Breaking News English

Mt Everest climbers must now keep their poo

Mount Everest - Level 0

Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain. Climbers are leaving a lot of poo on the slopes. A local said the mountain now stinks. He added that he can see poo on rocks, and some climbers are getting sick. Climbers must now buy a "poop bag" for their poo. They throw it away when they come down from the mountain.

The problem of waste on Everest is growing. Climbers leave camping equipment and cans of oxygen there. There may also be over three tons of human poo. Most of this freezes. It does not degrade. The poop bags will help to keep Everest cleaner. They will be good for the health of climbers and the mountain.

SPEED READING

Speed 1    |     Speed 2    |     Speed 3

MORE

11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Mount Everest - Level 1

Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain. An increase in the number of climbers has led to poo being left on the slopes. A local official said: "Our mountains have begun to stink." He added: "Human poo is visible on rocks, and some climbers are falling sick. This is not acceptable. It damages our image." Climbers must now buy a bio-degradable "poop bag" for their poo. They then throw the bag away when they come down from the mountain.

The problem of waste and litter on Everest is growing. Climbers leave camping equipment and cans of oxygen on the slopes. There may be over three tons of human poo between Base Camp and the top of Everest. Much of this freezes. It does not degrade. The India Today website said the poop bags will help to "restore the dignity of this iconic peak". It added that the bags would be good for the health of climbers and the local environment".

SPEED READING

Speed 1    |     Speed 2    |     Speed 3

MORE

11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Mount Everest - Level 2

Slowest

Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain. A new rule says people climbing it will have to take their poo back to Base Camp. An increase in the number of climbers has led to the problem of human waste being left on the slopes. A local official told the BBC: "Our mountains have begun to stink." He added: "Human stools are visible on rocks, and some climbers are falling sick. This is not acceptable. It damages our image." Climbers must buy a bio-degradable "poop bag". They can throw the bag away when they come down from the mountain.

The problem of waste and litter on Everest has been growing for years. Climbers leave camping equipment and cans of oxygen on the slopes. An environmental group estimated that there was over three tons of human poo between Base Camp and the top of Everest. Much of this freezes. It does not degrade. The India Today website said the poop bags will help with the waste problem. It wrote: "This measure…will help restore the dignity of this iconic peak." It added that the waste bags would, "safeguard the health of both climbers and the local environment".

SPEED READING

Speed 1    |     Speed 2    |     Speed 3

MORE

11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Mount Everest - Level 3

There is a new rule about going to the toilet on Mount Everest. People climbing the world's highest peak will now have to take their own poo back to Base Camp. There has been an increase in the number of climbers on the mountain. This has led to a problem of human waste being left on the slopes. Mingma Sherpa, a local official, told the BBC: "Our mountains have begun to stink." He added: "We are getting complaints that human stools are visible on rocks, and some climbers are falling sick. This is not acceptable. It damages our image." The new rule requires climbers to buy a bio-degradable "poop bag". They can dispose of the bag and its contents when they come down from the mountain. It will be "checked" by workers there.

The problem of waste, litter and pollution on Mt Everest has been growing for years. Many people leave camping equipment on the slopes. Thousands of discarded cans of oxygen litter the mountain. An environmental organization estimated that there was around three tons of human poo between Base Camp and the summit of Everest. Much of this freezes and does not degrade. The India Today website said the poop bags will help with the waste problem. It wrote: "It is hoped that this measure, along with ongoing clean-up campaigns, will help restore the dignity of this iconic peak." It added that the waste bags would, "safeguard the health of both climbers and the local environment".

SPEED READING

Speed 1    |     Speed 2    |     Speed 3

MORE

25 online activities    |    27-page printable    |    2-page mini-lesson