To Antarctica, with love December 2012
Once upon a time... (in 2002, exactly 10 years ago)
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2012
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John A. Smart Discovery Award - proposal
‌I had the privilege to be part of the Coca-Cola delegation of volunteers supporting polar explorer Robert Swan's "Mission Antarctica" exhibition at the World Summit for Sustainable Development, Johannesburg 2002.
Robert Swan is the first man to have walked to both the North and the South Pole. He met a world leader's challenge to involve business and youth in environmental issues by removing and recycling 1'000 tons of waste from King George Island in Antarctica. "Mission Antarctica" was an exhibition set up to deliver the message back to the World leaders gathered at the Johannesburg Summit.
Since then, it has become my dream to go South. Far South. http://geology.com/world/antarctica-satellite-image.shtml
Thank you Interbrand! Had it not been for the John Smart Discovery Award funding, it is quite unlikely that I would have made it there soon
beca use it is very far.
First stop: Rio de Janeiro
Breathtaking
even under drenching rain.
Next stop: Buenos Aires.
Spectacular city
and remarkably efficient at organizing
general strikes. On the very day I had to fly on
to Ushuaia, the end of the world.
Sort of.
Eventually I made it the next day, last flight. Happy.
We are at the end of the Andes mountain range,
here.
Getting down there doesn't seem like a long way. About 1000 miles.
Enter the Drake Passage, a.k.a. "Drake Shake".
…hence the name.
But after two days, "land in sight!" - The South Shetland Islands
with a sudden weather change.
The first sunset over Antarctica
and the first iceberg.
My estimation of a first iceberg sight was "only" about a day off – they tend to be found in shallow waters close to the continent, not in the Drake Shake.
The first morning in Antarctica is starting off cloudy
but the day turns out very friendly.
Time for the first zodiac ride
in teams
around icebergs
of various designs
and, somewhat ironically, a human reminiscence,
the Governoren, a Norwegian Whaler in deep clear water.
Finally, the first penguin
and a bunch of seals on lunch break.
Back to the Ocean Diamond
moving on
to Orne Harbor
to set foot on the Continent.
Weird yellow animals occupy the heights
but natives are happy for visitors.
They do the "ecstatic display", meant to show who da boss.
Won't say what this penguin is doing,
but it recomposed quickly.
Their active social life is suddenly adrenalized by
an intruder. Skua the name, penguin egg piracy the trade.
We go on
to the next day. "More like Antarctica weather", our guides say.
Pingus don't mind.
The colony is patiently waiting for the snow to melt, so they can nest.
Gentoos with the red beak
are disinclined to acquiesce to my attempted penguin portrait setup. Wireless remote didn't work anyway. Should have done a time lapse instead,
of the Penguin Highway.
These lines will turn into trenches come summer.
Hitchhiking.
Weather improves and paints the sky
as we move to Brown Station.
The hike is thoroughly enjoyed by our multicultural group.
Paradise Bay - probably the best dinner view I've had
ever.
Last day – through the Lemaire Channel,
will we make it through the ice?
Question mark.
The answer is, unfortunately, no.
We get to see penguins only from a distance
but get closer to glaciers
big glaciers
and a sea of ice.
Bye-bye!
Stuff I learned from insightful Quark Expeditions lectures (Thank you!)
Among all the Greats inhabiting the Southern Ocean, this is the silent hero: Krill.
Photo: Wikipedia
It feeds off phytoplancton growing on the iceberg underwater surface and represents the bottom of the food chain for an impressive number of species. Corolary: The more ice melts, the less krill get to eat. The less krill get to eat, the more great species are in danger.
Photo source: http://anniekatec.blogspot.ch/2011/04/antarctic-penguin-population-declines.html
It is not only about ice melting – humans fish for krill too, exactly on penguin feeding grounds. Because it’s easy "Look, penguins! There must be krill." Duh. This is unnecessary – there is plenty of krill for everyone. Just fish somewhere else.
Picture source: http://archive.unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/uu15oe/uu15oe0u.htm
The right to fish for krill & co. is only a small part of a big question:
Various claims to the Antarctic territory have been made since the age of great explorations.
100 years ago http://kids.britannica.com/elementary/art-128167/A-photograph-shows-members-of-Captain-Robert-Scotts-expedition-to
http://www.discoveringantarctica.org.uk/9_claims.php
Why would anyone want a cold, empty, inhospitable desert?
For example, because it holds
70% of the world's fresh water Picture source: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=facing-the-freshwater-crisis
and various minerals.
Oh, did I mention oil & gas? http://coolantarctica.com
For now, only scientific drilling is allowed
http://blogs.nature.com/news/2012/02/%E2%80%98too-soon%E2%80%99-to-confirm-success-of-antarctic-lake-drilling.html
under the Antarctic Treaty.
1998-2048 But revisions can be requested after 2048.
Meanwhile, the Peninsula is heavily heating up
Photo: Wikipedia
under (in spite of?) a gasping hole in the ozone layer.
Photo: Wikipedia, courtesy of NASA, 2008
Branding seems the least of Antarctica's problems. …but is it?
Actually, a brand is the only thing Antarctica has to defend itself‌ and us.
Photo: Wikipedia
Damages in the very fragile Antarctic environment could have consequences difficult to predict Atmospheric pressure, humidity, air temperatures and wind patterns for our entire planet are interconnected and greatly influenced by processes in the Southern Ocean. Antarctic ice reflects sunrays and thus regulates global air temperature. The Antarctic current generates an overturning circulation (movement of water masses of different densities caused by variations in salinity and temperature) that transports vast amounts of heat and also takes up a significant amount of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. If the Antarctic ice would melt, oceans would rise ~60m. Source: Australian Government, Antarctic environmental report http://joannenova.com.au/2010/06/the-deep-oceans-drive-the-atmosphere
And we can do a whooole lot of damage.
Photo source: Jalopnik.com
Nobody knows now who's going to have Antarctica's back in 2048. We all should.
Ironically,
the continent without humans could have the power to save mankind.
Let's give it a hand. Let's give it a brand.
Thank you.