KATHMANDU: The forecast for today indicates that the weather will remain partly cloudy in the hilly areas of the country, with clear conditions expected in other regions.
The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology's Weather Forecasting Division has noted the possibility of
Emergency crews in California scrambled Wednesday to shuttle food and medicine to mountain communities stranded by back-to-back winter storms that have dumped so much snow some residents can barely see out their windows.
KATHMANDU, April 9: Few days ago, I announced plans to scale Mt Everest on social media and a television program. It didn’t get anyone’s attention until I received a flag of Nepal from the Minister to be held on my summit day. After that I received numerous phone calls. It made me clear that only those activities in which Ministers are involved get popularity in this country.
I have been planning my Everest expedition for one year. I successfully summited Lobuche Peak, 6,119 meters, last year and have already spent 10 to 12 days in Everest Base Camp. Besides, I have already scaled numerous peaks higher than 4,000 meters. It includes two mountains from the Langtang region, Dudhkunda of Solukhumbu, Pikey Peak among others. Also, I have recently completed a ‘basic course’ for mountaineering. I think I am prepared now.
It has been in my bucket list for a long period
I have always wanted to scale Mt Everest once. Summiting Lobuche last year has inspired even more. Besides, many of my friends are mountaineers who have always been inspiring me to summit Everest. So, I have decided to begin my Everest expedition from April 10, 2022. I hope I will be successful.
I am scaling Mt Everest in a bid to raise the issues of climate change, global warming and make people aware about it. Our mountains are the most vulnerable to climate change. Our glaciers are vanishing and the snow is melting. If it continues and no effective measures are not taken, our mountains will no longer be mountains by next two to three centuries. If it happens, what are we leaving behind for our upcoming generations? What if there is no snow on Mt Everest?
We get to see mountains. It is the right of our coming generation to see the same. It is our responsibility to protect and preserve them. These are the sorts of messages I want to disseminate while scaling Mt Everest.
Recently, a devastating flash flood and landslide in Melamchi River of Sindhupalchok took lives of hundreds of people and thousands have been displaced. This is the result of climate change and our failure to protect our environment. I am also a victim of that disaster. It swept away my house and land there.
Annually, many big cities and human settlements are inundated by flash floods in the Terai region. Isn’t it the effects of climate change?
Sagarmatha Concert
I am also organizing a concert at the Camp 2 of Mt Everest. I want to draw the attention of global communities to act and take actions against climate change.
So far, no concert has been held at an altitude higher than 6,500 meters, so it is going to be history in itself. I urge the government, authorities concerned and the general public to take the issues of climate change seriously. It is a small step today for a bigger and brighter tomorrow.
There will be no band with me. I will be playing a guitar and singing as it is challenging to take a music band with me at that altitude.
Our Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Prem Bahadur Ale has recently provided a flag of Nepal to me. I will be holding the flag high on the summit day at the top of the world.
There is no sponsor of the expedition
I will be scaling Mt Everest with my personal investment and support from some of my friends. After the expedition, I have decided to launch a campaign of afforestation. Me and some of my friends have already established a fund for it. I urge one and all to participate in the campaign.
Besides, I am also collaborating with the Nepal Army in the cleanliness of Himalayan regions in Nepal. I recently recorded a song titled ‘ Safa Himal Aviyan’ prepared by the Nepal Army.
(Based on conversation with singer Raju Lama)
In the long run of COVID-19 pandemic, perhaps longer than Rapunzel’s hair, we would be able to see many stories and many sides of the same story. These real stories do not come under school books. 2020-21 surely has her own story to tell. Before diving into 2020-21, let us reflect on what stories we have read in the past days.
The three most famous Disney characters of Disney; Cinderella, Snowwhite and Rapunzel, are celebrated globally. These three girls have left a remarkable image in people of every era. Right from the era of their origin, their story still carries the same amount of magic in every part of the world and brings a smile to the face of a listener.
