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

Posted by bex - 13 February 2012 at 10:46am - Comments

Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man recreated on Arctic sea ice by John Quigley

As I write, major oil companies like Shell, ExxonMobil and Chevron are planning their moves into the Arctic to exploit its vast mineral resources. The five Arctic states are beginning the process of carving up the high north. Meanwhile, the ice keeps melting – we’ve now lost 75 per cent of Arctic sea ice in just 30 years. The global battle to protect the Arctic - from oil exploration, from industrialisation and from climate change – needs to be ambitious, bold and successful. So we’re asking you: what do you think we should we be doing to save the Arctic?

Last year, you helped to make sure that Cairn’s oil spill response plan was published – and exposed as deeply flawed. You challenged VW’s stance on climate change laws, dividing the car industry around this critical issue. You pushed to get the Arctic onto the UK’s political agenda by asking David Cameron what his plans were to protect the Arctic.

All of this has brought us a step closer to saving the Arctic. But as the high north grows more vulnerable to industrialisation, as the ice melts, as the oil companies move in and the geopolitical battles over its resources heat up, we need to step up our efforts to protect it – and quickly.

In the coming months and years we need to campaign boldly - and successfully - to save the Arctic. This is going to need a lot of help from you. So we want to know:

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

Comment on our blog, share your ideas on Facebook or Tweet with the hashtag #SaveTheArctic.

If you’re in need of inspiration, have a look at our Antarctica campaign, which eventually resulted in the signing of The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty and the establishment of 'World Park Antarctica'.

Update: Scroll down to the bottom of the comments and click on the last page to view the latest comments.

Article tagged as: antartica, arctic, arctic drilling, climate change, climate impacts, take action

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Expose Alan Greenspan and the US oil lobby!! Education is the key, the main thing would be to get a massive campaign going called 'Shareholder of Stakeholder - you decide' get Green MP's like Caroline Lucas involved and make Green politics sexy and trendy for the younger generation to really get involved via facebook too - get MEP's and politicians from all over the world involved and also pop stars or anyone high profile (Prince Charles likes his environmental stuff), actors etc (no such thing as bad publicity and who wouldnt want to help the Arctic?) expose those companies who stand to make a fortune from oil exploration like BP Chevron, Exxon etc and send brochures out to board members and majority shareholders to try and prick their consciences with education about why it needs to be saved and preserved as a cultural heritage site. Mention that the planet cannot affford another Exxon Valdez disaster too....Direct Action is needed alongside this and also promote green energy providers such as Ecotricity owned by one person and not greedy shareholders, and where profits are reinvested into biomass plants and wind turbines. Praise good practice. Hammer home to politicians the importance of alternatives to oil too, hit those oil companies where it hurts - the balance sheet cos thats all they care about essentially. Money is their God. You have to make them realise it would be unprofitable for them to drill there. God knows how. The US oil lobby is worth billions dont forget. Other organisations need to be behind this too, FOE, WWF WSPA etc etc its got to be a joint effort but spearheaded by yourselves as the main player pushing this forward. Mass media campaigning on TV ads would be helpful anchored by a 'celeb of moment' who genuinely wants to drive this campaign forward. Its a shame many deals we dont know about because its all done masonic style behind closed doors with dodgy handshakes down at the Bilderberg hotel once a year.

By Kaz G - 14 February 2012 at 1:20am

In order to answer this question I think we need to look at the process of evolution that we want to change. ie - big bang...millions of years of change...Arctic as modern humankind knows it, has recorded it and interfered with...2012...|...Greenpeace and others help to put a halt to as much further ecological damage as possible of the Arctic (and elsewhere) by trying to reduce human interference with the seas, ground and air as much as is possible. Hope that sounds ok.

By John Gardner - 14 February 2012 at 1:32am

Decarbonise the industrial
world's electricity supplies as rapidly as possible by building lots of
nuclear power stations, as the French did between 1974 and 1989 under
their Messmer plan.

By Andrew M Waite - 14 February 2012 at 1:38am

The only sure way of protecting the arctic is for a moretoreum with world leaders and declare as you have done in the antarctic a world park, not of national importance but global importance but more importantly continue with measures to cut down on CO2 emissions, try to encourage nations to plant more broad leafed trees increase oxygen content in our atmosphere the increase in trees would go some way to eliminating the co2 through photo synthesis and eventually slow down or stop the poles from further loss of the ozone layer. Further depletion of the rain forests must be stopped now not in the future if we want to retain a future for our planet. From articles I have read the scientific establishment are working towards that end, lets encourage them to continue in a fashion of global necessity. Even the Queen of our country has started a new wood and encouraging anyone to dedicate the planting of a tree to a loved one. Our planet cannot survive without oxygen every living creature in some way depends on it. Focus our intentions on that production of the staff of life Oxygen without it we will not survive and in doing so the excess co2 will be taken up by the increase of broad leafed plants and trees It will make our planet a lot nicer place to live and thrive in. We have a future but it is up to everyone to make that future...Keep up the Good Work Green Peace...Dennis

By dennis robbins - 14 February 2012 at 1:49am

The best blueprint to maintain normal quality of life on much smaller carbon footprint comes from Christopher C. Swan: "ELECTRIC WATER" (New Society Press, 2007). Read it or don't...

As for XL pipeline, BNSF and UP railroads are adding tank cars to move product. Best use of the shale oils would be on-site manufacturing of plastics, fertilizers, petrochemicals. As it stands, expedited production will rush to automobile tail pipes...

We pleaded with the likes of Jan Lundberg, League To Save Lake Tahoe and Sierra Club over 20 years ago and often through the years since to unify behind a railway policy in lieu of rubber tire transport growth. We pleaded for strictly railway oriented exploitation of the Amazon, with no provate cars or truck roads, railway only. Too bad they did not understand ability of rail methodology to effect orderly extraction of minerals, etc., without rubber tire rampage now the rule...

Plus, oil extraction mania now the latest ramification of a private vehicle for everyone at puberty! So be it. USA can at least maintain distribution of victuals and manufacturing node connectivity with all due haste rebuild of dormant rail branch lines. The Arctic is certainly next to fall to happy motoring unless railway mode expansion is a high priority on the world's agenda.

More likely, we see Middle East meltdown, with concommitant pressure on shales, sands and every possible down & dirty fossil source.

Keep 'Em Rolling....

By aspoarticle 1037 - 14 February 2012 at 2:01am

I know this sounds a lot to ask but generally I think your goal to making a real breakthrough into other peoples way to thinking and living is looking into ways of finding reliable and renewable energy sources because its all very well saying that deep-sea drilling needs tp be stopped (which I do comppletly agree on) but what we have failed to adress is what type of ebergy source will take its place. If we stop the use of all fossil fuels what will we use as an alternative. If we find a better and effective means for creating evergy Im sure big companies like cairn will comepletly back us up with what we are trying to achieve. The real problem is getting there.

By Freya Nixon-Davingoff - 14 February 2012 at 2:28am

This is a massive task. Oil companies are driven by greed and so will pay whatever to have a piece of the action. This is a global concern & I think Greenpeace should try and join forces with other organisations like Avaaz which has more than 10 million members and lobby governments, MPs etc. The oil companies won't listen!

By Andy C - 14 February 2012 at 2:50am

There should be tests ineach major city regarding the amount of carbon and compared with previous tests over the past ten years, then tests carried out on trees that estimate how many trees the world has and how much on average is actually being processed, then the idea can be further evidenced through these calcualtions of what is expected, I will be happy to print flyers if anyone else wants to help carry this out, it's big but it will happen, awareness must be raised of the change and alternative power sources available - silicon solar cells that are proven to be ten times more efficient than the glass ones that are being churned out and more damaging than good. How much is it going to take for the consistent pollution to be stopped. I smoke, however when I go into a city after living outside of a city the difference in air can be tasted. Industrialisation is merely the Globalisation of Capitalism and SOMETHING MUST BE DONE! Our ideas must be joined together in some efficient way.

By SPANON - 14 February 2012 at 2:58am

I think a very moving, catchy yet eye opening documentary needs to be produced about how each and everyone one of us is a participant to climate change and how it can take years to alter our 'lifestyle' in order to prevent the worst from happening. Even where we buy our food from requires oil because of the transportation that is required to deliver supermarket goods! And even that has preservatives all over it. It also annoys me to see that we are more happy to buy apples from abroad when we grow some of the finest apples in this country. England is known for its exceedingly delicious apple pies!!! I have already started filming some stuff on climate change but I'm targeting at a particular audience. A media approach to deliver this issue would be a great idea so that unaware people can realise that if they don't change their lifestyle, roughly within a centuries time, countries could become non-existant because it'll be under sea level! Oil is destroying lives, and our planet!!!

By Feryal - 14 February 2012 at 3:39am

End capitalism & it's associated greed...

Despite it's recent crises, this will not happen...

Thus, we are doomed...

Ignorance, nonchalance, recklessness & selfishness (unfortunately) reign supreme.

We are witnessing the beginning of the end...

Sorry to be the harbinger of doom.

We can try to overcome, to reverse damage done,

And we, the true planetary citizens, will try...

But to no avail.

We, humanity, are plundering the planet.

We, the people, may prolong her life, but we won't save the earth.

By The Unholy Poet - 14 February 2012 at 4:08am

Yo pienso que tarde o temprano se deberá prohibir todo explotación de cualquier material , especialmente petróleo y gas natural , ya que los efectos contaminantes son tantos y a tanlargo plazo que no podemos permitirnos mas este tipo de explotación .

By Roberto J. - 14 February 2012 at 4:28am

It seems that this destructive Ape, Man has learned nothing of our delicate balance on this Planet.. Greed through monetary gains drive all issues now and will do for as long as we exist as a species. and virtually nothing will ultimately stop these oil Moguls from their path of destruction....However, fear not my Planet caring friends, for when Man has outbred himself to self annihilation, the Earth will return to it's former glory and be well rid of us....200 years on, the balance will be restored

By Polar Ice - 14 February 2012 at 4:58am

Oil from the Arctic should be out of reach for ALL oil companies. The international community should take legal action against explorers especially after the disastrous oil spill in the gulf of Mexico.

By Shrikant - 14 February 2012 at 5:17am

CLIMATE PROBLEM IS MAIN PROBLEM IN THE WORLD, BUT DEPEND ON HUMAN BEHAVIOUR FOR STOP CLIMATE CHANGED OR NOT AND SAVE ANIMAL,BIRD OR NOT AND SAVE NATURAL RESOURCES OR NOT.

By Dhaivat Mankad - 14 February 2012 at 5:57am

1) Ask schools to add the book "Small is beautiful" by Schumacher to the curriculum. I found another book "How much should a person consume" by Ramachandra Guha to be enlightening too.

2) Also the school curriculum should be changed such that it teaches chemistry very differently. The science of chemistry has enabled people to create chemical compounds recklessly. The curriculum normally does have a chapter on pollution but we need to tell people that "chemistry" shall only be employed as a last resort. We shall not produce any chemical compound unnecessarily.

Currently, the situation is like giving guns to kids or leaving kids alone in a place where there is heavy traffic.

We could ask the Nobel committee to stop the Nobel prize on Chemistry.

3) We need a campaign forever against "glamour of science". We need to tell people that intelligent adults need no glamour/fashion. Today, useless people are in limelight but genuine people are shown as ordinary.

I hold all of you guys who are actively involved in greenpeace in high esteem. I hope God gives you the best in this life or the next.

By SSB - 14 February 2012 at 7:02am

It is insanity to continue to pursue fossil fuel. We need to base our ecomony upon our ecology. I may be a dreamer but I believe we can win this. I have often thought that if we have solar power why can't some scientists make a solar shield over the artic and antartic and deflect the sun rays and send the energy out into the world for consumption....instead of fossil fuel.

The air we breath, the earth we walk upon, the water and the ice need to be protected as COMMONS. That is the Commons belongs to all peoples of the earth freely and is not ever for sale.

So some say to me...so dreamer...how do we get there. We keep dreaming it util it becomes. Don't ever stop seeing the earth healing. Do everything we can in every moment to contribute to our earth's well being....and one by one....we will arrive!

