Trisha Marczak
The North Pole no longer belongs to Santa Claus — it’s now the territory of a global coalition of environmentalists seeking to protect the area from arctic drilling.
Four explorers embarked on the journey to the Northern region on an expedition organized by Greenpeace, the world’s leading environmental organization. Equipped with a time capsule containing a flag and the signatures of 3 million people worldwide opposed to arctic drilling, the explorers reached their destination and lowered the items nearly three miles into area waters.
The specific area was chosen based on a similar expedition conducted by the Russians in 1997, when the nation used a submarine to travel to the seabed area, where they planted a Russian flag, claiming the North Pole as their own.
“We’re here to say this special area of the Arctic belongs to no person or nation, but is the common heritage of everyone on Earth,” Greenpeace explorer Josefina Skerk, who also is a Swedish parliamentarian, told The Guardian. “We’re asking that this area be declared a global sanctuary, off-limits to oil companies and political posturing.”
The declaration over the Arctic ice belongs to a global community, transcending borders and serving as a symbolic feat for environmentalists demonstrating the need to protect the Arctic.
The crew took great lengths to reach their destination — rather than comfortably flying in, they traveled on the frozen ocean in negative zero temperatures for one week. Their motivation stems directly from concern over global warming, fearing drilling in the Arctic could be a disastrous move in the global fight against climate change.
Drilling in the Arctic has long been opposed by environmental organizations. Greenpeace has emerged as a major opponent to Arctic drilling, launching campaigns for an end to all Arctic driling. While that wish has not yet come true, oil companies are slowing down on their rush to drill in the area, citing concern over future environmental regulations.
Days ago, ConocoPhillips said it would postpone drilling off Alaska’s coast — while not a promise that the second largest oil company won’t make the move again, it was applauded by environmentalists.
Royal Dutch Shell indicated in February that it would also halt drilling the Arctic in 2013.
“We believe that more time is needed to ensure that all regulatory stakeholders are aligned,” ConocoPhillips Alaska Head Trond-Erik Johansen said in a press release.
Aside from global warming concerns, there is a great risk for oil spills when drilling in the Arctic. And as a Pew Study states, the technology to adequately clean up an Arctic oil spill has not yet (and perhaps never) will be created, making the move potentially damaging to Arctic wildlife and humans living near the area.
The 1989 Exxon Vendez oil spill serves as an example of this, as 250,000 barrels of crude oil spilled into the Arctic. During that time, 250,000 birds and 2,800 sea otters died, along with thousands of other fish and ocean wildlife.
And according to scientists, the oil still remains today.
“More than 20 years after the Exxon Valdez spill, scientists estimate that between 16,000 and 21,000 gallons of oil remain in the environment. The oil is increasing by a rate of between zero and four percent a year and will likely persist for decades and perhaps even centuries,” the Pew study states.