Erstellt am: 16. 4. 2013 - 14:26 Uhr
Planting A Flag For Humanity
“The Arctic is melting faster than anyone predicted and that's having huge consequences; and not just in this region but for the whole world in terms of extreme weather and rising sea levels”, James Turner of Greenpeace told me today.
He'd just got back to Norway after taking part in an arduous trek across the Arctic to the North Pole in which the team of activists symbolically planted a flag in the seabed at the pole. “We wanted to suggest the need to create a sanctuary around the area rather than what is happening at the moment, which that it is being divided up for oil drilling and other types of industry.”
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The burning of fossil fuels has been blamed for much of man-made global warming, which several studies have suggested will mean that the Arctic Ocean could be completely free of ice in summertime by 2050. Yet paradoxically the melting of the ice cap has created an opportunity for the fossil fuel industry. Less ice means easier access to resources and exploration is already under way for new oil and gas fields in the area, as well as opportunities for new shipping lanes.
It's thought 25% of the world's remaining oil and gas reserves lie under and around the Arctic Ocean and the reopening on the famous North-West Passage could save billions for global shipping. This has led to greater competition between the countries that border the Arctic region.
In 2007 a Russian submarine planted the Russian flag at the pole, claiming that the area is a natural extension of Russian landmass. The move angered Norway, Canada and the US who reiterated their claims.
This bickering over sovereignity is worrying for Greenpeace: “We feel that it is an area that should be part of a common humanity,” says Turner. “We should all take responsibility for this uninhabited area rather than saying it belongs to one company or one country to do with as they wish.”
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To make their point, the team had to suffer. Setting off on April 7th they reached their destination after spending a week on the Arctic sea ice pulling heavy sleds. After drifting sea ice took them off course the team did have to hitch a brief ride with a helicopter on a supply route to a base near the pole, but Turner told me that the trek was tough enough, with the temperature dipping to -34C on a couple of days with a “biting” wind making progress particularly challenging.
“None of the team were experienced polar explorers and camping out in those conditions was something I will never forget.”
Greenpeace plan to form a "human banner" (a heart for the Arctic) on the Stephansplatz on Saturday 20th April to protest the exploitation of the Arctic
The expedition included some prominent activists, including America actor Ezra Miller, the star of We Need to Talk About Kevin. “It feels like a great responsibility on our shoulders for those who have seen the beauty of this place,” he said, “to fight to preserve it.” He was joined by Josefina Skerk, a Sami activist, who said she was there her people were already feeling the impact of climate change. Perhaps the most surprising polar adventurer was Renny Bijoux, member of the youth parliament from the Seychelles, one of the countries most threatened by rising sea levels. “He did find the cold a bit challenging, coming from the Equator,” laughed Turner, “but he dealt with it very well. He put up with because he cares deeply for the Artic which matters to him and his people.”
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The team cut a hole in the ice and dropped the flag and a capsule down through layers of ice and then freezing water until they reached the seabed 4km down. The capsule contained almost 3 million signatures asking for the region to be off-limits to exploitation. Turner said that Greenpeace had collected the signatures from as far afield as Peru and Australia as well as “quite few from Austria.” He says it is now time for us to decide whether or not “we want this beautiful, unique environment to be carved up among some of the richest oil companies on Earth.”
The campaign has got the significant backing of one of the great moral voices of recent time, the South African Nobel Peace Prize winning retired Arch-Bishop Desmond Tutu who has said “I offer my full support to these young people who travelled to the North Pole on behalf of those whose lives are being turned upside down by climate change.”
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Turner is optimistic that despite the huge profits at stake the Artic nations will be dissuaded from oil exploitation in the area: “The momentum is building. We already have 3 million voices and with more people, more attention and more public scrutiny, I`m confident that we can create a sactuary around the area as we did in the Antarctic 10 years ago.”
(photos © Joris Laarman and © Christian Åslund / Greenpeace)