By Laara WilliamSen - 14 February 2012 at 7:23am

Any campaign needs to draw on the images of the Arctic that the public
can identify with. How about a bear necessities campaign, yeah I know
that was the jungle book but the links can be twofold, the image of the
polar bear is one that resonates with the public and secondly with
temperature rises you can make the link. Plus the natural theme song is
one that is catchy, easily adapted and captures peoples attention as I'm humming it now.

By atticusuk - 14 February 2012 at 8:31am

People of not just the Arctic states but people everywhere need to galvanized and legitimate mass protests need to organised in every country. The heads of Arctic nations need to be sent a clear message from the people of all countries that they undermining the future of not just their nations but of the entire world. They need to be made aware of their massive responsibility towards the world. But as far as possible, we need to not depend on local politicians to relay our protest. Direct engagement has a much better effect.

We can also help the native inhabitants in whichever way we can (monetary support included) to resist and protest the devastation of their homes.

By Saurabh - 14 February 2012 at 8:43am

We need another blockbuster film to outreach to those not wildly interested in the environment as well. The two films over the last 10 years (names and directors escape me) - one to do with the Bush administration, the director that largish unshaven american bloke; the other film British made with the English actor that died recently 'Postlethwaite'?) regarding Global Warming/Pollution etc. Both fims reached a much wider audience and made people sit up and think... and governemtns were made to respond, which they did!!

The film would be about an oil rig, or driling disaster in the Arctic, affecting cities from the oil slick, the animals, and of course life lost on board from a blow out. I know Greenpeace has the CONTACTS!!

By AnnaCEP - 14 February 2012 at 9:17am

It's all about consumption society. You all want more every day: clothes, food, parties, tvshows, cars, juwellery, sex. You all are parasites, locusts. All you can do is talking.

By daulphine13 - 14 February 2012 at 9:35am

How about campaining at the source; the oil companies themselves, as well as politicians, leaders in power etc who are allowing this to happen. Oil companies are going to be obsolete anyway, so they might as well begin investing their energies in alternative energies... adapt or die oil companies!!

We must stop the oil companies themselves from drilling etc, as well as those giving them permission. As to how, well that's Greenpeace's area of expertise.

Totally agree with Chris A as well, if there was no market, they would stop drilling, but that aint gonna happen anytime time soon, the majority of people would never change their transport and heating habits etc... However, if we can stop or slow the drilling for oil by the companies, this should limit amounts of oil we have, making it more expensive, then we will be forced sooner to look for alternatives. Continuing to exploit the oil reserves makes no sense in the long run anyway, it is still going to run out!!

By Env.Manager88 - 14 February 2012 at 9:37am

Change the collective consciousness

Create an idea, and a dream, of an unspoilt landscape (and it is) – work with musicians, artists, children, poets and dreamers to create that vision.

Then create the conflict, the idea that the Arctic is under threat (and it is), that evil profiteering oil companies don’t care about the dream, only making a fast corporate profit. The idea that greedy nations are carving up international territory (and they are), profiting from the consequences of climate change, that are destroying other countries.

Then once those ideas are as powerful as Ban the Bomb, Better Dead that Red, Save the Rainforest, Free Nelson Mandela, No taxation without representation etc, when the headline act at the Reading festival cries Save the Arctic, when every school kid has an Arctic poster on their wall, when little old ladies are rattling tins outside the supermarket and politicians are forced to make a statement on the issue (or better yet, have posters in their offices)– then launch a campaign to mobilise the people and the governments of the world to unite behind an Arctic treaty that protects the region for all of humankind.

By Diana Culbert - 14 February 2012 at 9:45am

If we don't use all that oil, there won't be a need to drill for more.

Sadly,
the UK has not done much to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. The
government's pathetic decision to halve the Feed-in Tariff for
generating solar electricity, is just one example - at the moment, the
solar industry that had begun to emerge, is disappearing again, with the
loss of 40,000 jobs. UK governments have refused for decades to take
renewables and energy conservation seriously. While Germany now
generates over 20% of its electricity from renewables, and will use 100%
clean electricity in nine years' time (if current trends continue), the
UK is still at one or two per cent. Low-energy standards have been
compulsory for new builds and refurbishments in many continental
countries for many years, and 'Passivhaus' (i.e. zero energy) and even
'Plus Energy' (which feed more power into the grid, than they use) are
becoming more common. But not in the UK.

