MyQJ | QJ.NET | Apple | Mobile | Science | MMORPG | Nintendo DS | Wii | World of Warcraft | PlayStation 3 | PSP | Xbox 360 | Gadgets | PC Gaming | Age of Conan | DL.QJ | QJ.NET Forums

Mt. Everest is having pollution problems

Posted Oct 09, 2006 at 03:52AM by Maia L. Listed in: Environmental Campaigns, Environmental Disasters Tags: Prakash Sharma
Ó

Mt. Everest


Towering at over 8,848 meters (29,028 ft), Mt. Everest is considered the highest point on Earth. And being able to reach its summit has been one of man's greatest source of pride and glory. Mt. Everest, or Sagarmatha (Sanskrit for "Goddess of the Sky"), is one of the favorite destinations for people who desire to conquer the roof of the world.

For so many years now, large number of trekkers and climbers flock to the Himalayan Regions to conquer the goddess. It boosted Nepal's tourism economy especially for the locals who found a source of livelihood by providing a wide array of services (like being guides) to these climbers. But tourism for Nepal did not flourished without a toll. Mt. Everest has been suffering from environmental problems, mainly due to the trash and pollution that were left behind by people who troop to the region.

Garbage is one of the serious problems that Mt. Everest is currently facing. The pile of trash in Mt. Everest includes an interesting mix of plastics, aluminum cans, empty oxygen tanks, glass, clothes, climbing equipments like tents, paper, food, and dead bodies. Some climbers are even reporting to have found bloody syringes and other medical wastes. The non-biodegradable wastes are the main concern since they do not decompose. To add to the problem, the extreme condition of the surroundings has the ability to preserve biodegradable materials like dead human bodies.

One of the suggestions is to limit the climbing permits, thus reducing the number of people who will be able to visit the site. But the ethnic group in the area who benefit most from the tourism oppose this idea. The Sherpas claimed that this would take away their livelihood and if this happens, their families would starve.

Prakash Sharma, director of Friends of the Earth Nepal, further assessed the situation, "Twenty to forty thousand of these people attempt, at some altitude, to ascend the mountains of the Himalayas, including thousands who will at least trek to the foot of Everest. There is no infrastructure in this region to cope with the pollution this many people generate, and as a result the Nepali Himalayas have become the highest junkyard in the world."

[Via Guardian Unlimited] Permalink  |   Email this  |   Linking Blogs   |   Digg It!

Bookmark / Find this article on:

1 Jumps     Far out theory: Milky Way cycle responsible for mass extinctions

2 Comments


Sort by:
   by Advertising -
   by piyo (Unregistered) - 2006-10-09
 » solution
1st!!!!!!

well, the right solution is people must learn how to dispose of their wastes properly


   Re: a (Unregistered) - 2006-10-31
 » a
so you're climbing up the mountain and u freeze to death... how the f'uck are u supposed to dispose of your waste?


Contact
QJ.NET Blog Network RSS Feeds
MyQJ Feed / PDA
MyQJ RSS / PDA
Blog of Blogs Feed / PDA
QJ.NET RSS / PDA
Gaming Consoles Feed / PDA
Nintendo DS RSS / PDA
PlayStation 3 RSS / PDA
PSP Updates RSS / PDA
Wii RSS / PDA
Xbox 360 RSS / PDA
PC Gaming Feed / PDA
Age of Conan RSS / PDA
Games for Windows RSS / PDA
MMORPG RSS / PDA
Tabula Rasa RSS / PDA
World of Warcraft RSS / PDA
Science Feed / PDA
Science RSS / PDA
Technology Feed / PDA
Apple RSS / PDA
Gadgets RSS / PDA
Mobile RSS / PDA
Photography RSS / PDA
Add QJ.NET
Add to My Yahoo!
Google Reader Subscribe with Bloglines
Add to your Kinja digest Subscribe in NewsGator Online
Subscribe with Pluck RSS reader Add 'www.qj.net' to Newsburst from CNET News.com
Subscribe with SearchFox RSS del.icio.us www.qj.net
Add to Technorati Favorite! Add to My AOL
furl! it Stumble for Treehugger!
User Favorites - July
Most Commented
(27)
(15)
(14)
(9)
(7)
(6)
(5)
(5)
(4)
(3)
(3)
(2)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
User Favorites - July
Top Jumps
Far out theory: Milky Way c.. (20)
The price of green living? .. (14)
More than fireworks: planet.. (13)
A 30-megaton blast from the.. (12)
You can grow asparagus on M.. (5)
Will Earth's largest parti.. (5)
North Pole to have no ice t.. (3)
Who needs paper? Scientists.. (3)
The Autobot Matrix is out t.. (2)
Mars used to be like Earth .. (1)
The feeding habits of black.. (1)

 Username: 
 Password:
Forgot password
New user registration



Poll
Are unidentified flying objects (UFOs) really alien spaceships?
Earth Science
General Science
Health Science
Space
Archives


Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of the TERMS & CONDITIONS and PRIVACY POLICY
Copyright © 2006, Content Holdings, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Version. 1.31