Article as it was published by CNN…

Please follow the link below to hear the segment, which includes a short interview with Mount Everest Biogas Project’s co-founder, Garry Porter!
Audio as aired on Northwest Public Radio…

To read the full article as originally produced by Earthfix, please follow the link below.
Full article as reported by EarthFix…

“Every one of these proposals has the potential to make a difference in preserving and conserving the precious mountaineering so important to us. That we were honored for this award, this recognition is like a dream come true for the team,” beamed, Garry Porter, Mount Everest Biogas Project co-founder.

Launched in 2010 in affiliation with Engineers Without Borders and Architects Without Borders, the Mount Everest Biogas Project is a volunteer-run non-profit that has designed an innovative, 100% sustainable solution to address a mounting environmental and human health hazard: the annual dumping of 26,000 pounds of untreated human waste generated each year at Everest Base Camp, a number that has ballooned since Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary first ascended in 1953.

Designed to reclaim and preserve the majestic beauty of the world’s tallest mountain, this unique sanitation solution is the first solar-powered human waste biogas system of its kind. By utilizing 100% of the human waste created at Everest Base Camp, the project will bring a wide range of additional environmental, economic and community benefits, including:

• Conversion of waste into a renewable natural gas, methane fuel, that will be made available to the local community for cooking and lighting
• Lessened risk of drinking water contamination by fecal coli form
• Creation of dozens of construction jobs and long-term employment opportunities for residents of the local village for ongoing system maintenance
• Curtailed deforestation of limited wood resources in the area
• Reduced reliance on wood or yak dung for heating and the resultant health risks.

The Mount Everest Biogas Project is the fifth winner of the annual MPA, joining projects from around the globe, including Ethiopia, Tajikistan, and France. UIAA awards MPA winners a grant for the pursuit of environmental stewardship and education in mountainous regions of the world, with the ultimate goal of rewarding sustainable practices in highly sensitive and remote ecosystems affected by mountain tourism.

The MPA winner was announced at the UIAA General Assembly, which took place in Shiraz, Iran on October 21, 2017. A video featuring Garry Porter was broadcast for the dozens of delegates representing UIAA member associations from six continents.

Stephen Goodwin, UIAA Mountain Protection Commission member, a vice-president of the Alpine Club (UK), and one of the Award assessors, said: “The Mount Everest Biogas Project perfectly meets the aims of our Commission in that it is clearing up the waste of mountaineers and trekkers in an iconic location. There are multiple benefits for the “downstream” Sherpa population (notably less polluted water) and providing the project proves a success, this technology can be applied to other high altitude mountain locations where climbers and/or trekkers have created a waste disposal problem.”

Through academic partnerships with Kathmandu University and Seattle University, the system technology has been designed and tested over the last seven years. “The Mountain Protection Award is a huge morale boost to our volunteer team members because it acknowledges their efforts in addressing a solution to the issue of human waste in mountains. The prestige of an endorsement by the UIAA will provide a major boost to our fundraising effort,” said Porter.

Fundamental to the project’s success is the fundraising effort for the upfront capital costs to install it. “The team has brought this pilot project to construction-ready, with groundbreaking planned for as early as next spring. The next phase is pivotal, and donations, grants or corporate sponsorships are essential to bring this project to life and to sustain the region’s climbing tourism industry for years to come,” Porter added.

Once the pilot phase is successfully implemented, operations can be expanded to other parts of Nepal, increasing capacity for beneficial and sustainable tourism, and allowing more trekkers and climbers without added pollution or risk to water quality in surrounding regions. This technology shows great promise for use in other pristine, heavily trafficked and extreme temperature areas, creating opportunity for an ongoing enterprise.

History of the Problem
With a booming industry of climbing tourism in Nepal, the highest peak on the globe serves as the ultimate challenge and lifelong goal for hundreds of expedition climbers each year. Despite the positive economic impact a thriving Mount Everest attraction can bring to Nepal, the alarming trail of human waste that is left behind with substantial environmental consequences.

