National Geographic Emerging Explorers Alexandra Cousteau and Jimmy Chin are climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania with Jessica Biel, Emile Hirsch, Lupe Fiasco, Isabel Lucas, and other celebrities to raise public awareness of the shortage of clean water across much of the planet.
Ohio State glaciologist Lonnie Thompson predicts that Kilimanjaro’s legendary crown of ice could be gone in a dozen years due to changes related to human-induced global warming. For millions of people, melting mountain glaciers are an important and threatened source of water for drinking and hygiene. Their disappearance would intensify the freshwater crisis in developing countries.
Singer-songwriter Kenna organized the expedition, titled the Summit on the Summit.
Fan the expedition on Facebook, subscribe to their tweets, follow the team’s progress on YouTube and Tumblr—or get updates here on BlogWild.