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Rozita Singh, a Delhi-based sustainable development professional, was overwhelmed by the sight of Antarctica when she saw it for the first time in March. As a sustainable development professional, she wasn’t completely oblivious to the fast-pacing impacts of climate change on the pristine land, yet, looking at the white sheet of ice spread across the vast sea was enough to disquiet her.
“Surreal,” says Singh, who is head of solutions mapping at Accelerator Lab of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as she recalls her first day in the southern-most part of the world. “We often talk about it – warming and its impacts — but to see it happening so soon, and in this far-off ice-bound land with such a fragile ecosystem — was unsettling.”
Singh was among the 26 Indians out of which 18 are currently based in India who were aboard ‘Ocean Victory’- the ship that sailed from Argentina to Antarctica on March 17 on a 36-hour journey for a 12-day expedition to the no-man’s land. The ‘2041 ClimateForce Antarctic’ expedition led by British polar explorer Robert Swan had more than 150 people on board from across 39 countries. Each person was selected after a long and intense process that included multiple interviews, rigorous fund-raising exercises, and extensive interviews.
“One of the days, it rained for hours. Swan who has been regularly visiting the continent for 30 years told us that it was unusual, and these unexpected rainfall events are on rise,” recalls Singh who is also a mentor at an online climate school Terra.do.
It is not unusual for Antarctica to see rain in March. This is because Antarctica receives most of its precipitation in the form snow. However, the rise of global temperatures over the past decades has led to occurrence of rains over the continent – a warning sign, that can have huge ramifications on the global weather patterns. Recent studies project that such events are more likely in wake of global warming– a serious cause of concern which could hasten the melting of ice sheets, and disrupt the ecosystem.
“We were also told that one of the islands has lost so much ice that it’s now a foot and a half higher than the ocean. These changes are occurring, and they are taking place now. So, we must do everything to protect the 2041 treaty,” she says emphatically.
The 1961 Antarctic treaty, which prohibits any form of resource exploitation in Antarctica, may be up for review in 2041. The 2041 Foundation was started by Swan, one of the first persons to have walked to both the North and South Poles, to inspire definitive action to mitigate climate change and gather support to protect the treaty while bringing attention to Antarctica’s vulnerable situation.
Breaking Mental Barriers
Deep Jagdip Contractor (Karnataka-based Indian Forest Service IFS officer) saw this as an opportunity for her to take on the challenge and understand the climate crisis that was unfolding before she. Deep, a reluctant adventurer, braved health challenges including appendicitis and a close call to Covid to embark this summer’s expedition.
“As a woman in her late 30s, we put a lot of mental barriers on us, and lay down things that we think we cannot do. But I’m glad that this gave me a chance to override all that,” she smiles. Deep, currently serving as deputy conservator of forests has a series lined up. She will be discussing climate solutions alongside IAS/IFS officers and UPSC aspirants. One of the main concerns is the declining Krill population on the continent.
Krill, a small shrimp-like marine species, is one of the most abundant on the planet. However, it is currently facing a sharp drop in its population due to melting ice. It is the backbone of Antarctica’s food chain, and its declining numbers can have a cascading effect on penguins, seals and whales as well as the ecosystem. “We may lose all of this wildlife if we don’t do anything. Loss of ice is bad news, and just weeks ago we learnt about a massive ice shelf that had collapsed in the far off east,” says Deep, with palpable concern.
It is this concern, that Swan and his ‘Leadership on the edge’ training program is tapping into to inspire action among people including students and professionals, who can perhaps become advocates for this last great wilderness on earth.
But, the expedition and people on-board have their own carbon footprint – a challenge that the organisers claim to offset by strictly integrating certain standard protocols — using Tier III engines that limit the amount of nitrous oxides, marine gas which emits less CO2 and green technologies on-board and ensuring that the voyage is “carbon negative”. To ensure that more carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere than was released through the Expedition, the organisers also conduct on-ground projects with participants in different parts of the globe.
Global Crisis: Individual Solutions
People are often aware of the problem but fail to recognize it or take action to address it. Avinash Narayanaswamy a Bangalore-based sustainable practitioner, wanted to see the effects of individual actions that he had been rooting for many years.
Green LAW is a start-up company for eco-friendly products. He has lived a sustainable lifestyle since he was a young entrepreneur. He uses bio-fuel to fuel his cars and rooftop solar to power his activities. This reduces carbon emissions. To promote sustainable living, he has traveled over 2,000 kilometers on biodiesel in India and Europe. Narayanaswamy intends to share his experiences through a documentary which will capture the concerns surrounding the vulnerable ecosystem.
“It was raining in Antarctica. That is something we have never heard of. The temperatures were not as cold as we would have expected. It should have been much lower than that. The receding population of Krill, and penguins darting around – seeing that ecosystem with bare eyes was humbling, and yet disconcerting at the same time,” says Narayanswamy, who aspires to make people aware of how their individual lifestyle choices could help avert the impending environmental crisis.
Action is urgent
After witnessing the calamitous impacts of warming on the ice-bound continent, the participants, which included environmentalists, government servants, entrepreneurs and even school students — are now back to tell their tale. Each one of them has a mission to spread the message of climate urgency. Already the world is warming by 1.2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels and its effects are already intensifying.
“As people working on sustainability on climate change, it was even hard-hitting for us to see the imprint of climate change on Antarctica. We want to share this knowledge with our families and work together for climate change action. But, most importantly, to drive an understanding among people that our individual actions and lifestyle choices are more important than ever, if we want to do out bit to save this ecosystem,” sums up Singh.
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