The Benign and the Sublime in Antarctica
Antarctica — the vast, white, mysterious continent at the farthest reaches of the southern hemisphere. Some see it as a land of untamed wilderness, others as a land of science and research. To me, the meaning of Antarctica transcends the boundaries of our physical world. It is almost spiritual and mystical - a living symbol of the precious and beautiful essence that constitutes our existence on planet Earth.
Last Christmas break, I had the opportunity to study the Great White Continent as a participant of the Students on Ice 2014 Youth Antarctic Expedition. Students on Ice is an educational organization that gathers students, educators and scientists from around the world on expeditions to both the Arctic and Antarctic.
Using a modern icebreaker as our headquarters, our group of 66 students and 23 staff from around the world sailed past the edge of the human world to explore the grandeur and nuances of the Antarctic while immersed in a rigorous educational program of lectures, workshops and hands-on scientific research.
The raw and overwhelming beauty of the Antarctic cannot be described in words. At every moment, we were surrounded by the rocky, sculpted silhouettes of mountains rising like spires out of the deep vivid blue hues of the ocean. They were spotted with gleaming glaciers, enormous sheets of ice twisted and manipulated into creviced geometric patterns. Their intricacy, along with their rich blue tint, was only surpassed by the glaciers’ offspring — icebergs. Meandering around the ocean, these blocks of ice were carefully sculpted by the wind to form beautiful, 20-metre high masterpieces of swooping ridges and gently rounded curves. But perhaps the most majestic aspect of Antarctica was its wildlife. Thousands of towering whales, agile albatrosses, seals, and adorable, clumsy, awkwardly waddling penguins were everywhere. I could not believe that such complexity, massive scale and intricate beauty could exist on planet Earth.
One returns from such a remote and unique place changed, shaped by a new perspective regarding one’s role and purpose in life. Antarctica teaches a lesson in the evanescence of human life. That monolith of ice and snow has existed for millions of years, and will continue to exist for millions more. We run about our personal lives - pressing through the daily grind and chasing accomplishments of money, security of fame, in an anxious constant sprint from point A to point B. But, in the end, “the race” is meaningless. All material gains and achievements will eventually be swept away and forgotten while Antarctica will permanently remain. Moreover, the true beauty of life comes from living in harmony and admiration of places like Antarctica. This continent is an indescribable masterpiece of our natural world - bursting with intricate detail and massive scale, vivid life and desolation, silent stillness and roaring winds. In the presence of this continent, I was moved to tears by a sense of gratitude - a thankfulness that such beauty and wonder can exist in our world.
Nature casts a captivating spell over all of us which engages our minds and passions. It is almost a supernatural force that draws us to stand in awe in amazement and admiration of our world. As humans, it is imperative that we attend to our fundamental need for reflection and connection with our environment. The road to happy satisfaction in life is not found through the futile “rat race” but rather through the appreciation and connection with ourselves, with each other and with the beautiful planet we are lucky enough to call home. Unfortunately, the Great White Continent’s permanence in health and beauty is being challenged by human activities. Climate change is destroying the coastline of Antarctica, with some locations having experienced a 3 degree increase in average temperature over the last fifty years--a far greater shift than it sounds. This shift has accelerated the melting of glaciers, which could have unpredictable effects on the continent’s geography, its surrounding biosphere and even the rest of the world’s weather patterns. In addition, some countries’ emerging interest in the harvesting of krill, a small marine plankton, has the potential to collapse the Antarctic food chain. Humanity cannot allow this masterpiece of nature to be eroded away by the winds of personal greed. It would be a shame to sacrifice something so complex, so grandiose, so substantial and so beautiful for mere ambition - which is ultimately superfluous, miserable and futile. Let reverence for the seed from which all life grows guide our personal beliefs and actions. And together, through collaborative actions like the COP 21 environmental conference which occurred last December, we can make the world a better place. As the great Canadian band Rush once sung, “And the men who hold high places. Must be the ones to start. To mould a new reality. Closer to the heart."
Photo Credit: Eva Wu
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