Helping Nepal: Himalayan Stove Project

Like so many of my readers, George Basch made a trip to Nepal that changed his life forever. Today he is the “Chief Cook” of the non-profit Himalayan Stove Project. They provide clean cook stoves to thousands throughout Nepal and are truly changing lives.

You can help by funding a stove for only $150 that will reduce pollution and improve lives for generations to come. If you make a donation before November 29, 2016, it will be doubled. Also, new to the program, is the availability of Gold Standard Carbon Credits.

Through the Fall of 2016 they have delivered almost 4,000 stoves, and, coupled with the $100,000 in earthquake relief aid (funded and deployed after the spring 2015 earthquakes); have impacted the lives of more than 30,000 people.

George Basch

I’ve gotten to know George over the past few years – a true Saint of a man if there ever was. His motives are pure, energy tireless and results unquestionable. At a young 79, George, lives in Taos but travels the world following his passion.

You may wonder just how big of a problem is ‘Household Air Pollution’. Well it kills more people than malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis combined – 4.3 million annual deaths worldwide.

Global Support

George’s first exposure to Nepal came in 2001 as he accompanied and supported from Base Camp blind climber Erik Weihenmayer on his historic summit of Mt. Everest. He went back in 2009 and began the HSP in 2011. George said he was shocked at the amount of smoke within the Sherpas’ homes that came from the open cooking fires. This became deeply personal to George as he had been looking for a way to honor his son, Paul, whom committed suicide in 1998.

The clean cook stoves are made by Fort Collins, Colorado based non-profit company Envirofit. They have delivered over 1 million stoves worldwide since their founding in 2003. The Himalayan Stove Project is one of their distributors and solely focuses on putting the clean cook stoves in Nepal at no costs to the families.

George’s tireless efforts have resulted in support from the biggest names in the climbing industry including adidas Outdoor, The North Face, Eddie Bauer, Kahtoola, MSR and individuals like Yvon Chouinard founder of Patagonia, Conrad Anker, Sir Chris Bonington, Jimmy Chin, Dave Hahn, Tom Hornbein, Reinhold Messner, Doug Scott. All contribute to helping HSP with publicity and funding.

George will receive the Citation of Merit from the highly respected Explorer’s Club in March 2017 at their annual dinner.

But the need is huge.

For those of you who have visited Nepal, you probably saw the problem up close, most likely in a crowded teahouse at sunset when the stove was fired up for heat. Your eyes watered, your lungs burned a bit and soon you went to your sleeping room to escape. Well the families throughout Nepal don’t have an escape and this has become a way of life for too many.

The problems are not only inside but outside as well. Anyone who has been to Kathmandu understands the severe problem with air pollution. It is estimated 3 million people die each year from outside air pollution.

Clean Cook Stoves address this problem by reducing household air pollution by 90% and reducing 75% of the wood collected for cooking – all by burning wood more efficiently. This not only improves air quality but also results in less erosion and flooding by keeping the forests in tact.

Donate Today

George has set an ambitious goal that matches the scale of this problem. He wants to raise $1,168,800 and deliver 11,000 stoves changing the lives of 35,000 more people. Your donation will be doubled if you act before November 29, 2016.

Please join the team. I have.

Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything