GP Ship Departs for Antarctica Documenting Climate Chanage

["greenbas" <greenbas@gb.greenpeace.org>]

GREENPEACE SHIP  DEPARTS FOR ANTARCTICA DOCUMENTING CLIMATE
CHANGE   

Ushuaia, Argentina/Amsterdam, 21 January 1997:  Greenpeace's
ship MV Arctic Sunrise departed for Antarctica today on a
expedition to document the emerging signs of climate change in
the frozen continent. Leaving from Ushuaia in southern
Argentina, the four week tour will involve Greenpeace crew and
campaigners from around the world* and will visually document
the ongoing climatic and ecosystem changes that have been
observed along the Antarctic Peninsula.
 
As a consequence of rapid increases in temperature vast areas of
ice shelf--the large floating masses of ice
surrounding the continents--are distintegrating along the
coastlines of the Antarctic Peninsula. Other changes, such as
declines in  penguin populations, southward movement of seals
and spreading colonies of flowering plants provide further
evidence of climatic impacts.
 
"The Antarctic continent is experiencing signs of climate
change," said Greenpeace climate impacts specialist Erwin
Jackson. "Many of these changes are entirely consistent with
global warming caused by human activities."   
The effects of the warming on the Antarctic climate extend well
beyond the Antarctic region itself, and may well have dramatic
global repercussions. For example, the loss of sea-ice reduces
the reflection of sunlight - known as albedo - and changes the
ability of the ocean to absorb carbon dioxide and heat. Sea
level rise associated with increased discharge from the ice
sheets represents one of the greatest threats from human-induced
climatic change.   
"The severity of these changes foreshadow what could be coming
to the rest of the world," said expedition leader Janet
Dalziell: "Greenpeace will be taking the findings from this tour
to world leaders in a call for action for drastic reductions in
greenhouse gas emissions."
 
The expedition starts a year of Greenpeace campaigning to ensure
that si gnificant targets and timetables are agreed at the Third
Climate Summit in Kyoto in December this year.
 
-Ends-
 
Contact details:
On board MV Arctic Sunrise (ph +874 (or 871) 130 2577:
     Janet Dalziell -- Expedition Leader, English
     Erwin Jackson -- Climate Impacts Specialist, English
     Martina Krueger -- German and Dutch
     Emiliano Ezcurra -- Spanish
Greenpeace International press desk, Jon Walter ++31 20 5249 547 
 
Note to editors: 
onboard of the Arctic Sunrise, the following nationalities are
represented: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark,
Germany, Japan, (former) Yugoslavia, The Netherlands, New
Zealand, Russia, Switzerland, United Kingdom, USA
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