The use of shrubs and trees as fuel by villagers and trekking groups has skyrocketed in the Everest Region in recent years. This is a result of growing demand for fuel for cooking and heating water for hot showers. In the high alpine in Sagarmatha National Park, shrubs such as the juniper, which are hundreds of years old, are quickly being cleared. It is possible to discourage this practice by insisting that your trekking group and staff use only kerosene for cooking. Encourage similar practices among lodge owners by staying away from those lodges which use would for fuel.
Trekkers can also encourage efficient use of kerosene fuel.
For example, when staying at a lodge, save fuel by ordering food all at once instead of staggering meals. Also, think twice before taking that hot shower. If you absolutely need one, seek out a lodge that uses solar power rather than kerosene to heat water for its showers. Shrubs and grasses that inhabit these areas rarely recover once trampled by visitors and livestock. Also, as mentioned above, trees, shrubs and even turf are removed for fuel and for construction.