Mt. Everest as seen from an airplane. Photo by Rhenda G.
Mount Everest is maybe the most famous mountain on earth, but it is also a very popular tourist spot. A former friend of mine, who is a trance music producer and loves snowy mountains produced a track which he dedicated to Everest. I liked the track a lot and made this mountain video clip.
Most of the photos I selected were taken by Rhett, although I also tried to find some other ones on Internet that fit the feeling from the song or from the Himalayan region. By looking deeper at the meaning of the song, I came across many alarming facts regarding the Himalayan region especially Mount Everest.
Like other peaks around the world, Mount Everest is seeing the effects of global warming–its glaciers are melting. The consequences are widespread: the Himalayas are the main water source for hundreds of millions of people in China and India. Rapid melting has triggered flooding and diminished the availability of water after the melt season.
The Himalayan region has very rich flora and fauna with many endemic plants and animals, many of them very endangered like the snow leopard, which is still been poached for its pelts and the rhino for its horn.
There are also environmental issues on Everest itself, largely a result of the large number of climbers who visit. 120 tons of litter and 120 dead bodies have earned Everest the title of “The world highest garbage dump.” But some responsible organizations are now working to remedy this, organizing clean up tours.
You can learn more at the end of the video.