Written for Alumni News, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia
I feel helpless when asked to describe Antarctica. It is the command centre of our world’s ecosystems, yet the slightest mention of the word ‘Antarctica’ renders your mind to a place seemingly farther and more foreign to humankind than the moon. Only through poetry could anyone even begin to do it justice. A summary of the experience is just the tip of the ice berg, but I have a feeling might be worth it.
Getting there was half the journey. I made an effort to fly as little as possible in order to lower my impact on climate change. Amidst those over-land travels I spent time visiting fast disappearing glaciers of the Andes mountain range and indigenous farming communities, speaking to locals about changing seasons, admiring solar panels and wind turbines in the most peculiar and unexpected places, reading the daily energy bulletin in Spanish, thinking about links between poverty, societal structure, and abilities to adapt to climate change, and wondering how 20 people manage to fit into a small Volkswagen van for the daily commute to work.
Joining the expedition team in Buenos Aires was like having a bucket of ice cold water dumped over my head, waking me from a dream and pulling me back into a familiar world. Most students were from the US or Canada, giving me an unexpected dose of culture shock, although still in Argentina. Not knowing what to expect, our new family of 100 (from over a dozen countries) set out to sea across the Drake Passage. Two days later we saw land again: Antarctica.
If you weren’t grinning it was because you were too busy picking your jaw up off the floor. And if you weren’t learning, well, you probably weren’t there. Landscapes were heart-wrenching. Wildlife was abundant. Thought-provoking lectures spanned the history, politics and science of Antarctica, yet speaking to the polar experts one-on-one while peering over the edge of the ship or sitting on a glacier was where the most integrated learning happened. The icing on the cake was the personal stories from researchers and explorers who have been having a love affair with the continent for over 50 years.
From hiking to wildlife research, or from scuba diving to safaris, there is nothing as intimate as the natural world you are let into upon setting foot in Antarctica. It is the one place on earth where humans are truly guests in another’s home. And no one can deny the intensity of that unique feeling. The albatross accompanied us across the sea, riding the wind at the stern. Humpback whales graced our first evening with their silhouetted playfulness in the sunset. Adelie penguins would stare back at us from the top of icebergs mimicking the size of our ship.
Once we crossed 60 degrees south, we took the Zodiacs (small inflatable motor boats) to land on the mainland of the Western Peninsula and surrounding islands. The central regions of Antarctica are white and flat, whereas the Western Peninsula is a gem of glaciers, jagged mountain peaks, curving ice caps, and dramatic ice bergs. One landing was on a rocky beach with ice cubes the size of your body washing up on shore. Another was onto a slab of sea ice in a bay as calm as glass with the surrounding sounds of avalanches every 4 minutes from mountain peaks high above us. Another was onto the beach of an active volcano crater where we went for a slightly brisk swim followed by digging into the gritty sand to find the hot thermal waters to de-numb our bodies.
When on shore it was like being transported into another world - every single time. Even for polar experts who had been making these landings for 50 years were repeatedly stunned - “Every time is like the first time,” they would say. We would find ourselves staring out over thousands upon thousands of penguins as their eggs hatched beneath them and mothers and fathers returned to feed their young. The smell of guano was distinct and hawk-like Skuas would circle above diving in at eggs or chicks in unguarded nests. Sitting on rocks at the water’s edge we would watch penguins swimming as if they were dolphins, rapidly and in the style of renowned synchronized swimmers. The event doubled its audience when a leopard seal appeared and began chasing its dinner - the back up troops of penguins dove in from the shore to help distract the seal. Every moment was irrevocably enthralling.
Perhaps the most important part of this story is why Antarctica is the way it is. The Antarctic Treaty has been active since 1959. The Treaty outlines that only peaceful activities are permitted, the environment must be respected, and no land claims may be made. This means no weapon development, no oil exploration, no fishing or whaling, no garbage, and restricted number of visitors at a time. Is there any other continent on earth that has not seen a war? Is there any other continent with as stringent environmental protection? Is there any other continent with as strong international cooperation?
I could only describe it as the “Perfect World” we are taught about as children - “peace on earth” and “reduce, reuse, recycle” were the mantras of my generation. The idealism is always there, but falls to the sidelines as you learn there are still wars and that people are still altering the environment. You might call it jaded, or you might call it reality, but that state of mind changes over time - or at least it did for me.
But by the time we had returned to the Beagle Channel, any touch of jaded feelings I might have had before were erased. As I stepped off the ship with wobbly sea legs, the 6-year-old idealist in me breathed a little sigh of relief - I was filled to the brim with hope, optimism, and a whole deeper level of calmness and sureness that I never before thought possible. Feeding this renewed mindset into my daily life and work will not be through one or two specific actions, but through a sustained effort to share and build those same feelings in others, so that we may all be one step closer to understanding our modest place on this earth.
And that, is how I would begin to describe Antarctica.
What is Students On Ice? This unique expedition, lead by Geoff Green, is one of few expeditions in the world that is a) directed entirely towards youth (ages 13 to 21), and b) is focused around an education program of sustainability. It goes once a year to both the Arctic and Antarctic. The idea is to educate and inspire students in the best classroom in the world: the outdoors. The end goal is for these young leaders to leave with a sense of respect, awareness, and ideas for positive change upon return to their home country. Photos, videos, maps and journals from the expedition can be found online at www.studentsonice.com/antarctic2007/ .
