INSPIRE ANTARCTICA EXPEDITION (IAE) 2011 MARCH 3-18, 2011 RECYCLING COUNCIL OF ALBERTA OCTOBER 7, 2011 PRESENTED BY: GAVIN SCOTT & TYLER BARKHOUSE Who is Robert Swan and why the heck did we go all the way to Antarctica to meet him?? WHAT IS 2041? • Organization created by Robert Swan, OBE • Global mission to help reduce environmental damage through global and local initiatives The Mission of 2041 is to: TO CHALLENGE INDUSTRY & BUSINESS TO USE CLEANER ENERGY AND INSPIRE CHAMPIONS WITHIN ORGANISATIONS TO CARRY THE MESSAGE FORWARDS Linking Leadership with Sustainability Signatories on the Antarctic Treaty GLOBAL MISSION ACCOMPLISHED 1500 TONS OF SOLID WASTE REMOVED JAN 2002 10 Things Most People (Including Us) Didn’t Know About Antarctica: 1. It’s a CONTINENT – not a country (ok we knew that) 2. It is 1.7 times the size of Australia 3. It contains 90% of the world ice…. 4. … and 70% of the world’s freshwater 5. 180 million years ago, Antarctica was attached to South America… and was tropical! 10 Things Most People (Including Us) Didn’t Know about Antarctica: 6. Three major oceans, (Atlantic, Indian and Pacific) merge in a 40 km strip on the outer edge of Antarctica 7. If all of the ice in Antarctica melted, sea levels would rise between 50 and 60 m. 8. Antarctica is the coldest, windiest, and driest place on earth . In some places like the Dry Valleys, it has not rained for thousands of years. 10 Things Most People (Including Us) Didn’t Know about Antarctica: 9. The ozone hole above Antarctica covers 27 million km2. (and since 2009 has started to shrink and stabilize!) • This has been attributed to the banning of CFC’s through the signing of a global treaty: “Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer “ which was signed September 16, 1987 • If the international agreement is adhered to, the ozone layer is expected to recover by 2050 10 Things Most People (Including Us) Didn’t Know About Antarctica: 10. And……Fewer than 200,000 people have ever been to Antarctica….. ……Now fewer then 200,206! KRILL The Penguin Highway Red = Krill White = Squid Green = Starving The Scoop on Poop Full Molting Half Molted Finished Molting The Polar Plunge The Polar Plunge The Polar Plunge – The Captain and Expedition Coordinator On the main beach at Bellingshausen....assessing the landfill Russian Tank Farm 31 January 2002 17 February 2002 Larsen B Ice Shelf Collapses in Antarcca 5 March 2002 23 February 2002 dimensions approx. 130 x 160 km (80 x 100 miles) MODIS images from NASA's Terra satellite, Naonal Snow and Ice Data Center, University of Colorado, Boulder. CALL TO ACTION “The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” Robert Swan, OBE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn__9hLJKAk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsMqrk81eTI&feature=related CALL TO ACTION • We all contribute to global warming and can all contribute to preventing the release of greenhouse gases What can you do? • Talk, talk and talk to people. Educate. Inspire. • Reduce your carbon footprint. Step on the carbon footprint scale and see how much you “weigh” www.bp.com www.climatecare.com www.nativeenergy.com CALL TO ACTION - INDIVIDUALS • Pick one thing that you can do to change... • Installing energy saving light bulbs • Change to a green energy supplier • Consider your choice of transportation • Review the rating of Household Appliances • Re-cycle, reduce, reuse • Government - Who do you vote for? • Corporate Influence – ask what their carbon reduction strategies are • Community education – youth, schools, mentorship CALL TO ACTION – REGULATORS AND INDUSTRY • Realistic Objectives • Realistic Timelines • Lead by Example • Enforce Regulations – Accountability • Incentives for Alternative Solutions (Technologies) • Reducing Industrial Footprint .