nepal – EcoSalon

The Tallest Toilet in the World: Climbers are Pooping All Over Mt. Everest and Making It Gross

Jill Ettinger — Fri, 10 Apr 2015 09:00:20 +0000

Why is there so much poop on Mt. Everest?

As far as exploring goes, Mt. Everest isn’t a treasure trove of earthly discoveries. Alluring and majestic as it certainly is, there’s little in the way of new species to discover (since hardly anything can live at that altitude), nor is it overflowing with artifacts to connect us to our human history. Well, unless you call the heaping piles of human shit “artifacts.”

That’s right, climbers who risk (and often lose) their lives to tackle the world’s tallest peak, are leaving trails of human waste all over this sacred mountain.

“The head of Nepal’s mountaineering association has warned that human waste left when climbers use holes in the snow as lavatories is contaminating the world’s highest peak,” reports the Independent. Approximately 700 climbers spend almost two months every year on Everest’s slopes acclimating and climbing, and leaving “large amounts” of feces and urine “buried in the snow.”

While some climbers do carry disposable travel toilet bags (and proper waste management is conducted at the lowest base camp), many climbers don’t. They simply dig holes in the snow and go.

“It is a health hazard and the issue needs to be addressed,” Dawa Steven Sherpa, who has been leading Everest clean-up expeditions since 2008, said to the Independent.

But there is no concrete plan in place for how to manage the mountain waste, probably because there can’t really be one—aside from keeping people off the mountain and admiring its beauty rather than trying to conquer it. The official Nepalese response has been it will “strictly monitor” the situation, and it does have a rule in place requiring climbers to bring back 18 pounds of trash to base camp after a climb. But that’s a mere dent in the damage being caused by all the poop, particularly since most climbers take a very similar route to the top, which means the human waste is being cluttered in small areas of the mountain.

When Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay first climbed Everest in 1953, it was a watershed moment for the human spirit, nearly as exciting as the moon landing that would happen more than a decade later. Humans had triumphed over nature, defeated the odds and lived to tell about it. But since then, some 4,000 people have attempted to climb Mt. Everest, many of them dying tragically for what can only be described as a selfish drive to conquer the most alluring mountain in the world.

While the expeditions are a boon to the Nepalese economy, the piles of poop could actually be quite damaging, particularly as climate change is also having an impact on the region. Warming temperatures could mean more avalanches, which actually shut down last year’s expeditions. And if we keep sending people up the mountain to poop, those avalanches could also be biohazards for the region—a tragedy Hilary and Norgay would certainly not want to be their legacy.

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Everest sign image via Shutterstock

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Link Love: Rihanna’s too Sexy + Style Secrets of the French + How to Buy Good, Cheap Wine

EcoSalon Staff — Thu, 05 Jun 2014 16:14:07 +0000

This week’s Link Love it’s World Environment Day and Nepal is setting the treehugging record. Cheap wine can be good wine. Yoga pants are the new blue jeans? Rihanna’s too sexy for the UK and everything you need to know about French style!

Nepal aims to set world record for tree hugging on World Environment Day [via the Indian Express]

How to buy good, cheap wine. [via Eat Drink Better]

Are yoga pants threatening the American tradition of denim? [via Well+Good]

Rihanna’s perfume ad banned in the United Kingdom for sultry, nearly nude pose. [via NY Daily News]

Style secrets of the French. [via Elle]

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Win $200 Worth of Fab Yoga Apparel from Synergy Clothing

EcoSalon Staff — Sat, 07 Dec 2013 08:00:40 +0000

One lucky EcoSalon reader will win $200 worth of Synergy clothing—fashion forward clothing and yoga apparel for women. Want a chance to win? Read on for the details.

Synergy is the creative manifestation of designer Kate Fisher. After an eye-opening trip (third eye included) to Nepal and India in 1993, she created Synergy clothing “in the spirit of adventure and with the vision of being a synergy of both Eastern and Western design influences.”

A family-inspired operation, Fisher and husband Henry Schwab have worked hard to integrate Kate’s passion for textile design and clothing, with his experiences working with GreenPeace and Phish’s touring division of The Waterwheel Foundation. It’s apparent in the company’s mission: ” Synergy Organic Clothing creates fashion forward clothing and yoga apparel for women. Always striving to be mindful and conscious in every facet of our business, we produce sustainable and organic fair trade clothing that lets you look and feel your best. Radiate effortless style while treading gently on the Earth.”

