According to the Tibetan interpretation of the cosmic cycles, this is the Kaliyoga era...the era of degeneration. Many of the well-known conservation groups agree. The World Wildlife Fund says that Nepal is faced with some of the most serious environmental problems in the world. The great mountains of the Himalayas are eroding at an alarming rate. The tectonic movements shake the heart of these unstable mountains and cause the rocks and detritus to fall down the steep slopes to the riverbeds. How much longer can the Himalayas forests continue to provide food and warmth for everybody? Can the reforestation projects save the soil? To what extent have pesticides and fertlizers contaminated the groundwater in the Valley of Kathmandu? These are crucial questions for the solutions are just as controversial as the problems.