Everest is melting and one contributor is human urine, study finds
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Human urine is responsible for an estimated 154,000kg of melt in the thawing Khumbu Glacier.
PHOTO: AFP
Adam Popescu
- Everest Base Camp's comforts and human activity cause significant ice melt, with about 3 million kg of ice lost each spring, including 154,000kg due to human urine.
- Base camp temperatures have risen twice as fast as surrounding glacier areas, driven by fuel use and waste, threatening local water sources, climbing safety, and increasing flood risks.
- Experts suggest moving the base camp off the glacier to reduce melting, improve logistics, and protect Everest, setting an example for other vulnerable glaciers worldwide.
AI generated
Mount Everest, which straddles the border between Nepal and China, is in transition. Study after study shows that it is melting.
With record numbers of climbers hoping to summit its peak, the mountain has become a tourist trap. This is especially apparent at Everest Base Camp, where there are espresso bars and big-screen TVs, fast Wi-Fi and hot showers, even tents with Persian carpets and heated floors for the thousands of climbers and the support crew members who spend months there.
