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Tabo monastery in the Spiti valley, India, is an active monastery with many links with Tibet. Tibetan monks have been repressed by the Chinese government. Tholing monastery in Tibet is isolated and preserved Buddhism at a time of repression in Tibet in the 9th century. There is concern that scholars may die without passing on their knowledge. Religious scripts have been well preserved at the monastery where the air is dry and the cold also helps with preservation. There has been vandalism at the monastery, and bullet holes are also visible.

Norislk is a Siberian city with a population of 250,000 which is seriously affected by pollution from the mining industry. The city was built by prisoners to exploit deposits of copper, coal and nickel. Air transport is the only way to leave the city and it is too expensive for many of the inhabitants. Norislk Nickel produces 80% of Russia's nickel production and 20% of the world's, in addition to 42% of the world's platinum production and 19% of cobalt production.