For 200 years the UK has
been burning as much coal, oil and gas as possible, because it has been
producing these fuels, and energy barons and their governments had no
interest in energy conservation. Breaking this habit is not rocket science. The UK has the wind and tidal potential to generate the electricity it needs several times over. Homes can be built, or modernised, to Scandinavian or other low-energy standard - with a thick layer of insulation, triple glazed windows, automatic ventilation with heat recovery, and a solar thermal system on the roof. The A++ rated domestic appliances which are currently only available in the German speaking countries, need to be introduced to the UK market. We need investment in public transport - powered with renewable electricity wherever possible (trams, trolley buses). It will require a combination of personal action and political campaigning, but it can be done!

Gerhard

By Gerhard - 14 February 2012 at 10:00am

What I would like to understand is, when and if all the ice goes will the Arctic still exist at all? What will make it different from any other part of our oceans? I am not sure we can protect something that is not significantly unique in some way.

By Mary Hunt - 14 February 2012 at 10:11am

Greenpeace should concentrate on the main source of environmental problems - that is the sheer number of human beings on the planet. No-one whether filthy rich or impoverished will accept a steadily decreasing standard of living instead of one that improves, and the richer the human being the more he or she consumes and wishes to consume. If five couples each manage reduce their consumption by 10% over an 80 year period, which is itself hard to achieve in the Western environment, their efforts are nullified if one couple has a baby.

The solution is therefore to give all women worldwide the knowledge, power and means to stop having more children than two and to eliminate all incentives to have more.

By Bill Minter - 14 February 2012 at 10:11am

Mass education programme of the problems facing the planet due to global warming, in order to change people's mindsets of 'not in my lifetime', whereby people ignore the issues as they believe that they won't be affected during their time on the planet.

By Tony Newell - 14 February 2012 at 10:29am

We need to get off oil and quickly move to sustainable energy to slow climate change and address peak oil and the environmental impacts of trying to extract it from under the sea. Of course politicians will continue to support the oil industry while they can still wring money out of the ground so we need to dump them and get better politicians or a better system. Vote green

By Garry Owers - 14 February 2012 at 10:37am

I thing there is many things to do at the same time to have a chance to save the artic and stop the environnement destruction. One of the most important thing is to change this system and to turn it into a démocratic (a real one) system.

SO.... one of the pain in our ass are the politicals people. We have to re-imagine the democracy and build somethning better than the actual illusion and joke of democracy.

The Islands seem to have understood this. They put bankers into justice and they are really trying to make a real democracy. We schould take this exemple as a model and a base to a new reflection. We also have to put the bankers and financials criminals into justice and in maybe most of them in jail.

So... one idea to get a chance to save the world is to change the politcal system and remove the capitalism from the humanity chains.

So we have to be more involved into politic and fight financial trust. We have to fight them out !

Ciao. (Sorry for my english but this is not my language ;)

By Olivier Joulget - 14 February 2012 at 10:58am

GO GREEN - solar panels made in UK - tiny electric cars made in UK - who out there can do this?

By chezdarma - 14 February 2012 at 11:11am

Invite or demand all the World Leaders to see first hand the devastation for themselves as no written reports, photographs, etc. can have the same impact as seeing it for yourself.

By Veronica Prince - 14 February 2012 at 11:12am

Maybe Greenpeace should ask groups who take part in deforestation in local parks to stop cutting down trees, as well as asking oil companioes to stop drilling in the Arctic.

By Lisa Rosengard - 14 February 2012 at 11:13am

I believe that the single most important thing we can do to cure many of the ills of our society with one fell stroke is to rein in the corporations. These soulless creations, 'persons' in the sight of man-made law, are the root of the greed inherent in our culture;, they seek only profit, and the law is ever on their side. The film '<a href="http://www.thecorporation.tv">The Corporation</a>' does a good job of highlighting the fact that, were these 'persons' to be interrogated on a couch, their personalities would be revealed as a single type: psychopathic.