Cinderella was a poor, hardworking girl and always struggled to consume four types of food groups in a day for a balanced diet. Without a loving mother, she was an undernourished child grown into an undernourished adolescent. Rapunzel had a good meal everyday but freedom was inaccessible to her. Every moment, her mind revolved around stepping outside the tower she was locked into. Snowwhite was loved by her father and almost got killed by her step mother. Unaware of her step-mother’s intention, she was exposed to risk of death in her own palace.
If Rapunzel’s story might have continued even after they lived happily ever after, her hair’s magical healing power would have been no more healing. Getting married with the thief (story’s character Mr. Right) and a couple of children would have kept her busy. It’s likely she might have preferred keeping short hair. Her husband would have been an encouragement in her life to lead her country as a Queen. There would have been her second story as a queen with short hair, equally popular, been told to every kid as a source of inspiration or even appeared in textbooks.
Similarly, Cinderella would have lived the life of a queen too. She might have had the privilege to wear all kinds of beautiful dresses one could ever dream of (without the presence of a magician). Also, she might have kept the remaining unbroken sparkling glass shoe (another was broken) in her living room as a decoration. Meantime, fashion designing, she would have pursued after marriage. She was heavily creative and talented in fashion designing since the days of her struggle. Apart from hard work, it came naturally to her and she was gifted in designing. An example of a designer, brilliant wife, mother and an amazing queen to her king, she would be called.
Snowwhite’s life might have come to a peaceful end. Prince Charming might have kept her happy. The snow-like white color of her skin must have still been the same and beautiful. After being friends with animals in the forest for such a long time, she would have decided to turn vegetarian. The seven Dwarves, who once saved her life, would have been in touch with her, visiting her regularly. Maybe Snowwhite would have operated a forest conservation and wildlife protection campaign with her seven Dwarves friends.
This is what their life would have been after they lived happily ever after. But if you want to learn what they will be doing in this era, you should be reading the next paragraph.
In real life, when Cinderella, Snowwhite and Rapunzel go out on a cold evening, they will not be under the time limit to return by midnight. Magic will not stop working after midnight but definitely, they will require time and again make-up and touch up. Their dresses were oriented towards their comfort.
Rapunzel may be witnessed complaining about having abundant hair fall. She will be sharing the review of the products that are not preventing hair fall and now will be switching to the home-based remedies and look forward to such advice. Snowwhite might say, “She recently started a skin care routine for dark circles and pigmentation.” Cinderella will have moved on to sneakers and is no more interested in heels. She may want to give her dozens of heels to somebody who can take care of them and wear them with elegance.
In a few more decades, when they will grow old and go on a night out, they might laugh at their younger self. Perhaps, they would have gained weight, developed fine lines and wrinkles, mastered make-up skills and earned a good sum of money to buy their happiness. One of them might have stopped going to the gym while the other would have just got motivation to get a gym membership.
But what other people think and comment about them would have minimally affected. Most importantly, they are vaccinated, have a positive attitude and carefree about their body images. Their conversation would have concluded on being self and not letting yourself compare with others. Infact, they couldn’t agree more that practicing self-love is healing and being self opens up their boundary in being the best version of oneself.
The conclusion is:
i) the generation gap they are experiencing with the older as well as younger generation (they find themselves relatable to oldies feedback and suggestion, however, can’t deny what the younger people are adding up to)
ii) the different perspective of different people (and the approach you make toward those different perspectives of people shapes you)
iii) all the things we think exist in our head mostly (listen or don’t listen to what people have to say about you, just do what you want to do if that brings you peace and happiness).
KATHMANDU, Jan 23: Here is everything you need to know about Saikung:
Address
Sailung Rural Municipality Ward No 6
Dolakha District
Province No 3, Nepal
Altitude
3150 meters from the sea level
Distance
Road distance of Kathmandu to Dhulikhel=30 km
Road distance of Dhulikhel to Mude=76 km
Distance of Mude to Sailung= 20 km
The total distance of Sailung from Kathmandu: 126 kilometers
Time Taken
Local Bus: 7-8 hours from Kathmandu
Private Vehicle (Motorbike or car): 4-5 hours
Bus: Drive off from Kathmandu Purano Buspark at 12 PM noon. Get off at Dhunge bazaar or Bhaise and stay overnight in a locally available village-style hotel. Wake up at 5 AM, ascend to Sailung in an hour to see the sunrise. Enjoy the morning vista and roam around all the places and descend to Dhunge by 12 PM to catch the bus to Kathmandu. You will reach KTM by 6 PM provided there are no difficulties on the road.
