On February 28, 2013, I and members of the expedition team 2041 will embark on a mission to the bottom of the earth - one of the planets last wild lands, Antarctica. The team will be led by Robert Swan (OBE), as we embark on a Voyage for Cleaner Energy, and we draw attention to the year 2041, the year in which the Antarctic Treaty (Madrid Protocol) comes up for debate. This agreement has placed a ban on mining and mineral exploration for 50 years (1991-2041) and it designates the continent as "a Natural Reserve Land for Science and Peace".
What is a Nigerian doing all the way in Antarctica you might ask? Well, having a long coastline, my country is not immune to the effects of climate change. It is also the largest oil producer in Africa, and the 8th largest in the world, which kinda means my country, is totally dependent on fossil fuel energy. Herein lies the problem, the mad rush for oil has totally destroyed large areas of ecosystems making it almost impossible for local people to sustain themselves off the land.
Worst hit are those in the particularly fragile systems of the Niger-Delta, they have been worst hit by the rogue exploration and exploitation that has left its waterways polluted and unable to sustain any kind of life. Parts of this region leads to the country's coastline, unfortunately they are in store for a double whammy. With the increasing water levels accelerated by...wait for it..."melting polar-ice caps", these people will be stuck in a catch 22 situation with nowhere else to go.
The change in climatic conditions have a varying effect in the northern part of the country, social-economic needs coupled with less rainfall is turning large areas of the northern region into a dessert waste land.
So my journey/adventure may be far away, but my mission and goal is very much closer to home. To raise global awareness on the plight of fragile ecosystems, and to call for collective action on the need for increased use of energy from renewable sources. I want to draw attention to the effects of climate change and call for a whole new approach to be adopted into drafting National, Regional, and Global Energy Policies. One which puts the use of renewables at its fore front, and creates and implements provisions for communities in which the energy is sourced from.
Like parts of my homeland, Antarctica's ecosystem is also fragile, and global attention on it remains primarily because of the energy potentials it possess when/if the ice-caps totally melt away. This might be Uhuru for some oil/energy companies, but to the rest of the world it is disastrous future scenario we will all do well not to see.
As a young person, my generation will be the first to witness such a scenario, so I am determined to play an active role in shaping "The Future I Want".
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