Once upon a time, not so very long ago, corporations did not have lives of their own. The only reason that they exist in the form they've mutated into is because we allowed it to happen. We can change this -- and if the will exists to force the beasts to heel, by changing this one thing we can change the world.

By Colin Reynolds - 14 February 2012 at 11:16am

How about selling the Arctic and Antiarctic land in lots?

Not only activists, also celebrities, the general public etc

We test their responsibility and responsibility means that they have to do something to protect their own land. If there ice land is melt, they have to pay a fine and the fine can be used to save the other unsold land. The land which is sold have a limitation. And owners don't have to be one person per land. Owners can be a school, class, companies, family etc...

but we should be careful about limited land width per owner for keeping people ,who have power, from misusing their land.

By Heesu - 14 February 2012 at 11:21am

A very difficult one....

On the positive side and which could be used as focal points for publicity:

Loss of habitat for polar bears, arctic fox, grey seals etc (Come on Attenborough use your not insignificant influence!)

Interference with Innuit lifestyles and customs

Danger of North Atlantic 'switch off' (I can't remember its technical term but is when the quanityt of melted fresh water from Arctic ice threatens the balance of the sea's temperature and salinity..) leading to severe climate change.

Should we encourage cruise ships to go to see the Aurora Borealis to show people what would be lost if things are allowed to continue as they are going..?

This must be a matter for the United Nations to get involved with on a political level.

Can't think of many other radical things!.

Best of luck.

ChrisC

By Chris Shirley-Smith - 14 February 2012 at 11:40am

Firstly stop all these childish references to scifi films. It might appeal to a few but the issues you are taking on are much too important to be treated in such a juvenile manner. I am 63 and can promise you that if you hope to attract the help of those with power/influence they will, in the main, not take your emails seriously.

I will contact you later once I have had time to think about your question of what to do if I come up with any good ideas.

By KQ - 14 February 2012 at 11:43am

Greenpeace to finally have "the balls" to recognise and acknowledge that the ten-fold increase in the numbers of our species that has occurred in the last 250 years, permitted by the indiustrial-scale exploitation of cheap fossil fuel, is the main driver of carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, along with species' extinction, environmental pollution, over-cultivation and land tribal wars.

As long as Greenpeace continues to focus on saving the odd polar bear and harassing Japanese whaling ships it will succeed in diverting the minds of its supporters from the "elephant in the room": There are simply too many of us for our single planet to support; a fact that is becoming increasingly obvious as we move into era of "peak everything".

Our species will either rein back and reverse population growth in
a considered, controlled and humane way, or nature will do it for us; in
the same way it deals with population explosions in all other species; in a
nasty, barbaric and cruel way, starting with the poor and the vulnerable.

The choice is
ours.

By Alan Stedall - 14 February 2012 at 11:56am

Crowd will not understand we are close to collapse the planet, i think we have to fight for our dignity,maybe doing more active demonstration instead of convincing ignorant and ""omologate" people in the street to join our cause

By Alain - 14 February 2012 at 11:58am

Stop the deforestation, consuming in a stupid way, buy local product, reduce the energy consomption, ...

By Bar Johann - 14 February 2012 at 12:31pm

By paul from UK - 14 February 2012 at 12:45pm

WE SHOULD CONSUME LESS GAS AND OIL TO PRESERVE THE AIR AND OCEAN AND INVEST IN RENOWABLE ENERGY, THE RENEW ENERGY IS POSSIBLE BUT UNTIL WILLY BE BIG COMPANY AND INTEREST IN OIL AND GAS WE CANNOT CHANGE THE SITUATION, HOPE IN A BETTER FUTURE.FROM ITALY DAVIDE ;))

By DAVIDE DANTI - 14 February 2012 at 12:58pm

More pressure on politicians and CEOs of the large oil companies. Hold them to corporate social responsibility. Highlight the effect on the Arctic if no action is taken and use the press to publicise the effects.

By Swati Patel - 14 February 2012 at 1:00pm

I think the public should be made fully aware of the threats of climate change on the Arctic, and what we at home are doing that contributes to climate change. I know some people that still believe this isn't really happening so they don't see a reason to do much about it. Also, we should make younger generations more aware and get them involved- make it easier for them to help.

