Sustainable Futures: Resilience and Courage Required
Part 3 of 3: Antarctica Blog Series
A photo of Port Lockroy taken during Dr. Tiffany Vora’s voyage to Antarctica in November 2023.
We’ve reached our final post in this series about the links between Antarctica and our future. If you’re just joining us, check out the earlier posts about the conversation that inspired this series, Antarctica's changing climate and how we need to adapt, and how tech (and business) can help.
I closed our far-ranging conversation by asking polar oceanographer Dr. Mark Brandon about his vision for the future. Spoiler alert: despite everything we’d talked about, he has hope. Read on to find out why! Portions of this interview have been edited and condensed for clarity.
This is what dreams are made of
Tiffany: If you look 50 years into the future, what would you want to see? What's your ideal future for Antarctica?
Dr. Mark Brandon: People still visiting for tourism. Because I think that's important for connection, human connection.
I see recovery. I'm an optimist. I actually asked a lot of people, with the BBC stuff that I've worked on [the documentary series Frozen Planet]. I asked climate scientists, are you optimistic about the future? Only one of them was not.
A lot of people come to Antarctica with the view that it's untouched wilderness. But many of the places that we've been to [on this trip] are the remnants of an industrial disaster zone.
We didn't get to South Georgia [this month] because of bird flu and because of the weather. But South Georgia is a perfect example of recovery. It's littered with whaling stations. There are whale bones everywhere. These systems are in recovery now. We know the whales are coming back and the ecosystem is coming more in balance.
So in 50 years’ time, I think we will have a better understanding of our impact on Antarctica and in terms of our weather systems. [See previous post.] And the sad fact is, most of the general public don’t—they might understand what a mean [temperature] is, but they don’t understand the implication.
In 50 years’ time, we will care more. We would understand the relevance.
It’s not just Antarctica. Other remote regions of our planet are equally important. It’s easy to think of the Arctic as being, you know, “the critical place” for deep water formation or the Antarctic for wildlife. But [our planet] is a system. And if we take any one thing out of it, then that can cause severe [effects].
I am optimistic about the future. And that’s a terrible answer, and I apologize for it.
Tiffany: I think that’s great!
Dr. Mark Brandon: I will go away tonight and lie awake and think of what a better answer would be. But I am positive about the future. I have kids!
Tiffany: And I am always interested in that far future vision. Because then the question is, well, what do we have to do 25 years from now to make that happen? 10 years from now, 5 years from now, 2 years from now, next year?
Dr. Mark Brandon: That question was exactly what drove our paper about the [Antarctic Peninsula under a] 1.5 degree warming scenario. People think that [the Paris Agreement] is a 30-year problem—whereas the Arctic and Antarctica is now.
Antarctica’s future is our future
A photo of a Gentoo penguin, the world's fastest underwater bird! Although many species of plants and animals are being devastated by climate change, to date, Gentoos seem to be adapting to warmer conditions and far less sea ice. But their future is uncertain, given the twin threats of declining krill levels (gentoo food) and avian influenza reaching the Antarctic region.
My voyage to the Antarctic Peninsula is one that I will never be able to repeat—because the region is changing so rapidly. Here are some of the changes to the Peninsula predicted in 2019 by Dr. Brandon and his international team:
Up to 130 days each year above 0 °C
More ocean turbulence (impacting global weather)
Ice and glaciers thinning and receding, leading to more icebergs (impacting shipping, and more)
Changes in what biological organisms can survive in the region, and where they can live. That includes pathogens!
But here’s the thing. That analysis focused on predictions for 1.5 °C of warming, the threshold that was the focus of the Paris Agreement.
In 2023, that threshold was breached for about a third of the days of the year. Which means that the goal of avoiding extensive, long-term warming of more than 1.5 °C is looking increasingly hard to achieve.
It may no longer even be possible.
Further, these predicted changes are in addition to changes elsewhere in Antarctica, such as the catastrophic loss of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, which will drastically affect sea-level rise globally. As we saw in Part 1 of this series, collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is already “locked in” due to decades of our inaction on carbon emissions and climate change. The resulting sea-level rise will impact our cities, our supply chains, and ways of life for millions—if not billions—of people in the coming decades. Changes in Antarctica’s sea ice and ocean currents will disrupt webs that our food systems (particularly fisheries) critically depend on. And a warmer Southern Ocean will soak up less carbon dioxide, increasing uncertainty around future efforts to slow or reverse climate change.
Nonetheless, Mark persists in believing that positive futures are possible. So do many of his colleagues. So do I.
And so should you.
What can we do today?
Dr. Tiffany Vora during her 2023 voyage to Antarctica with Homeward Bound. Image credits: Heidi Victoria
I journeyed to Antarctica not as a tourist, but as part of a community of women and nonbinary people in STEMM determined to serve as leaders in a complex, dynamic, and often terrifying world. I witnessed a fragile ecosystem that was vanishing as I watched it. I shed tears of grief, frustration, anger … as well as tears of wonder and gratitude.
And I came home determined to share what I’ve learned with people like you.
That’s because the future is not inevitable. We make the future, every day, through the decisions that we make and the lives that we lead.
We can choose to make our businesses part of the solutions to our biggest challenges.
We can choose to teach our children that sustainability is not just about protecting our planet, but about cherishing our future.
We can choose to raise our hands and say, “I’ve got an idea.”
We can choose to leave a legacy.
I hope I’ve convinced you that what happens in Antarctica will impact our lives for decades to come. Antarctica is worth fighting for—because the future is worth fighting for.
Together, we can not just survive the coming decades, but thrive in them. And so can our planet.
A photo of Claudia Roedel, Homeward Bound Expedition Leader during the voyage to Antarctica in November 2023.
In the words of my journey’s Expedition Leader, Claudia Roedel:
Remember that every action we take where we live resonates in the pristine beauty of the White Continent.
Let’s make today count.
For there is no Planet B.
About Tiffany
Dr. Tiffany Vora speaks, writes, and advises on how to harness technology to build the best possible future(s). She is an expert in biotech, health, & innovation.
After a 19-day voyage to Antarctica aboard The Island Sky in November 2023, Dr. Tiffany Vora has many remarkable stories to share & a wealth of insights to catalyze a sustainable future.
She also still has some fees (and carbon offsets) to cover. You can support her ongoing journey by donating through this link. Your support will spread positive impact around the world, empower Tiffany to protect time for impact-focused projects, and support travel for pro bono events with students & nonprofits.
For a full list of topics and ways to collaborate, visit Tiffany’s Work Together webpage.
Photos from Tiffany’s Antarctic Voyage
Donate = Impact
After a 19-day voyage to Antarctica aboard The Island Sky in November 2023, Tiffany has many remarkable stories to share & a wealth of insights to catalyze a sustainable future.
You can support her ongoing journey by making a contribution through her donation page. Your support will spread positive impact around the world, empower Tiffany to protect time for impact-focused projects, and support logistical costs for pro bono events with students & nonprofits.