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December 4, 2009. A date to remember because Nepal government created a world record by holding a cabinet meeting at Kala Patthar – 5,5542m / 18,192 ft above sea level.

The meeting was held to create awareness about melting in the Himalaya due to human-induced climate change.

For a few things, I feel good about the meeting:

• The first and foremost important is it generated the awareness about melting of Himalaya. A few years back, there were a lot of concern (media coverage) about Cho Rolpa lake which was on the verge of exploding and if that had happened, there could have been a big problem in quite a large area – places on the banks of river Tamakoshi. The risk was reduced spending a good sum of money. But there are some other such lakes high on the Himalaya that could break free and flood into us.
• The second is the coverage Nepal got through the event will help boost Nepali tourism. I would love to take a photograph at the Kala Patthar helipad where the meeting took place. Why not put a stone sculpture marking the venue?

Climate Change is a big issue, and as Nepal can not rule itself out of danger coming from rising sea level no country can rule itself out of dangers arising from melting Himalaya. Climate change effects are global and it needs a consolidated and honest effort to fight it.

Not a single country or a group of nations can fight climate change; that’s the truth. For saving our mother earth to our future generation, all individuals and individual countries have to work together. Unity is the key to fight climate change.

Nepal is nothing on the economic and/or political map of the world; but the concern raised by it [and the even smaller Maldives during their undersea cabinet meeting] has given people around the world a smile [what the heck!..] but that way they will also think about climate change!

The message given by Nepal’s cabinet meeting at the Everest region was loud and clear: [as put forward by Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal] “Climate change is not only issue of the mountainous nations or nations at the sea level, it´s a common issue of all. To save the earth, the biggest sacrifice is needed from the nations producing large amount of carbon.

Questioning NTV live

Two disturbing observations about Nepal Television’s live coverage:

• Nepal Television’s ‘live coverage’ of the meeting itself. The tape brought early from Kala Patthar was broadcasted as if it was live. The announcer was describing the event as if it was happening right then. I knew it was not because it was broadcasted after we were informed from the journalists at Kala Patthar that the meeting had concluded.

• As the ministers arrived back to Syangboche, a TV presenter described the decisions made by the cabinet ahead of the press conference in which the cabinet described the thing. Understandable fact is that the presenter received a copy of decisions, but was it ethical to announce that by himself ahead of ‘official announcement’?