A note of caution to all mountaineers: If you're thinking of planning an epic trek in the New Year, you'll want to avoid one of the most majestic and coveted peaks: Kilimanjaro. Earlier this week, an avalanche of rocks and boulders killed a group of climbers while they lay sleeping the night before their final ascent. The cause? Climate change: Warming temperatures have melted the ice that kept the rocks fastened to Kilimanjaro's towering summit, nearly 20,000 feet high.

Tibet is experiencing related troubles: Global warming is liquefying glaciers on Meili Snow Mountain, a jewel of the Tibetan Plateau, where local Tibetan Buddhists have worshipped for eons. The snowmelt is causing flooding in villages at the base of the mountain. If it continues unabated, the source for the region's rivers will vanish and cause drought.

Photo credit: Wikipedia.com