Now, 20 years after her first trip to Nepal, Fisher spent time with 150 of the women who do the handwork for Synergy. “I feel responsible and honored to be able to help provide an income for so many people in Nepal, especially women.” she said. “I feel really good about Synergy making a global impact and helping support people all over the world. I want to keep improving what we are doing so we can continue to grow and expand in a healthy way, that will also help serve the planet.”

And you can experience the goodness of Synergy for yourself! To enter to win the $200 gift certificate, all you have to do is sign up for the EcoSalon newsletter. One winner will be selected at random. The contest runs until December 20^th. To enter, sign up here. Good luck!

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Edge of Ember’s Jewelry Ethically Made From Bombshells and Buffalo Horns

Johanna Björk — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 21:44:58 +0000

Edgy jewelry made by local artisans in five countries, using materials like naturally discarded buffalo horn and reclaimed bombshells.

When launching her new jewelry label, Edge of Ember, designer Lynette Ong knew she wanted to ensure the pieces were not only going to be beautiful, but also made in the most ethical way possible. “The inspiration for Edge of Ember first came to me two years back when I was in Ubud, Bali where there were tons of silversmiths and art workshops,” says Ong. “Most of them had an open workshop concept where customers could see the artisans working on these uniquely handcrafted pieces. I found these gorgeous works of art absolutely amazing. Yet with the overwhelming trend in the marketplace towards mass production, customers get either machine-lasered fare from factories or designer handmade items that were exorbitantly priced.”

Fueled by a desire to share the stories and skills of these local artisans with the rest of the world, Ong, who was living in Hong Kong at the time, traveled extensively though Asia to find and form parnerships with the five local non-profit, fair trade organizations and artisan groups in Cambodia, Nepal, Vietnam and Indonesia that she works with today.

Designer Ong has not had any formal design training, and calls the brand’s aesthetic a reflection of her personal style. “I have always loved jewelry,” she says. “I think accessories complete an outfit and showcase an individual’s personality. But it was only when the Edge of Ember idea came to me that I started dabbling with jewelry design. I love combining simple, classic pieces and bolder jewelry to create a look that is versatile enough to wear for both casual and formal occasions.”

Edge of Ember’s first collection is called SARAT (which is the Khmer word for “beauty”) and features handmade jewelry pieces from Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam, with organic hand-hammered metals, bold geometric studs and ethnic-inspired tassels that are accompanied by an elegant mix of crystals and pearls. “The studs and spikes give an edgy and raw feel that I translated from bustling developing cities like Phnom Penh and Hanoi, the crystals set in antique-plated bezels show a hint of vintage and Art Deco, and the pearls and tassels add a touch of old school glamour,” says Ong. “I like to contrast the edgy and feminine, and the ethnic and the contemporary in pieces.”

The matte gold plated geometric studs and spikes used in many pieces are made from bombshells rescued from Cambodian land. The local artisans Edge of Ember work with are all part of the Rajana Association, a fair trade organization that helps create jobs for skilled craftspeople. The horn bangles are made in Vietnam, where local artisans use naturally discarded buffalo horn to delicately create these stunning pieces. All hammered pieces – which are Edge of Ember’s signature style – are made in Indonesia, where artisans meticulously hammer metals by hand to create the soft-textures, versatile pieces.

The brand also gives back to the local communities where their artisans live and work by channeling 10% of all proceeds into the Ember Project, the brand’s philanthropic arm. The Ember Project sponsors projects that focus on issues affecting women and children, and charities that address the problems women face because of the inherent gender inequality in these developing countries. Two of the initiatives, Daughters of Cambodia and Shakti Samuha in Nepal, rescues women from prostitution and sex trafficking and provides them with the skills to sustain their new lifestyle, while the specific Room to Read program by the Girls’ Education Program in Vietnam, helps young girls to complete their secondary education.

Says Ong: “I see these pieces on a confident, stylish woman who isn’t afraid of having fun or taking risks, who can throw together a perfect outfit from seemingly disparate elements and is assertive, intelligent and socially conscious.”

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40 Gorgeous Photos of Asia

Jessica Marati — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 20:00:52 +0000

If these photos don’t make you wanna quit your job and travel the world, we don’t know what will.

Asia’s diversity never fails to astound. Nowhere on Earth can you find a greater variety of cultures, languages, races, ethnicities, religions, climates, and geography. It’s mind-numbing.

These photos provide just a taste of what Asia has to offer. They’re also an important reminder of the need to protect what makes the world’s largest continent unique. Though the scenes depicted here may seem worlds away, our choices always have an impact wherever we may roam, reminding us to tread lightly.

(above) Penang, Malaysia

Bangkok, Thailand

Great Wall, China

Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh

Huashan Mountain, China

Udaipur, India