Fifteen Indians will join 95 others from across the globe next week on an expedition to Antarctica, with an aim to bring back first-hand knowledge of climate change’s impact on the planet.
Among those is 25-year-old Vijay Varadha, an entrepreneur from Hyderabad who plans to set sail with a hand-held turbine. The contraption will produce enough energy to power gadgets and meet his energy requirement, Vardha says. The expedition, organized by a not-for-profit, aims to not leave a carbon footprint on the continent.
“The turbine is 3D-printed with recycled materials. Given wind speeds in Antarctica, I estimate it would produce around 100 watts of power, enough for my personal use,” Vardha said.
Robert Swan, the acclaimed polar explorer who first walked to north and south poles, is the driving force behind the expedition. His organisation, called 2041, is a not-for-profit that aims to preserve Antarctica for posterity before the year 2041. The year heralds a deadline for the environment protection accorded to the continent by Antarctic Treaty, before it can be reviewed. While the Antarctic Treaty came into force in 1961, the environmental protection protocol came into force only 1998 with a mandate to review protection in 50 years.
“The expedition takes environmental leaders from diverse walks of life to Antarctica to experience how it is changing and how it affects the world. During previous expeditions, we saw remains of the Larsen ice-shelf,” said Shaivya Singh Rathore, Operations Director at 2041 and the expedition’s leader. Larsen ice-shelves in the western peninsula of the continent are said to be amongst the worst affected regions due to warming.
Number of Indians going on the expedition has increased over the years, according to Ms. Rathore. “We have two IRS officers and a team of employees from an oil company among others,” Ms. Rathore added.
A 13-year-old is reportedly the youngest explorer of ‘Team India’, as the Indian team calls itself.
The cost of the expedition for each participant is around $ 15,000 USD, which the participants claim to have raised in different ways.
“I raised funds in multiple ways, some through crowd-funding, sponsorship, the government and the rest through self-funding,” said Pratyusha Parakala, a radio-jockey who is one of the two people from Hyderabad selected for the expedition. Ms. Parkala says she hopes to take her experiences in Antarctica will help her advocate stronger for environmental protection by taking up campaigns about perils of global warming and climate changing.
After reaching the city of Ushuaia, the southern-tip of South America, the participants will navigate the rough waters of Drake Passage before arriving at Crystal Sound, from where the team will attempt to the cross the Antarctic Circle. When they set foot on the continent, the day temperature is expected to be around -2 to -5 degree Celsius.
Session with scientists, environmentalists, adventurers and others working to save the continent will follow until team returns to Argentina, Ms. Rathore added.
