Open water thwarts North Pole expedition
An 18-year-old New Zealander hauled a 50kg sled through minus 25 degree temperatures and a 40 knot wind to try to reach the North Pole last month.
A teenage New Zealander on a trek across the ice was foiled by open water just 50km short of the North Pole last month.
The climate-conscious Aucklander is concerned New Zealanders are not taking global warming seriously.
Rick Zwaan, 18, is one of seven young people, from around the world, who participated in a three-week climate change expedition to the magnetic north pole in May.
However, after walking 150km in eight days, pulling 50kg sleds through 40 knot winds and minus 25 degree temperatures, the young explorers had to stop 50km away from their target destination as the Arctic ice had melted into open water.
Despite this Rick says it was an amazing experience.
“To be surrounded by absolutely nothing, no trees, no noise, just silence, in such a beautiful environment is indescribable.”
Rick says the open water is proof of what global warming activists are trying to tell the world.
“It’s really scary that politicians, especially in New Zealand, aren’t doing enough.
“The ice used to be four metres thick now it is only 20 to 30 centimetres in places… Climate model research suggests Europe could be facing an ice age as early as 2050 if it continues this way.”
The aim of the expedition was to gather ice sample information for the University of Munich and the climate models.
Rick says while satellites provide some information there is a desperate shortage of land-based research.
But land research is no easy feat.
It’s really hard when it’s so cold and you’re always hungry, even though we were eating 6000 calories a day.
“It definitely makes me appreciate running water.”
The young activist is no stranger to climate change awareness.
Rick was involved with the Copenhagen climate negotiations in 2009, the UNICEF Children’s’ Climate Summit and discussions in Mexico last year with the New Zealand Youth Delegation.
For the next six months he will be travelling NZ, with a group called Regeneration, spreading the word about global warming.
The expedition was a Mike Horn, Pangaea Young Explorers initiative.
