Bring that Sh*t Down!
The leader of the Sargamatha Pollution Control Committee talks with the leaders from the different Everest expeditions about cleaning up after themselves and removing human waste from the mountain. Everest Base Camp, Nepal. April 16, 2010.
By Marshall Thompson
Today there was a meeting with all the Mount Everest expedition leaders and the leadership of the Sargamatha Pollution Control Committee. They discussed a number of things, but the most interesting subject was all about poop. What do you do with it? Hundreds of people are going up and down Everest each year and answering the call of nature on the way. It has become a serious pollution problem.
Dawa, our expedition leader, asked if everyone could please use special bags and carry their poop with them when they come down the mountain. This resonated with several of the other expedition leaders who kept repeating what I believe will become a catch phrase for a movement of social responsibility: Bring that sh*t down!
One expedition leader, Tim Rippel, suggested even using biodegradable poop bags that begin to disintegrate after 40 days. That should be plenty of time. If your poop bag is falling apart and you’re still on Everest, you’ve got bigger problems.
Whether the expeditions will all start using the bags remains to be seen despite a hearty reception. However, immediately after the meeting, a group of Finns came by the Eco Everest tents to buy some bags. Hopefully in the future, everyone will bring their sh*t down.
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