradation, even if it is dangerous to do so. They claim that local grasslands and pastures are being destroyed by Chinese mining operations that have displaced nomadic tribes. The Chinese Authorities claim that it is the Tibetan nomads that cause untold damage to the vast grasslands, destroying its natural ecology. Citing soil erosion and gradual desertification due to over grazing, nearly 2 million nomads from around the Tibetan plateau were forced to abandon their traditional livelihood and resettled into urban settlements. With no way to return to their nomadic roots and lacking education, they are forced to live in extreme poverty. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a nomad stated “Many who had sold their herds when they were first resettled have no way to return to their former lives, and the poorest among them have now resorted to begging in the nearby township just to make ends meet.”