Interesting article.
The Tourism verses wilderness debate is an interesting one but the issue of litter and rubbish in the wider Khumbu are less clear than the specific issue of discarded equipment on Everest itself.
I spent a month on a solo trekking expedition in the Khumbu at the end of the Winter/during February 2006 and was introduced to the region by a friend who has been going for over 7 years now.
Montivagus says that the valley leading up to basecamp is a desert due to deforestation to light fires in base camp - this isnt strictly true and is misleading.
The Valley with Dhugla at its head, leading to Lobouche and is actually the Kumbu Glacier, and these village are situated on the terminal & lateral moraines and the side of the valley above the moraines.
These villages are situated at almost between 16,000 and 18,000 feet above sea level and therefore are way above the tree line
. The best part of 5 kilometres high the average cruising height of passenger aircraft on a European flight - no trees grow at that altitude.
Also in Nepal while wood was used extensively in the past and while villagers retain the right to cut wood the volume cut is sustainable and currently very few families actually burn the wood, preferring to use dried Yak/Nak dung in steel burners.
The people I saw gathering wood were collecting fallen and broken branches rather than cutting it fresh.
Montivagus is right about requiring a permit to climb Everest - in fact I believe that you need a permit to climb any peak higher then Island Peak in the Khumbu 6000 meters and above. The higher the peak the higher the cost .
Everest basecamp (above) isnt that cluttered with rubbish and there are regular expeditions to clear up the head of the valley. Though I admit there were pockets of camp detritus floating around, some more impressive than others bits of ladders used to scale the Khumbu Ice fall, broken boxes and plastic bits , tent pegs and the occasion bit of broken equipment
The most pressing problem in the region though, is the rubbish created by the villages and villagers themselves, the rubbish from teahouses and large trekking parties and organised groups.
I was appalled at the state of Louboche with litter and human sewage flowing through the centre of town, but even lower down the Khumbu, in Namche, Tengboche and Phortse where they seem simply to empty all their rubbish and litter over a wall at the edge of the village and let cascade down a hillside.
These sites are awful to behold especially when you see Musk Deer and Danphe rooting around piles of rubbish.
The Nepali/regional Government is now trying to organise village rubbish pits which are used to bury everything that cannot be recycled or burnt as fuel. Efforts are also being made to educate local on how to better recycle and dispose of waste.
But Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world and the Khumbu is a valuable resource , not choosing not to visit it or restricting the number of mountaineers and trekkers will not solve all the regions problems. Like many wilderness regions around the world, they need to be managed properly and respected by visitors.
I went to the region on my own and organised my own route and accommodation - I ate only what was available in the tea houses I didnt eat western food or buy Western brand cereals, chocolates, crisps or snacks, I ate Dhal Bhat or Mo-mo - local food naturally prepared where possible. Soups and teas and hot lemon are all carried up into the Khumbu by porters from Lukla.
I brought back all the spent film canisters, biscuit wrappers and used batteries thus minimising the environmental costs to the region. I also hired a local Guide and Porter, which meant that the money I was paying went direct to those living in the region rather than lining the pockets of a western travel company.
Go to Nepal, itll blow your mind.
PS And by as many superb quality Khukris as you can carry from about £6 in Kathmandu buy em from the people who make em rather than pay £40 for an online dealer who pockets the difference !