By Lydia M - 14 February 2012 at 1:04pm

Dave Hubble (& others) have the idea, ie, multiple solutions. But the most fundamental one is: Make it more PROFITABLE to do GOOD, rather than bad. Trouble is, under whose LAWS do these companies work? International?? = vague. But under specific authorities/countries? - then target these governments so as to give them plenty of legal stick, meaning GIGANTIC TAXES. And put the legal responsibility for ensuing bankcuptcy on specific company directors. Shoo them out of their comfort zones. Then carrots: pass the money thus got DIRECTLY (admin costs coming from income-taxes) to GREEN energy producers. It's hard cash that always trumps everything!

By David Colquhoun - 14 February 2012 at 1:05pm

I think that the best results will come when the goverments from different countries will listen to what we have to say about climate change and the Arctic. And not only listen but DO something about it!!! Because they are the only people who can solve the problem!!! with our help!

By mileidi - 14 February 2012 at 1:09pm

After all the disasters in other parts of the World that have occured in locations just as stunning which were also teaming with wildlife, you would think that we Human's would have learnt our lesson by now. But NO we're still willing to let multi national oil companies put profit and greed before the environment and the creatures that live their. And then we have to watch the aftermath when it all goes horribly wrong and the scenes of the wildlife covered in oil, either starving to death or being poisoined by the oil which the creatures try to clean off themselves - WHY? WHY? WHY? The impact that these oil companies have on the environment as well as the wildlife when they begin drilling in my book mean that NO DRILLING SHOULD EVER TAKE PLACDE IN THE ANTARTIC - EVER!! No-one can garantee that another oil spill will never occur their so we should LEAVE WELL ALONE!!

By Kath Meiklejohn - 14 February 2012 at 1:23pm

Organise that we all write letters to appropriate government departments, worldwide, asking why they are sanctioning further fossil fuel extraction when they know existing levels of extraction have already caused irreversible and disastrously damaging effects on the environment.

By Michael Forbes - 14 February 2012 at 1:46pm

Man's GREED and STUPIDITY!

GREED: A few will profit while destroying our beatiful world... Their bank accounts will be plentiful... their children will have fancy houses and go to high-priced schools.. ensuring that they will continue to be connected and well established... and later they will lie under polished granite tombstones...

STUPIDITY: many will support the few who will profit from destroying our beautiful world... they will support the few because they believe that all is well... nothing is happening... and that the few who will profit actually care about them,,, will give them jobs... These many believe that we should not try to stop GREED...

Meanwhile Mother Earth cries...

By Bob Eck - 14 February 2012 at 2:14pm

The oil companies are pursuing new deposits because people buy their products. Individuals should reduce their spend on petrol by committing to halve their mileage, reduce consumption of central heating oil. reduced consumption against higher prices of crude has already bankrupted Petroplus, a refiner, meaning that fuel prices remain high because of reduced refined product. People need to be weaned off hydro carbons. It's alright targeting VW for example but what about the motorists who drive everywhere unnecessarily. Slashing demand is the best medecine for curtailing oil exploration, A healthy redfuction in the human population also would help enormously.

By Arevalo - 14 February 2012 at 2:18pm

In this world people who are wealthy conspire to control more and more, particularly the money. As long as this continues, sadness through destruction and inequality will be.

Can we make greed really shameful? Can all people take responsibility and be rational and fair?

By Sylvia - 14 February 2012 at 2:38pm

Save Our Artic ! We have the most wonderful nature filming ever, yet the people are not yet engaged with stopping destruction of Artic, Rainforest & Reefs. People do organize to defend "our" stuff. A broad range of people,campaign to "Save Our Village", and at the national level (Our NHS, Our National parks) too". But the global ecosystems are too distant & aboard. People say "The Artic, The Rainforest, The Oceans", beyond their influence. But all these are part of our (us, the global living things) communal wealth. All are essential to our life, & all contain the most beautiful nature. If we move language to Our Artic, Our Rainforests, Our Oceans, people will start to realise their possible loss & their responsibilty & power to take action.

By BrianW - 14 February 2012 at 2:45pm