Rather than a chance to dump your trash, spending time in a beautiful region of the world should be seen as a privilege.
A photo of a person’s experience at one of the world’s most famous locations was shared by a Redditor: the highest point of Mount Everest.
Mountaintop Trash
They wrote in the r/interestingasf*** subreddit: “Ever Wonder What The Top Of Everest Looks Like?”
The Earth looks amazing in the background of the picture, but the pile of trash right behind the person taking the selfie takes away a lot of the beauty.
Distracting Garbage
Numerous vibrant prayer flags appear to be scattered throughout the trash heap.
A commenter wrote: “I mean that’s super cool, but it kinda looks like the picture was taken at a dump.”
History of Littering
Climbers have been leaving trash on the mountain for a long time.
On top of that some choose to leave equipment behind rather than carrying it back down.
Clean Up Initiative
“All climbers scaling Mount Everest will have to bring back 8 kilograms (17.6 pounds) of rubbish under rules designed to clean up the world’s highest peak,” stated the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA) in 2014.
Sadly, this issue has not yet been resolved by that rule.
Record-Highs
Mount Everest is welcoming more visitors than ever, with Nepal giving a record-high 463 permits to climbers in 2023, as per Earth.org.
However, the World’s most noteworthy point is hard to reach, making all the litter challenging to tidy up.
Tonnes of Trash
According to a report in Geographical Magazine, there are approximately 30 tonnes (or 33 tons) of garbage on Everest.
Littering significantly affects people and the climate.
Microplastics
Microplastics, for instance, have been found in snow tests from Everest, and these can be poisonous for all organic entities.
There have been efforts made to clean up Mount Everest, but the problem is still there.
Litter Collection Efforts
Fortunately, many people care about keeping our planet litter-free in other parts of the world.
The hours spent by volunteer groups collecting litter from parks and beaches have had a significant impact.
Nonprofit Groups
Additionally, there are nonprofit organizations that collaborate to make the world a cleaner and safer place for everyone.
The garbage on Mount Everest disgusted a lot of people who commented on the Reddit post.
Reddit Commentary
One user remarked: “People have managed to turn the top of the world into a garbage bin.”
Another Redditor stated: “Gross, we just can’t have nice things.”
Global Warming
In Nepal, at base camp, the effects of global warming can already be seen.
The surface of the ice lies more than 150 feet lower than where it once was 35 years ago.
At 27,000 feet the microplastics found in the snow on Mount Everest are the highest yet found on Earth.
