As the first successful all-woman team to summit Mount Everest, the nine accomplished Nepali mountaineers
are now going on to climb the tallest peaks on each of the world’s seven continents. Their mission, called
the
Everest Women Seven Summits Eco-Action, seeks to not only set a world
record as the largest team to do so, but is also striving to raise
awareness about the urgent issue of climate change.
Receiving
their national flag from the country’s Right Honorable President Dr. Ram
Baran Yadav before departing from Nepal, the team members officially
embarked on Monday, July 5 as they began climbing Mount Kosciuszko in
Australia.
Team coordinator Shailee Basnet, who was the first female journalist ever to summit Mount Everest,
reflected on signs of the planet’s perilous state that had come to their attention in previous expeditions.
Shailee Basnet – Team coordinator, Mount Everest summiteer, vegan during expedition (F):
We saw and heard from experienced climbers about the changes that were
evident in the Himalayas. And in our later trips also in different parts
of the country, we kept hearing about how monsoons were not the same
anymore,
how the crops were being affected by unpredictable weather, and how new pests and insects were showing up
in higher altitudes. So, all this really motivated us to take the message of climate action with us.
VOICE:
On this trip, the nine Nepali climbers are also striving to offset
their carbon emissions by using solar lanterns and planting trees. Most
of all, they have become aware that meat consumption has the largest
human impact on climate change, and all nine have thus pledged to be
vegan for the duration of the physically demanding tour. A vegan chef is
accompanying them to prepare their plant-based meals.
Shailee Basnet (F): So
we need to act now, both at individual levels, things that we can
change in our lifestyle, and also at the level of government.
VOICE: Heaven bless the courageous Nepali summiteers for your dedication to these ambitious
physical and consciousness-raising goals. Wishing your journey success in bringing awareness about
global warming as well as the effective vegan solution, which ensures both personal endurance
and a cool planet for all.
http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php.headline=Women+climbers+take+off+for+sky+high+record&NewsID=248139http://www.vegsource.com/news/2010/06/everest-womens-7-summit-team-goes-vegan.htmlhttp://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/may/may24/news10.phphttp://content.undp.org/go/newsroom/2009/march/international-womens-day/everest-women-of-nepal.en