The current waste management practice is to pack it out in barrels, carried by yak to the nearest teahouse village of Gorak Shep, where it is dumped into open pits, just above the flow of the Khumbu Glacier that feeds the lower valley. Until 2014, the untreated excrement was dumped into unlined basins, covered by rocks, and left to slowly break down, a process that can take an alarmingly long time due to the high altitude and extremely cold temperatures that make natural decomposition processes impossible.

With no more space available above Gorak Shep to dig pits, waste is now carried to shallow excavated areas below the village. Many of these newer dump sites are located alongside a riverine outlet for an adjacent glacier where, during monsoon season, water flows freely along this bed and into the watershed system, risking impacts to downstream drinking water.

About International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA)
Founded in 1932, the UIAA is the international federation for climbing and mountaineering, representing the interests of over three million climbers and mountaineers from member federations on all six continents. The UIAA promotes the growth and protection of mountaineering and climbing worldwide and has been recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since 1995. The three pillars of the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA) are safety, sport and sustainability. More details about UIAA can be found on the organization’s website, TheUIAA.org.
The UIAA Mountain Protection Award was created in 2013 and is a fundamental part of the federation’s commitment to encouraging and supporting the conservation of natural resources, landscapes and diverse cultures in mountain regions. Celebrating innovation and a desire to make a difference, the annual UIAA MPA has made a tangible difference to mountain lives, communities and the environment. It has enabled people to raise finances to build key infrastructures, conduct vital research and fulfill pending goals; it has provided an international showcase and communication platform for projects to raise awareness and exchange ideas and initiatives. Not only has it supported local communities, it has fostered its own global community.
Further details on the Mount Everest Biogas Project can be found at MtEverestBiogasProject.org or on the UIAA website, where it is showcased.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Ann Siqveland
503.985.9201

Mount Everest Biogas Project has been recognized by the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA) as a nominee for the 2017 Mountain Protection Award (MPA)

Honored among a prestigious group of twenty-two nominees from around the world for the 2017 MPA, the Mount Everest Biogas Project is an innovative, environmentally sustainable solution to the impact of human waste on Mount Everest and beyond.

Launched in 2010, the Mount Everest Biogas Project is comprised of an all-volunteer team that has conceived, designed and tested a solar-powered anaerobic biogas digester that will eliminate the annual dumping of 26,000 pounds of solid human waste that is generated each year at Mount Everest Base Camp. When constructed, which is slated to occur as early as 2018, the biogas digester project will protect and preserve the pristine natural environment in the Khumbu Region of Nepal while bringing a wide range of environmental and economic benefits to the local communities.

 Founded in 1932, the UIAA is the international federation for climbing and mountaineering, representing the interests of over three million climbers and mountaineers from member federations on all six continents. Each year since 2012, UIAA has awarded the MPA winners a grant to continue the pursuit of environmental stewardship and education in mountainous regions of the world, with the ultimate goal of rewarding sustainable practices in highly sensitive and remote ecosystems that are affected by mountain tourism.

 The winner will be announced at the UIAA General Assembly, which will take place in Shiraz, Iran on October 21, 2017. The project is currently showcased on UIAA’s website.

Saturday, May 7

We met Mingma at the airport early to catch the first flight to Lukla (9000ft), the beginning of our trek. A series of miscommunications at the airport lead to our seats being given to other travelers. However, Mingma found us an alternative almost immediately. A helicopter (piloted by a 42-year-old journeyman named Ryan) was going out to Lukla to pick up someone with a broken leg, so we caught a 45-minute flight that spared us from having to land on the infamous 18-degree landing strip.

After reorganizing our bags and distributing some weight to two porters, the four of us trekked down to Phakding (8300ft) where we had lunch. This is the traditional first night on the EBC trek, but it was only 1pm and we were feeling energetic, so we pushed on to Monjo (9000ft) to save ourselves some climbing the next day to Namche Bazaar, probably the hardest day of trekking.

