What do you think we should be doing to save the Arctic?

We need to wake up and treat planet earth as we would our home because that's exactly what it is!

Oil exploration in the Arctic is a huge issue, and needs an equally huge response.  There needs to be political action at the highest level, dealing through organisations like the EU and the United Nations.  In order for this to suceed we need to demonstrate a massive groundswell of public opinion all over the Earth. My suggestion is that Greenpeace links up with other NGO's like FOE and WWF and creates an online petition through Avaaz, 38 degrees and the like.  Once politicians realise just how much public opinion is on their side, they may begin to review their current stance as mere errand boys (and it is mostly boys) to the markets and multi-national corporations, and start legislating for a more sustainable way of life.

Malcolm Baldwin

High impact posters....massive banners on bridges for rush hour commuters to see......images beamed onto public buildings.....not just London though. Some really hard hitting in your face publicity is still needed. There are thousands and thousands of people who either have no idea what is going on (or what is potentially being planned) or have stuck their heads in the sand and need a hard hitting reminder. Need to reach a lot more people and encourage them to protest. More massive peaceful demonstrations are needed.....

I do feel that many people choose to ignore the situation and plug themselves into their latest bit of pocket sized technology.....hence the suggestion of VERY hard hitting images.

Someone mentioned H.A.A.R.P in an earlier posting.....

I "youtubed" it.

Very scarey. Very very scarey.

We need more coordinated action between different countries. The fossil fuel use is still very affordable despite the enormous cost of their externalities. Only a tax burden that discourages consumption could stimulate the generation of alternative technologies.

Focus efforts on influencing the Rio+ 20 zero draft which has a section covering Oceans this time round, can a specific reference be made to the Arctic within that document. I don't know but worth exploring as it will set the sustainable development agenda for the next 20 years. Also look at the legal framework, law of the sea etc and challenge the rights of these 5 arctic states to carve up the area for exploitation without consulting global institutions, after all the impacts of their damaging activities will have far reaching consequences for humankind. Good luck.

Use the tried and trusted Greenpeace methods of exposing, and embarrasing, big companies and policy makers into changing their ways.

Just a thought - what would it mean for global trade, to have the Arctic Ocean free of ice?

A recent issue of Positive News suggested passing legislation to give  the planet itself legal rights, and making it a crime to carry out actions that damage it.  

This would require a radical shift in the way most people think, and I have no idea how to convince governments to go for it.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONTINUE SPEAKING WITH THE LEADERS OF THE GOVERNMENTS, AND REMIND THEM THAT THIS IS THE TOP PRIORITY. THE PUBLIC MUST BE REMINDED ON THE DAILY BASIS, PERHAPS THROUGH THE MEDIA SUCH AS TELEVISION OR RADIO THAT THEY NEED TO GET INVOLVED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

MAYBE ALSO SOME LEGAL SYSTEM LIKE THE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW COULD GET INVOLVED TO SERIOUSLY CHALLENGED THOSE THAT WANT TO ABUSE OUR ENVIRONMENT.

WE SHOULD DO WHATEVER IT TAKES!!

THANK YOU

MARGARET HUI

that's pretty clear to,solution is near,there plenty comments like save the arctic sea,alright...

but we need action,realistic for masses that speaks louder!we all are responsible for this mess and humiliating of the earth we walk onto.we must do it!'cos man belongs to earth but earth does not belong to man!

for beginning we have to lower our comfort or not the decrease our vanities,people it's easy please lower your heathing,fridge,light,tv's a stupid one degree,is that that much,good things come slow and they are deliverable.none wants to go now to pitch tents on antarctic,it does not make sense,imagine 1000 people flooding polar making things worse even it  is good to see thing from the source.let's start from your own homes.

If men exploit oil is because there is a market for oil.  If men exploit minerals such as copper, iron or gold, is only because you and I, all of us, consume those minerals.  If every single conscient men and women on Earth start consuming less and less oil, then we will finish oil and mineral exploitation.  You can't protest against eating cakes if you have a piece of the cake in your mouth.  But the problem is that we, humans, are addicted to oil.  We can't live without it and the human population is growing and growing, faster and faster.  We already reached 7 billion human beings.  And we consume more and more.  In fact, now we need 1.5 times our dear Planet in order to feed all of us; and because we have an unequal distribution of food on Earth, some of us suffer starvation somewhere.  Then, there are two things we have to be serious about:

1.  Stop our massive oil consumption

2.  Control overpopulation

If we can't do that, then we are just filling the holes, instead of blowing the drillers.  Nothing real will come from small "temporal medicine".  We have to deal with the roots of our sickness instead of just sending aspirins.  And please, please ... stop thinking as clans, groups, countries, regions, races ... the environment behaves as one big machine, and if it fails somewhere, all of us will pay for it.  The clanicentric behaviour of the human race, inherited from Neanderthals, will kill us all.  It is not US business anymore ... it concern to all the human kind.  If we continue meeting to solve the environmetal problems between "countries or clans", representing individual interests, we are going nowhere.  I am sick of being a citizen of a country instead of being what I really am:  A living organism born in Planet Earth.