Private Vehicle: Drive off from Kathmandu at 2 PM to reach Mude at 6 PM. Stay at a hotel in Mude. Set off at 5 AM early in the morning to reach Kalopani at 6 AM. Park the vehicle at Kalopani and hike up for an hour to reach the Sailung top. You can come down to Kalapani at 2 PM and return to Kathmandu at 3 PM. You will reach Kathmandu by 7 PM provided there are no difficulties on the road.
Best Season to visit Sailung
Falgun to Chaitra: When the winter season is just finished there is a high chance of snowfall, probably to the mid of Falgun. During this season, it is sheer cold at the top due to the breeze and snow, so be prepared with warm clothes. In Chaitra there might be some remnants of Snow but the plus point is the hillocks are all golden due to the faded color of grasses. Also, the hike up to the hill consists of rhododendron trees with blooming flowers in red or white.
Bhadra to Ashoj: This is another best season to visit Sailung because in this season the hillocks are all green due to the lush grass of the rains. However, due to the frequent rains, the road is not so easy for the vehicles and you have to carry an umbrella or raincoat.
Here are some pictures taken recently by Ratopati Photojournalist:
Travelling during the winter has its own charm. The skies are mostly clear, the sun’s warmth is comforting and if lucky, you might even see some snow. Snow is something that appeals to Nepal’s urban crowd. Their love is evident during the wintertime when most of them flood places like Chandragiri and Phulchoki in Kathmandu and Ghandruk and Sikles outside Pokhara.
The post Visit Nepal: 9 top travel destinations for snow-lovers this winter appeared first on OnlineKhabar English News.
Aug 9: Climate change is widespread, rapid, and intensifying, and some trends are now irreversible, at least during the present time frame, according to the latest much-anticipated Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, released on Monday.
Human-induced climate change is already affecting many weather and climate extremes in every region across the globe. Scientists are also observing changes across the whole of Earth’s climate system; in the atmosphere, in the oceans, ice floes, and on land.
Many of these changes are unprecedented, and some of the shifts are in motion now, while some - such as continued sea level rise – are already ‘irreversible’ for centuries to millennia, ahead, the report warns.
But there is still time to limit climate change, IPCC experts say. Strong and sustained reductions in emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases, could quickly make air quality better, and in 20 to 30 years global temperatures could stabilize.
'Code red for humanity'
The UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the Working Group's report was nothing less than "a code red for humanity. The alarm bells are deafening, and the evidence is irrefutable".
He noted that the internationally-agreed threshold of 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels of global heating was "perilously close. We are at imminent risk of hitting 1.5 degrees in the near term. The only way to prevent exceeding this threshold, is by urgently stepping up our efforts, and pursuing the most ambitious path.
"We must act decisively now, to keep 1.5 alive."
The UN chief, in a detailed reaction to the report, said that solutions were clear. "Inclusive and green economies, prosperity, cleaner air and better health are possible for all, if we respond to this crisis with solidarity and courage", he said.
He added that ahead of the crucial COP26 climate conference in Glasgow in November, all nations - especially the advanced G20 economies - needed to join the net zero emissions coalition, and reinforce their promises on slowing down and reversing global heating, "with credible, concrete, and enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)" that lay out detailed steps.
Human handiwork
The report, prepared by 234 scientists from 66 countries, highlights that human influence has warmed the climate at a rate that is unprecedented in at least the last 2,000 years.
In 2019, atmospheric CO2 concentrations were higher than at any time in at least 2 million years, and concentrations of methane and nitrous oxide were higher than at any time in the last 800,000 years.
