This is a guest post by Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Recently, I left the comfort of my office at the UN Climate Change Secretariat in Bonn, Germany, to join Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project expedition to Antarctica. As the head of the UN agency which supports the global climate change negotiations, I mostly get to see meeting rooms and people in smart suits. This mission would take me to one of the roughest corners of the planet, so you can imagine my excitement and trepidation.
I packed extra layers, the warmest, fluffiest clothes in my closet, and availed myself of polar boots. But when you go to the extremes of the world, there really is nothing that prepares you for what you’re about to experience. After several days of travel on board the National Geographic Explorer, we sailed into Antarctic water and I approached one of thousands of enormous icebergs in a small zodiac craft. I was captivated by the haunting beauty of the ice, sculptured to perfection by the forces of nature. But the massive size of the icebergs with their graceful, translucent, aquamarine-blue pillars belie their vulnerability and that of the entire Antarctic ice cover.
Antarctica is not only the highest, coldest, driest and windiest continent on the planet. It is also a global bellwether of climate change, and a big influencer of the world’s climate. As we passed this iceberg, I was reminded that rising greenhouse gas concentrations in the world’s atmosphere have already led to a temperature rise of almost three degrees Celsius over the past 50 years in this part of the world. This is why the land ice is diminishing so fast, and huge chunks of ice are slipping into the sea. We have started what scientist Henry Pollack calls a “huge inadvertent experiment with the Earth’s climate.”
Animals are of course affected by this, too. I saw colonies of penguins that appeared to be thriving in the warmer climate. But I also saw other penguin species, whales and seals that are losing the possibility to feed sufficiently in what used to be nutrient-rich waters. The dwindling ice cover in some areas means less krill, and less krill means a serious weakening of the bottom of the food web in Antarctica, affecting all animals up the food chain.
The effects of warming global temperatures are not only local, and not only on animals and plants. On board the ship chartered by The Climate Reality Project were a number of people from the worlds of science, business and policy. Among the people I talked to was Hassan Mahmud, Minister of the Environment of Bangladesh. Although halfway around the world from Antarctica, his low-lying country is directly affected by the loss of ice in the Antarctic. As ice melts, sea levels rise
puts 18 million of his people at risk. The fate of people in his region goes close to my heart. I went to visit Pakistan after the flood to examine the extent of the damage, back in 2010. How quickly it has already been replaced in news photos by successive major weather disasters.
Minister Mahmud and the representatives of 193 other countries attended the UN Climate Change Conference in Durban at the end of last year. The countries meeting there agreed on a common vision that will shape the way climate change is dealt with internationally over the years to come. They agreed to keep the existing legal system under which industrialized countries promise to reduce emissions, the Kyoto Protocol. And they agreed on a pathway towards a new global system, covering the emissions of all countries. This global system is to be adopted by 2015 and to enter into force by 2020. The open question is: Will governments, supported by business and civil society, move quickly enough to protect the most vulnerable from the worst effects of climate change? And in the meantime, will our efforts to make them more climate-resilient reach those who need the support most? Can we anticipate adaptation, rather than just react?
© 2009 Flickr/UNclimatechange CC BY-NC 2.0
Heading back from Antarctica, it struck me how the world is rapidly transforming. The ice of Antarctica is in constant – and accelerating – movement. Action to combat climate change also needs to urgently increase in scale, scope and speed. I left the Climate Reality Project boat haunted by the moral challenge that was put before us: “Before you make a decision that affects the world’s climate, imagine the eyes of seven generations of children in the future looking at you, and asking … Why?”
Yvette Sechrist
February 17th
I continue to be amazed when people deny the truth about global warming that sits right in front of their eyes. Yes, I believe that our planet would go through warming and cooling trends as part of the natural progression of the Earth. However, why does man continue to deny his involvement in the quickening of it? Why do we not take responsibility for the emissions our power plants and processing plants create? Over population of man and animals – breeding for feeding. We are responsible and if we truly care about the future of the 7th generation away from us, then it’s time for a collective acknowledgement and co-create an answer.