On the way we documented some tea houses under construction and the building methods they were using. There was a lot of wood framing, but some hand-carved stone blocks as well. One cladding material I hadn’t seen in photos before was very thin (.45mm) sheet metal. It was flat and nailed directly to the studs, which were about 32″ on center. The only other layer in the wall system was a sheet of 5- 10mm plywood on the inside, which also could be the finish. There was significant oil canning on the metal sheets, which come in rolls. However, it’s definitely cheaper than stone or wood.

We passed a friend of Mingma’s on our way up to Monjo who was an 85-year- old Coloradan who had become a Buddhist monk years ago. We told him our destination and his response was, “You’re going to Base Camp? You should save yourself some time and instead check out the New York or Seattle Dump.”

Sunday, May 8

We trekked a challenging morning from Monjo to Namche Bazaar (11,000ft), with a net gain of about 2000ft, but considerably more overall climbing. The trail criss-crossed the river fed by the Khumbu Glacier (and contaminated by any waste that is currently dumped below Gorak Shep) before moving off the banks to Namche. We made didn’t have much of a problem despite the elevation, though we made sure to take plenty of breaks. Mingma’s Sherpa wisdom of the day: “For a long life, do not take short cuts.”

We made it to the Yak Hotel, owned by friends of Mingma’s in time for a late lunch. Mingma is from Namche Bazaar and of course knows everyone we pass on the street. Although most people spend two nights here to acclimatize, we have scheduled three to make it easier to schedule meetings with the Central Buffer Zone Committee and SPCC. Namche is the center of the Sherpa region, and it is home to both of these organizations. I’d also like to meet with a builder or two here, as well as check out the Emergency Center just built this year with heavy support from REI.

After a nap we reconvened to plan for our upcoming meetings over coffee and surprisingly decent apple pie. Bakeries are on every corner here and most now serve Italian espresso drinks – sometimes you wonder if this town would exist if there weren’t hundreds of western tourists coming through every day. In the meantime, Brenda set up a Facebook page for the MEBP to which we can hopefully post these notes and some photos.

Mingma explained the dynamics of the BZC and the SPCC, and how we might present the project to both of them. We have brought packets of visuals of the project, as well as a full plan set. The SPCC will be most interested in our progress solving the technical aspects of running a biodigester at high elevation. We discussed how to address the “exit strategy” question and how we envision these organizations sustaining the project after it’s built. Mingma suggested we ask them for their suggestions, as they already have mechanisms for extracting fees, taxes and paying for infrastructural and environmental resources.

Mingma was confident that our showing our faces in the Khumbu Valley alone would go far in showing how serious the team is about implementing the biogas project. Nevertheless, he recommended Garry begin by recounting the history of the project and why everyone involved is so invested in the idea, the people and the region. The head of SPCC is supposed to arrive in Namche from Kathmandu tomorrow, so Mingma hopes to schedule the meeting for Tuesday morning. The BZC meeting may be at the same time, or possibly on Monday.

Thursday, May 5

Garry, Brenda and I arrived in Kathmandu around 11pm after a delayed connection from Dubai. We were able to check out downtown Dubai and the Burj Khalifa thanks to a 6-hour layover and a generous immigration official. We ate a Lebanese – Armenian meal in the upscale mall overlooking the central canal, which was lucky because the flight to Kathmandu was a spartan flight mostly for migrant workers that offered no food or drinks. Our hotel was moved at the last minute due to overbooking, but this wasn’t a problem for us. We ended up at Hotel Mums House south of Thamel.

Friday, May 6

Today was our only real day in Kathmandu before our trek, so we spent the first part of the day chasing down shopping list items, including medication for altitude sickness, trekking equipment, a map, and a SIM card for an emergency phone. Mingma Sherpa, our project Sherpa liaison and designated guide for our trek up the valley, met us after breakfast to take us around Thamel and and talk logistics. We later split so he could acquire our trekking permits. Our afternoon was spent figuring out how to re-pack our bags, send text messages, catch up on sleep lost to jet lag, and getting our gadgets charged (a challenge given the rolling blackouts scheduled everyday by the city).