Global surface temperature has increased faster since 1970 than in any other 50-year period over at least the last 2,000 years. For example, temperatures during the most recent decade (2011–2020) exceed those of the most recent multi-century warm period, around 6,500 years ago, the report indicates.
Meanwhile, global mean sea level has risen faster since 1900, than over any preceding century in at least the last 3,000 years.
The document shows that emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities are responsible for approximately 1.1°C of warming between 1850-1900, and finds that averaged over the next 20 years, global temperature is expected to reach or exceed 1.5°C of heating.
Time is running out
The IPCC scientists warn global warming of 2°C will be exceeded during the 21st century. Unless rapid and deep reductions in CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions occur in the coming decades, achieving the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement “will be beyond reach”.
The assessment is based on improved data on historical warming, as well as progress in scientific understanding of the response of the climate system to human-caused emissions.
“It has been clear for decades that the Earth’s climate is changing, and the role of human influence on the climate system is undisputed,” said IPCC Working Group I Co-Chair, Valérie Masson-Delmotte. “Yet the new report also reflects major advances in the science of attribution – understanding the role of climate change in intensifying specific weather and climate events”.
Extreme changes
The experts reveal that human activities affect all major climate system components, with some responding over decades and others over centuries.
Scientists also point out that evidence of observed changes in extremes such as heatwaves, heavy precipitation, droughts, and tropical cyclones, and their attribution to human influence, has strengthened.
They add that many changes in the climate system become larger in direct relation to increasing global warming.
This includes increases in the frequency and intensity of heat extremes, marine heatwaves, and heavy precipitation; agricultural and ecological droughts in some regions; the proportion of intense tropical cyclones; as well as reductions in Arctic sea ice, snow cover and permafrost.
The report makes clear that while natural drivers will modulate human-caused changes, especially at regional levels and in the near term, they will have little effect on long-term global warming.
A century of change, everywhere
The IPCC experts project that in the coming decades climate changes will increase in all regions. For 1.5°C of global warming, there will be increasing heat waves, longer warm seasons and shorter cold seasons.
At 2°C of global warming, heat extremes are more likely to reach critical tolerance thresholds for agriculture and health.
But it won’t be just about temperature. For example, climate change is intensifying the natural production of water – the water cycle. This brings more intense rainfall and associated flooding, as well as more intense drought in many regions.
It is also affecting rainfall patterns. In high latitudes, precipitation is likely to increase, while it is projected to decrease over large parts of the subtropics. Changes to monsoon rain patterns are expected, which will vary by region, the report warns.
Moreover, coastal areas will see continued sea level rise throughout the 21st century, contributing to more frequent and severe coastal flooding in low-lying areas and coastal erosion.
Extreme sea level events that previously occurred once in 100 years could happen every year by the end of this century.
The report also indicates that further warming will amplify permafrost thawing, and the loss of seasonal snow cover, melting of glaciers and ice sheets, and loss of summer Arctic sea ice.
Changes to the ocean, including warming, more frequent marine heatwaves, ocean acidification, and reduced oxygen levels, affect both ocean ecosystems and the people that rely on them, and they will continue throughout at least the rest of this century.
Magnified in cities
Experts warn that for cities, some aspects of climate change may be magnified, including heat, flooding from heavy precipitation events and sea level rise in coastal cities.
Furthermore, IPCC scientists caution that low-likelihood outcomes, such as ice sheet collapse or abrupt ocean circulation changes, cannot be ruled out.
Limiting climate change
“Stabilizing the climate will require strong, rapid, and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and reaching net zero CO2 emissions. Limiting other greenhouse gases and air pollutants, especially methane, could have benefits both for health and the climate,” highlights IPCC Working Group I Co-Chair Panmao Zhai.
The report explains that from a physical science perspective, limiting human-induced global warming to a specific level requires limiting cumulative carbon dioxide emissions, reaching at least net zero CO2 emissions, along with strong reductions in other greenhouse gas emissions.
“Strong, rapid and sustained reductions in methane emissions would also limit the warming effect resulting from declining aerosol pollution”, IPCC scientists underscore.
