PRESS RELEASE
The WORLD ARCTIC FUND launches its sailing expedition to the Arctic, supported by Jean-Michel Cousteau, Bianca Jagger and more than 20 partners.
Berlin, Germany, 25 November- The World Arctic Fund (WAF), an NGO founded to address the major changes that the Arctic is facing today, and strongly communicate the severe effects this has on humankind, yesterday announced its first scientific mission to the Arctic: POLAR 4. At the gala conference held at the Soho House in Berlin, the president of WAF, Capt. Simone Orlandini, together with Bianca Jagger and Jean-Michael Cousteau, presented the details of this unique expedition.
The situation in the Arctic influences us in many ways, and the increasing temperatures are reaching alarming levels. This year, the ice has reached the lowest extent in history. Nuclear disasters such as Fukushima and sunken nuclear submarines are causing radioactive pollution in the Arctic. Jean-Michel Cousteau, who will be part of the crew of Polar4, says: „The Arctic is key to understanding how humankind influences the world and climate change. I support this very important Polar4 expedition with all my energy. We now have to do everything we can to better understand how our planet is changing, and have to take action.
Bianca Jagger says: “The Arctic is known as the ‘canary in the coal mine’ for climate change. It is our early-warning system: what happens in the Arctic will soon happen to the rest of the world. We should all be alarmed that the Arctic will be ice-free by 2020. Rising sea levels will endanger between 147 to 216 million people. The Polar 4 expedition will convey a global message; rising awareness of the imminent loss of the fragile Arctic ecosystem and of the threat of catastrophic climate change. It is a privilege to be part of Polar4’s mission.”
In summer of 2017, four sailing boats are set to sail over unexplored Arctic regions, with different missions but a common goal: to increase awareness that climate change comes first and fastest to the Arctic. These four missions are namely:
Polar South 4 Climate/Science: Renowned Arctic scientists and researchers will take samples and observe the current changes in the Arctic, to assess the damage.
Polar North 4 Discovery: In 1928, the airship Italia crashed in the Arctic during a groundbreaking scientific expedition. The Discovery boat will conduct a pioneer search to find the wreck of the airship.
Polar West 4 Mapping: The future of Arctic navigation is in the hands of the crew of this boat. They will map Arctic regions that have never been mapped before.
Polar East 4 Media: The media team will document the daily activities of the mission and report it live to the world. The expedition is equipped with special underwater equipment, 360° and virtual reality cameras. Stefan Beiten of Greenlight Media, the Executive Producer of the Polar East 4 Media mission, says: “This will be an active continuation of Deep Blue and Earth.
With this unique and brave approach to saving the Arctic, the World Arctic Fund gathered overwhelming support from renowned organizations and climate change advocates like Bianca Jagger (Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation), Jean-Michel Cousteau (Ocean Futures Society), Dr. David Krieger (Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, members are e.g. Harrison Ford, Dalai Lama). The actress Tea Falco and representatives of the Italian Embassy in Berlin also attended the event. More than 20 international partners support the expedition and help to increase awareness for climate change around the world.
For more information, please contact: +49 30 381 030 19 info@worldarcticfund.org