Joe
February 17th
To answer your question Yvette, there is an extremely strong ‘Anti-Climate Change’ movement going on right now, particularly in the U.S. The business leaders and politicians perpetuating it are influenced by large sums of money from the oil and gas industry; YES! they care more about short term financial gains than they do the future of our race, so it seems. And the silly average delusional citizens are fed their propaganda on a daily basis. They actually believe that it is a left-wing conspiracy or something along those lines, when in all actuality it’s quit the opposite. It’s tough to reach people like this, like with religion they have built in dismissal systems that dismiss, immediately, anything they hear that isn’t what they believe. The whole situation is very sad.
Nature`s Darvesh Darshan Sidhu
February 17th
Excellent message.Madam told what she observed there.Everyone is concerned about global warming climate now.Earth is limited.It cannot be expanded to meet the increased need of forests to produce natural oxygen.This need has increased due to increase in population,artificial gadgets producing co2 and pollution.As EARTH has limitations, we have to put some limitations on population,artificial gadgets to maintain sufficient natural balance of gases,temperature and environment.As the world is now governed by companies ,businesses,they have to play a leading positive role in this direction for the survival of coming generations,otherwise they shall have to invent artificial humans ,creatures to sell their products and to earn profit.They should not produce, ,trade,encourage any product gadget which directly or indirectly disturbs the NATURAL BALANCE CREATED BY GOD ON EARTH ,IN UNIVERSE FOR THE SURVIVAL OF HUMANS CREATURES OTHER CREATIONS OF GOD. THEY ARE REQUESTED TO COME FORWARD AND PLAY A CENTRAL ROLE IN MAINTAINING REQUIRED CLIMATE AS EXPECTED BY MADAM.
scott luther
February 17th
Hind sight, is always 20/20 but in your new found journey- the connectivey between the heavens and the earth is the mapping into your purpose which shall served.
this is where you find the sight through gods eyes becuase everything is connected. even you!
as you have found that through consumption that we as speieces are simaler to locus but that is the beauty of why god created you. you have the capacity to enherit all things that god created. there is an understanding that so beautiful that connects all things being. all you want to do is serve gods will and his will is found through creation. as gods eyes.
for all of you who are just starting out, you dont see gods will at frist all you see is the river. but every day brings you a new variable. it took me about 12 to 15 years to get. but if you can punch the time clock at church or mousque then ad the river to your routine, and join us. Amen
Nedal Katbeh-Bader
February 20th
Well done Christina,
Indeed to judge wether is thier a cahnge in the climate ior not there is two ways: the results of the scientific research (IPCC findings) or the natural disasters linked to climate change, the year 2011 was the most expensive with regard to climate related disaster of 350 billion USD. The worst was in East Africa with escalating number deads, to Thiland with 45 billion USD (18% GDP) to usa with more that 50 Billion. Both Science and Reality shows with no doubt that the climate is changing and the cause is human related activities.
Gabriel Bertoli
February 21st
Congratulations. It’s a great news story. I hope this may reach those who have the power to make decisions. I worked for two full years in Antarctica. A full year at Jubany Station, measuring Carbon Dioxide, and another full year at Marambio station, measuring Ozone and UV Radiation. Antarctica is a beautiful land. Let us help take care of it.
Virginia levin
February 22nd
Civilizations have perished because of wanton living. Our future “unto the seventh generation” is presently being jeopardized by immoral wanton partisan politics.
Wake up ,rigid rightwing. You are so wrong and science proves it.
Md.Obaidul Quader
April 8th
Developed nations should follow Kyoto Protocol.No way to avoid Greenhouse effect. Otherwise future generations of the earth will not excuse all of us. Coastal states will suffer more. Please wake up.
Christena Smalls
June 21st
Once again the Climate Reality Project has brought to the attention of the world the facts of climate change. To everything under the sun there is a season. Preaching and teaching the masses the importance of global warming has and is being done. Comprehension is happening and the wisdom to go forward to applying world-wide changes to combat this crisis has begun.
Werner Loell
August 4th
But man is ambitious and wants to exploit the lands beneath the ice and ocean; however, he may not have sufficient nourishment by then to sustain himself.