Sustainable Expedition to Antarctica

Koen Machielse Start Date: Aug 6, 2016 - End Date: Dec 5, 2016
  • Antarctica

My Travel Story

by: Koen Machielse Start Date: Aug 6, 2016 - End Date: Dec 5, 2016
Hi all! I need funding! :-)

This campaign is created to be able to make a long wished expedition to Antarctica in March next year. And, plain simple: I need funding for it. Sounds easy, it is not :-). And, it's also not just a trip, its way more than that. But, first and foremost: why the heck would you fund me at all?! Let me explain myself.

Why a expedition to Antarctica
The expedition that I want to make is part of the 2041 project created by Robert Swan. Robert is the first person in the world ever who walked to both poles (and freezed his balls off  while doing it. (his own words!). His organization (www.2041.com) wants to preserve Antarctica like it is today and prevent all different kinds of people from drilling and mining there. In the year 2041 the 'Antarctic treaty' is coming to its end, a treaty that is basically an agreement among nations not to exploit that place. Robert himself can explain this point at best himself in the third video above (in the header). 

What Robert is doing now, already for 14 years, is to organize expeditions to Antarctica to let people see for themselves how unique this place is. Not only as an ecological system for the rest of the world (water levels are highly influenced by melting ice on Antarctica for instance), but also as a place where scientists can do their work and animals can live abundantly.

His TedX talk  (above in the header) gives you a bit more insight in Roberts passion for the subject and why he's doing this already for 14 years. The vision of his organization can be read by clicking here. 

So, the expedition its not just sitting and looking at whales splashing in the water or penguins running around. Its a expedition where people are being prepared to learn more about the ecological system of Antarctica, where presentations from climate experts will be given, where communication training in public speaking will be taught and you engage in debates on topics of climate change .

Click here for more about the 10-day expedition, its purpose and the itinerary 

My reasons for joining
A) I studied international relations and political communication at the University of Amsterdam and Antwerp (still enrolled), and had courses in climate change and sustainability that i found extremely interesting. I know the importance of the topics Robert points out, and want to do something, be more active, instead of just reading about it.

B) What is doing something in this case? --> I think creative forms like photography and video can better explain the importance of preserving Antarctica and explain complex topics like climate change and sustainability. With this trip i want to kickstart and create a platform where these topics are better explained, and i want to use photography and video as forms to do this. The trip to Antartica will be used to make a book and a short documentary. These two 'products'  will be the first content used for that future platform.

C) I support Roberts way of working. He's trying to embed the importance of places like Antarctica and topics like sustainability in our lives. Its not just talking, its doing. The goal is clear: prolong the Antarctic treaty. The result is also clear: a place that is left alone, where we can learn from science what we have to do next to live as sustainable as possible and prevent future natural disasters at best. In that sense it's in our own best interest.

Funding
To make this trip a reality I am looking for organizations / businesses who want to sponsor my trip and share the thought of a more sustainable pathway for the future. Because preserving Antarctica is one step, a changing mindset another one.  All info can be found on a website i created for this campaign: www.2041journey.nl.  Robert has got his own website where you can read more about his organization and work: 2041.com. 

Down here you can donate one of the amounts. If you want to be a partner, want to donate more, less or have any other questions. Send me an e-mail at 2041journey [at] gmail.com!
  • Antarctica

Updates

1

  • Campaign Website Ready!

    Campaign website ready!
    I am glad to say that my campaign website is ready! Here you can read all the info on my campaign leading up to the expedition, and will keep you up to date during and (long) after the expedition.

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