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One of my cousins is in Antarctica now as part of a commemorative re-enactment of the Belgica expedition of 1897-1898. Looking at your website, it looks like your group & his had quite a bit of overlap in your schedules.
Amazing!!!I am so jealous.
thank you so so so very much for this beautiful diary zcaron.
What an inspiring read…..
I wish this wasn’t posted in heat of the primary wars…otherwise it would have gotten more comments. i just know that for a fact.
Great - glad it was in diary rescue. I’m surprised you were swimming!
Great writing- thanks. I have a fascination with Antarctica- must be a thrilling opportunity, you’re very lucky.
Beautiful!
Wow, is all i can say…Zoe, you are an amazing writer…i can almost envision the beauty and wonder of your experiences!
Very different from other on campus researchers. Its nice you are on research but on the other part of the world, with a different vision. Yes, in deed a good writer.
It must have been an amazing experience! Your writing ability is beyond words. Best wishes with your further endeavours!
Ah Z…you have a way with words! What a great way to start the day - revisiting that special place…
Zoe, that was a truly inspiring read. What amazing work you are involved in, how great to know that you feel hope and motivation for our future, a rare sentiment these days. Can’t wait to see all the great things coming up for you.
xo Mona.
Hey, you should write a book!
p.s. where do I look to gauge climate impact of travel options?
wow your words are truly inspiring and i was even there…
wow that was amazing!! brings back memories
Good question David - Climate impact of travel can be calculated (and offset!) at these sites:
http://www.carbonzero.ca
http://www.carbonneutral.com
http://www.climatecare.org
These are credible and the first is one of few Canadian ones! Each will calculate emissions on a different formula and take various pieces into account, so don’t be surprised if they all give you slightly different numbers.
You can select which type of project you want to fund - the most effective ones are directly installing renewable energy sources, while the least effective (in the short-term anyways) is planting trees.
Good luck!
Z
girl you know how to write!
“If you weren’t grinning it was because you were too busy picking your jaw up off the floor” ROFL !!!
David Sassoon’s blog response: http://www.solveclimate.com/blog/20080126/zoe-antarctica-story-hope
i heart z caron.
…Zoe. This is beautiful. Had to tell you right away. it took my breath away. in reading it one does not know if it is a true love story or not. I guess it is. but one with Mother nature or a Man…I take my hat off to you. this is top notch. well done!
Just the Tip of the Iceberg, with Zoe Caron
A look into the wonder and beauty of Antarctica, and the history, politics and international cooperation that give our planet hope.
Host: Environmental Programmes
Type: Education - Lecture
Time and PlaceDate: Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: Room 105, Weldon Law Building
Street: 6061 University Ave.
City/Town: Halifax, NS
Contact InfoEmail: marla.cranston@dal.ca
Recent Dalhousie graduate, Zoë Caron, has just returned from an international youth leadership program to Antarctica to learn about environmental sustainability and climate change with Canadian organization, Students On Ice.
Join us for a passionate and inspiring night of stories, photos, and a message you will not forget.
Doors open @ 6:30 p.m.
Back from Antarctica with a message of hope
Activist intrigued by international co-operation among climate scientists
Zoe Caron has literally written the book on global warming.
But after returning from a recent expedition to Antarctica, the 22-year-old environmentalist says she’s surprised that it’s hope, rather than 11th-hour warnings, that she most wants to share.
“The most intriguing thing about Antarctica is that it has this level of environmental protection that no other continent has, it has this dedication to peace, and to scientific collaboration and international collaboration that no other continent has,” Caron said.
Over the holidays, the recent Dalhousie University graduate chaperoned a group of high-school students during a 10-day mission to the icy continent, led by polar experts and educators.
Instead of flying, the author of the soon-to-be-released Global Warming for Dummies (co-authored by Green party Leader Elizabeth May) travelled mostly by land and sea - to keep her carbon footprint to a minimum.
Unexpected sights
But when she arrived on the western peninsula of Antarctica, instead of the “big sheet of ice with a couple of research stations” she was expecting, she found an endless parade of seals, whales and birds.
“It’s the only place I’ve ever been where I felt like I shouldn’t have been there. It’s just not a place for people. It’s overrun with wildlife, and it’s their place,” Caron said.
As a first-time visitor, she couldn’t see the effects of global warming. But she says the other expedition team members often pointed out rocks, beaches and entry ways that hadn’t been visible even one year earlier.
Never doubted urgency
The urgency of global warming, however, was never something she doubted, she says.
Since attending a climate-change conference in 2005, the Nelson, B.C., native has led several student sustainability initiatives and was one of the young environmentalists included in Vanity Fair’s 2007 green issue.
During that time, Caron says her idealism has been somewhat jaded by the obstacles the environmental movement continues to face.
But Antarctica, largely untainted by humans, is the one place where the world works together, almost as it should, she said.
“It’s just this symbol of hope to me, and I want to convey that to people, not just people working on environmental issues,” she said.
Zoe Caron will be speaking in Dalhousie Univeristy’s Weldon Law Building, Room 105, 6061 University Ave., at 7 p.m. tonight. Refreshments begin at 6:30 p.m.
06/02/08
I , too, have been to Antarctica with Students on Ice back in 2002. Your article captured it well!
Fabulous photos, many of them remind me of my time in South America that took me to Ushuaia, but alas, not Antartica…
Zoe: from a distance, I am really proud of you. Your writing style is wonderful, I was really able to visualize your experience. I checked out the expedition website; what a wonderful opportunity! Thank you for sharing and being the eyes and ears of those who will never get to see Antarctica!