Scientists say the Himalayan glaciers are melting at an alarming rate, creating lakes with walls that could burst and flood villages below.

On Friday, to highlight the danger that global warming poses to glaciers, Nepal’s government held a Cabinet meeting at Mt. Everest – a stunt the government billed as the world’s highest Cabinet meeting. The ministers posed for pictures, signed a commitment to tighten environmental regulations and expand the nation’s protected areas, and then quickly flew away.

“The Everest declaration was a message to the world to minimize the negative impact of climate change on Mount Everest and other Himalayan mountains,” Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal later said.

The Prime Minister, his two deputy prime ministers and the 20 Cabinet ministers were examined by doctors before boarding helicopters to Kalapathar, a flat area at an altitude of 17,192 feet (5,250 meters) next to Everest base camp, the jumping point for climbers seeking to scale the peak.

The Cabinet spent only 20 minutes next to the mountain to prevent any of the ministers, unused to the heights of the Himalayas, from getting altitude sickness.

Several of the ministers were overweight, some were in their 70s and many came from the low-lying plains in the south. Four ministers declined to attend either because of health concerns or because they were traveling abroad.

Nepal’s negotiation team at the climate conference in Copenhagen next week will push for wealthy countries to commit 1.5 percent of their earnings to help poorer nations protect the environment.

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6 Responses to “Cabinet meeting at Mt. Everest”

1. 10zen says:

   Dec 14, 2009 at 7:49 am

   This waz just a waste of nepalese sweat… They spent more money on conducting such meetings rather than on formulating and implementing the plans. They know only how to spent the money collect from general people on useless and extravagant things…

   Reply
2. prety says:

   Dec 20, 2009 at 2:19 am

   i totally agree with the post by 10zen..people are rather supporting to global warming conduction such meetings and wasting both time and money..those authorised people actively participates in those programmes and all in name of saving environment and on the other hand they are passive or even dosen’t at all support for environmental conservation.They don’t even break a stick in real!!!

   Reply
3. Healthy_Life777 says:

   Dec 24, 2009 at 2:58 pm

   I so agree with 10zen and Prety. I love NEPAL but I hate the political leaders. For them, politics means a souce to make money, no matter by hook or crook. Can’t expect a lot from our Nepali Janta too. They are eager to participate in protest for unwanted things but they never raise their voice again these culprit leaders. Every one knows what KOIRALA’S did with the country(especially with the natural resources)but still no one speak up openly.

   {No offense to any one, lots of comment on KFC & Pizza Hut topic but what about this major topic ….jezzz…)

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4. Diwakar says:

   Dec 29, 2009 at 6:34 am

   hey Healthy_life and prety 10zen……. common guys we people are culprit coz we believe our politicans……. common if u think politician are bad then lets make chain so that we could choose a better driver for our country and lets reject their plan and policies……… these people are making money coz we do not care wht they are doen and there is no unity among we people thats why they always keep on goen and goen and doesn’t care abt Nepal……. so main culprit is we……… why to vote for them just sit in home and do not go for voting in elections we all have to do this…….. for the better ment…………… just gossip i agree/ i disagree doesn’t make sense we have to do something which is good for us………………. keep it in mind

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5. Healthy_Life777 says:

   Dec 30, 2009 at 1:52 pm

   Diwakar ji,

   Please spare me from your that comment “we are the real culprits”. My parents are from Nepal so I do have a true Nepali blood running inside my blood vessel. I don’t have a Nepali Citizenship so there is no question of voting these “culprits”. If I had the right to vote, still it would be a big dilemma for me because none of them deserve my genuine vote. By the way, my parents never waste their time to vote for them(lol…no offense).

   I agree with you on choosing a “better driver” for our country. Last but not the least, there is nothing wrong with agreeing or disagreeing with someone’s thoughts, point of views….as long as it’s not offensive…(freedom of speech). PEACE!!

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6. shrijana says:

   Apr 3, 2010 at 8:38 pm

   Yesto meeting month ma 1-2 patak gare netaharuka dimaag thanda hunthyo ki !

   Reply