Mount Everest is melting, and pee is part of the problem

Human waste left by thousands of climbers is warming up the ice at Everest's base camp.

Mount Everest is changing. The base camp where climbers stay is melting. Scientists have found a strange reason why this is happening faster: human urine. Thousands of people visit the base camp every year. These climbers and their guides leave behind a lot of waste. A recent study says this waste is causing the ice to get warmer. When people go to the bathroom on the ice, it acts like a dirty blanket. The waste absorbs heat from the sun. This heat then melts the ice beneath it. It sounds gross, but it is a real problem for the mountain. As the ice melts, it creates deep cracks and makes t…