Outdoor brand Arc’teryx has been forced to apologize after a promotional fireworks display on the Tibetan plateau sparked a furious backlash over concerns about environmental damage. The event, titled “Rising Dragon,” featured long sequences of complex pyrotechnic displays that lit up the snow-capped ridgelines along the Himalayan mountain range in the Tibetan region of Shigatse, filling the area with thick, colorful smoke. “Imagine selling $800 jackets for mountain lovers, then nuking the mountains,” a commenter quipped on Instagram. Meanwhile, a Weibo user wrote, “The global climate is already getting worse, and these damn people really don’t leave any way for wild animals and plants to survive.” On Sunday, Arc’teryx issued an apology for the incident and pledged to help with cleanup efforts, but defended the stunt due to its use of biodegradable materials. “The recent fireworks display in the Tibetan Plateau was out of line with our values,” the company wrote on Instagram. “The event was in direct opposition to our commitment to outdoor spaces, who we are and who we want to be for our people and our community,” they added, and thanked complainants for “holding us accountable.” The Chinese government has since launched an investigation into the incident after accusing Arc’teryx of “eroding years of trust.”
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