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Mount Everest Is Covered In Dead Bodies And Poop
Prior to 1953, the summit of Mount Everest was a frozen, windswept peak in the Himalayas, inhospitable and untouched by humans. Today it's still frozen, windswept, and inhospitable, but now everybody and their brother seems determined to go stand on it. Whether it's for bragging rights, a sense of personal accomplishment, or because "It's there," a record 381 people were issued permits to summit the mountain in 2019, and 11 have already died trying.
On a mountain like Everest, where the slightest misstep can mean an awful death, concern for other people and the environment tend to take a flying leap. Climbers facing the real possibility of dying start looking out for #1 and not much else. Which means Earth's majestic high point has become seriously contaminated with literal tons of garbage and more than 200 dead bodies. Oh, and speaking of looking out for #1, of course there's also poop. So much poop.
While efforts are made to move the mountains of trash, it's a monumental task that becomes exponentially more difficult as the altitude increases. As a result, the highest camp is more like a garbage dump by now. Not only do tents and rogue turds pose a hazard to climbers, but there is now so much fecal matter that it's contaminating the water supply. An estimated 17,000 pounds of excrement was left on the mountain during the 2019 season alone.
Since there aren't restrooms, climbers deposit waste in frozen crevasses. But like most poop, it rolls downhill when there's a thaw. According to Ang Tshering, former president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, "The biggest problem and concern now on Everest is human waste." We're not sure if he's talking about the poop or the ones leaving it.
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The Easter Island Heads Are Being Destroyed By Tourists Taking Nose-Picking Selfies
Easter Island's giant head statues (or Moai) are possibly the biggest and definitely the most badass cemetery markers in the world. Representing deified ancestors, the Moai are sacred to the Rapa Nui people, who buried their dead under grandpa's stone nostrils. The Rapa Nui believe the spirits of their ancestors still live in the stones ... which means they're doomed to an eternity of having to watch tourists doing this:
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