Governments have to be pressurised to leave the Arctic alone. This vital for the survival of the planet. The big corporations that drill for oil etc. have to be kept out of the Arctic and the only way we can do this is by sheer force of numbers. Let's show governments that we do care and we will not allow corporations to "rule the day" with their greed.

The second step is to keep the Arctic region as a hugh wildlife reserve. People will be allowed to visit but only under strict supervision. Limited accomodation can be offered and of course the money paid will be spent on upkeep of the region. Only picture taking safaris will be allowed!

I think a two-fold campaign is needed - firstly to spread awarenessof the issues surrounding the Arctic by telling people how, by doing little things such as measuring the water they need into kettles, turning down their heating a few degrees and making a couple of journeys a week by foot or public transport we will help to cut consumption of resources. Maybe make it some sort of competition where people can earn stars for each action they take?

Then we surely need to start a massive letter or email campaign to the Environment ministers in our governments to tell them how we feel and generally make as much noise as we can.

We must keep the subject in the press, write to our politicians, give talks in schools and demonstrate and campaign as much and as often as possible.

Why not declare a state named "Arctica" and we, the people of born kings and queens, all habitants of planet earth, have got the right to protect our republic from damage and harm. Our republic would have passports and a declaration of life rights for all sorts of beings. Each one, who destructs or damages some/one -thing, will be punished by our civilrights court. We could give asylum to climate-refugees. All habitants on earth can be "Arctica"-citizen, but no one has got the right to drill for oil or any other devastation!

Ask the oil executives if they have children or grand children.If yes tell them they are a disgrace,as they have no concern about their future,and should be ashamed of themselves.

Steve Terrell

Maybe I'm living in a hopeworld, and preaching to the converted, but if the facts are publicised, publicised, publicised - televised, facebooked, twittered, newspapered, etc - based on factual research, surely that will spring everyone into action? No-one can argue with simple, clear facts. I'm aware that I'm concentrating too much on this country, but surely through international publicity??  

The tide is starting to turn in our favour, the momentum is gathering pace. I talk to more and more people who are starting to understand the importance of change and how soon we need to do it. 

Govt and business will realize is only when it is profitable for them because they are short sighted and greedy.

Put human overpopulation on the agenda, we could do with some austerity measures on this issue!

Wean ourselves off fossil fuels!

Put ecocide on the map of Law!

The world cannot stand by whilst government backed oil companies, who contribute millions to these political parties, kill the arctic off by polluting it with oil. An Antarctic and Arctic Treaty banning all exploitation of oil, gas and other reserves needs to be implemented by the UN and under the umbrella of military force if necessary!

Unless this is done in a very short time, we will reap the whirlwind of human stuipidity. Oil is being used much, much faster than it can ever sustain. At current trends of just 1% growth in consumption globally, assuming current stocks plus a few more finds like the polar regions, and assuming better techniques, it's uneconomic to extract according to my mathematical prediction by 2050 to 2060. This means that we don't need to do this! We can look at alternatives like renewable energy but in particular we can look to stabilise population and energy use. This woudl be a far wiser move than allowing greedy oil magnates the ability to pollute and kill the polar regions!

I think you should pobably be supporting nuclear power.

Start a campaign on nature and all that it contibutes to us being able to live and survive (and words chosen to reflect the sharp contrast in how people relate to nature around the world). A steady constant flow of images and words to bring to awareness everything we consume has a relationship with nature and hence our need to value and treat with respect. This includes the importance of the geographical variety of our world and need to treasure. And one of these is to severely limit our travels to regions such as the Arctric - in whatever name people travel to these areas it conveys the message that these are places we can travel to.

Everyone needs to speak louder about the threat to future survival of humanity by our short term desires for choice.

Please click on this link, don't worry, it's safe, no virus or anythig other than the plain honest truth. spoken a child:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=the+girl+who+silenced+the+world+for+5+minutes&oq=the+girl+who&aq=2&aqi=g10&aql=&gs_sm=1&gs_upl=637l6138l0l10286l12l10l0l1l1l0l750l2147l0.2.2

There are lots of people with lots of good ideas

Develop 'Arctica' as a world heritage site - but it's probably too late to prevent the worst effects of climate change. That lost ice isn't going to reform.

Start trying to deal with overpopulation - NOW. It needs to be discussed out in the open. Everyone is sidestepping this issue.

Any type of information spreading - use facebook, smartphones, use any celebrities (people all seem to want to know what they think)( Richard Attenburgh is speaking out), link with other organisations like Avaaz - anything to get people worldwide motivated to push all governments to speed up their action, not slow it down, in the fight to prevent the worst damage of climate change.