Penguins’ warnings about climate change
In early January, Greenpeace’s ship the Arctic Sunrise set sail to Antarctica. On board were a team of scientists from Stony Brook University, who joined to conduct groundbreaking research on remote penguin colonies, many of which have never before been surveyed, in order to assess the impacts of a rapidly changing Antarctic on this important species.
Within a few days, the scientists discovered new penguin colonies not previously known to science.
The Arctic Sunrise travelled on to the Weddell Sea, where the scientists found that vast colonies of Adélie penguins have remained stable in the last decade, providing vital new evidence that these areas remain a climate refuge for Adélie penguins, a sentinel species.
The findings add more weight to the theory that the Weddell Sea may provide an important shelter for wildlife from the worst impacts of the climate crisis. The Weddell Sea is the site of a vast proposed Marine Protected Area (MPA), first proposed nearly a decade ago by the Antarctic Ocean Commission (CCAMLR), and has not yet been delivered.
A window to Antarctica – giant portal appears in London
On January 24th, a giant portal (4m tall and weighing almost 4 tonnes) appeared in Trafalgar Square, London, broadcasting live from remote penguin colonies in the Antarctic Peninsula and bringing the remote and fragile Antarctic straight into the heart of a bustling city over 8,000 miles away.
Almost 5 million people around the world are calling for a strong High Seas Treaty
In February, giant ocean creatures, hourglasses and direct communications popped up around the world. Almost 5 million people globally are asking their governments to take ambitious action to agree to a High Seas Treaty. Eleven Greenpeace offices around the world (and counting) delivered this petition[PRK1] to their governments, stepping up the pressure as the UN negotiations taking place in New-York from 7-18 March.
