Greenland 4 a Green and Sustainable Land
Published on 28.04.2009 - Emirates NBD Greenland Quest
Adrian Hayes's expedition has just been officially launched in Dubai with a hundred or so schoolchildren attending the event. The trio, consisting of Adrian Hayes, Devon McDiarmid and Derek Crowe, will be setting out in May.
The project has two facets: adventure first, then ecology.
Adventure first: the group will be setting out from the southernmost point of Greenland, unsupported and using traction kites, and will attempt to reach the north coast (JP Kocks fjord) and hence the Arctic Ocean, ending up in Quaanaaq (Thulé). In other words, from the Atlantic to the Arctic. Certainly the Greenland icecap is not exactly the toughest ice terrain in the world -in fact you could even say that it's the easiest. But for all that, the distance the men intend to cover is enormous: 3 500 km from start to finish. The team's press kit states that it will be the longest polar trek in the Arctic ever made. Even though the ecological message is the most important thing for this expedition, as we will see from the paragraph below, the three men also admit that they want to have a good time as they attempt to achieve something significant. Their sledges will carry rations and supplies equivalent to 65 days. The project also includes a scientific component, although we do not yet have much information about what it will be.
Then there's the ecological message: this will be along the lines of every polar mission currently, aimed at making the general public aware of the dramatic effects of global warming. But there's more to it than that: Hayes will also be emphasising that global warming is not the only thing happening at the moment and is part of something even bigger. He will be pointing out that the environment -which all too often is considered as another issue that should be dealt with separately -is in fact closely linked to the overall economy and social matters. We need to stop living, states his press kit, as though we human beings have unlimited resources at our disposal, without worrying about the future and how we should manage the resources left to us. So we need to live more harmoniously, ensuring that each person has his or her own place in the collective conscience.
Before the men set out on their journey, there are two websites worth visiting that will provide a better understanding of what they are trying to achieve: BioRegional and Global Footprint Network.
