Comment

hello I-Tasc crew,

Thanks for the work and stories from there I am reading them daily. Slowly
I begin to have questions. I am also motivated by the last posts by all of
you about the meaning of doing this adventure.
I see that your objectives are scientific so I am wondering if there would
be some way for you to measure how polluted Antarctica already is or find
access to this data. I mean
electromagnetic pollution and also from fuel, from radiation,
etc.

I had some conversation some days ago with a friend here in Barcelona.
Some kind of end of the world conversation (is a surprise for me but
people keep bringing this subject in). Anyway, he was describing to me how
he thought, the poles would become the next colonization ends. Due to
global warming (and mars being still too expensive). So he was saying that
Antarctica will become a site to be colonized by the rich and the elite.

You know I think artists sometimes are used to present in a friendly way
the work of scientists or governments or 'foundations' (i.g.people with
power/money) so, in this case perhaps you are in the role of explorers for
a tendency to inhabit this remote end. How remote the possibility of
colonization is in the treaties already existing for Antarctica? Even if
this sounds like bad conspiracy theory or sci-fi I would just keep the
idea of colonization and consider tourism as a form of it.

I don't think that one is necessarily cynical for wondering what the
reasons to be there are. I think this wondering is healthy but must lead
to a decision, not only in the realm of the symbolic (like making a
statement by not doing anything). I would just ask if is possible to find
out how far this agenda has already gone. How many non-scientific people
are reaching this far end including tourists that come to different bases,
journalists, artists. And what does this mean in terms of pollution.

I really would like to know how far pollution in Antarctica has already
gone and what are the measurements being done to quantify it.

About your worries of polluting, I think you are right, that you are part
of a movement/change/ in the world where there are very few places left
that are not wasted and some are exploring, measuring, estimating how
possible a new colonization is or at least how to make available new ends
for leisure (so, touristic colonization). I mean, 10 years ago perhaps,
this kind of adventure such as yours could not have taken place, because
really only scientific people and military could be there.

I also wonder where are the animals in all this, have you seen them?, is
there life in the ice or rocks around (likens?), is all white, like a
steppe of ice? I saw something like this once, in Chile while we were
doing  a trail in Parque Torres del Paine. Going up a mountain, from the
top you could see Campos de Hielo Sur. Also in Argentinian Patagonia
although the fields were of low bushes and not from ice. Some feeling of
immensity I guess.

best wishes for you all,

pueblo

Jan 2, 2006

2 January