LAND AIR SEA: We Are Sublime, 2020-present (work in progress)
Framework for We Are Sublime: Climate Change Iceberg Model
Tibetans and Nepalese consider Chomolungma/Sagarmatha/Mount Everest as sacred, but it is currently littered with candy wrappers, depleted oxygen tanks, and human waste. Around 300 dead bodies are commingled with the trash—some permanent, too dangerous to remove because helicopters are unable to operate safely at such altitudes. Sherpas, who earn USD$5000-8000 per year guiding treks, have died trying to rescue dead hikers. Many Sherpas remove trash from the mountain on their time off. Meanwhile, some climbers ask to be left on the mountain if they die. And some climbers’ family members cannot or refuse to pay the $100,000+ it costs to retrieve a body.
At the same time, Himalayan glaciers are disappearing as a result of global warming. The resulting soft snow and exposed terrain makes climbing more difficult and shrinks the number of ideal climbing days, creating deadly traffic jams. In the Spring of 2019, eleven hikers died in Everest’s “Death Zone” while waiting in line.
A 2022 study in npj Climate and Atmospheric Science found that Everest’s South Col Glacier is disappearing primarily as a result of sublimation* accelerated by global warming, NOT melting as previously thought. Everest is disappearing into thin air because of human-induced climate change. *Sublimation is the phase change from ice directly to vapor.
We Are Sublime explores the intersection of climate change and social inequality via a series of speculative proposals for removing dead bodies on Mt Everest. These speculative proposals will lead to a collaborative design project with Sherpas to develop real, viable solutions (TBD).
Proposal 1: Sublimation System
An ultra-lightweight, off-grid body bag sublimates dead bodies in the Himalayas. The bag consists of a middle layer with powdered lime and Aerogel (a superinsulator developed by NASA) and an inner layer lined with capsules containing strong acids.
Once the body is placed inside and the bag is closed, the handler strikes marked areas on the bag with a rubber mallet. This releases the acid to dissolve the body. The Aerogel insulation erodes over time due to contact with the acid and releases the powdered lime so it can neutralize the acid. The bag and its contents freeze without intact insulation. When the bag is open and exposed to wind and sun at high altitude, the contents sublimate.
*The first prototype of this system is currently in production. However, due to the extremely hazardous materials, it will remain a speculative object / prototype and will not be deployed.
Proposal 2: Weather Balloons
High altitude weather balloons help Sherpas carry their packs up the mountain. On the way down the mountain, the balloons are re-apportioned to carry dead bodies.
Proposal 3: Controlled Avalanche
Like controlled wildfires, controlled avalanches can be utilized to save lives and minimize damage from unpredictable avalanches. In this proposal, dead bodies are used to initiate the controlled avalanche on Everest.
