New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ D.Baron Media) The
Greenpeace "Save the Arctic" expedition ended this weekend after confirming the effects that climate change is having on glaciers, icebergs and the polar ice cap. The end of the expedition coincides with the publication of a scientific article contending that sea levels could rise up to 20 meters by the end of the century if Greenland (Arctic) and the western Antarctic suffer melting as extreme as in the Pliocene (1). This data supports the "To save the Arctic is to save much more" campaign by exposing the direct relationship between melting ice and the effects on the rest of the world if nothing is done to avoid it.
"The scientific data and the testimonies of people who live there leave no doubt of the dramatic and rapid changes the Arctic is suffering due to climate change. It is urgent that the Arctic Council and the United Nations prevent the destruction of this last natural frontier," said Pilar Marcos, head of the Arctic campaign.
The expedition this past week (July 14-20) recorded and photographed the beauty of the Arctic and the effects of melting on glaciers, fjords and in the polar ice cap, where the tour ended.
Alejandro Sanz took part in the trip with the organization to spread the message at a global level. On Monday, July 15 and Sunday, July 21, the expedition became a global trending topic with the hashtag #SalvaElArtico (Monday) and later #AleSanzSalvaelArtico (Sunday). On Monday only, the expedition got 12,000 retweets. The global movement is asking the United Nations and Arctic Council to protect the Arctic by creating a sanctuary in the High Arctic. The sanctuary would save it from the dangers of the oil exploration that giant companies like Shell and Gazprom are undertaking in this natural paradise, where the consequences of a spill would be catastrophic for the area.
"It touches your soul when you see something as beautiful as the Arctic and touches you even more when they tell you how the blocks of ice that were there last year are now gone. The most dramatic phrase I've heard is from one of our Inuit guides, Bent, who said "if this melts, the rest of the world had better be prepared to learn how to swim," said Alejandro Sanz.
The expedition left from Kulusuk (Greenland), to observe the effects of climate change on the Apusiaajik glacier. From there it left for Tinitequilaaq, where it witnessed thawing in the Sermilik Fjord. After touring the area, on the last day of the expedition it reached the polar ice cap, the second largest ice mass in the world after Antarctica, a place that only polar expeditions can access due to its high complexity. Throughout the trip the group stayed and lived with the Inuit people, who have been their guides during the tour and talked firsthand about the changes that their land has experienced.
