TEDGlobal 2014
Robert Swan: Let's save the last pristine continent
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2041 will be a pivotal year for our planet. That year will mark the end of a 50-year agreement to keep Antarctica, the Earth's last pristine continent, free of exploitation. Explorer Robert Swan — the first person to walk both the North and South Poles — is on a mission to ensure that we extend that treaty. With passion and vigor, he pleads with us to choose the preservation of the Antarctic for our own survival.
Robert Swan - Polar explorer
Robert Swan has explored both poles, and wants to make sure that Antarctica, the world's last great wilderness, is never exploited. Full bio
Robert Swan has explored both poles, and wants to make sure that Antarctica, the world's last great wilderness, is never exploited. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
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Let's go south.
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All of you are actually going south.
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This is the direction of south, this way,
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and if you go 8,000 kilometers
out of the back of this room,
out of the back of this room,
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you will come to as far south
as you can go anywhere on Earth,
as you can go anywhere on Earth,
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the Pole itself.
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Now, I am not an explorer.
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I'm not an environmentalist.
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I'm actually just a survivor,
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and these photographs
that I'm showing you here are dangerous.
that I'm showing you here are dangerous.
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They are the ice melt
of the South and North Poles.
of the South and North Poles.
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And ladies and gentlemen,
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we need to listen to what
these places are telling us,
these places are telling us,
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and if we don't, we will end up
with our own survival situation
with our own survival situation
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here on planet Earth.
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I have faced head-on these places,
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and to walk across a melting ocean of ice
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is without doubt
the most frightening thing
the most frightening thing
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that's ever happened to me.
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Antarctica is such a hopeful place.
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It is protected by
the Antarctic Treaty, signed in 1959.
the Antarctic Treaty, signed in 1959.
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In 1991, a 50-year agreement
was entered into
was entered into
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that stops any exploitation in Antarctica,
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and this agreement could be altered,
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changed, modified, or even abandoned
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starting in the year 2041.
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Ladies and gentlemen,
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people already far up north
from here in the Arctic
from here in the Arctic
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are already taking advantage
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of this ice melt,
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taking out resources from areas
already that have been covered in ice
already that have been covered in ice
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for the last 10, 20, 30,000,
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100,000 years.
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Can they not join the dots
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and think, "Why is the ice
actually melting?"
actually melting?"
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This is such an amazing place,
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the Antarctic, and I have worked hard
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for the last 23 years on this mission
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to make sure that what's happening
up here in the North
up here in the North
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does never happen,
cannot happen in the South.
cannot happen in the South.
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Where did this all begin?
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It began for me at the age of 11.
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Check out that haircut.
It's a bit odd. (Laughter)
It's a bit odd. (Laughter)
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And at the age of 11,
I was inspired by the real explorers
I was inspired by the real explorers
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to want to try to be the first
to walk to both Poles.
to walk to both Poles.
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I found it incredibly inspiring
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that the idea of becoming a polar traveler
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went down pretty well with girls
at parties when I was at university.
at parties when I was at university.
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That was a bit more inspiring.
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And after years, seven
years of fundraising,
years of fundraising,
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seven years of being told no,
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seven years of being told
by my family to seek counseling
by my family to seek counseling
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and psychiatric help,
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eventually three of us found ourselves
marching to the South Geographic Pole
marching to the South Geographic Pole
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on the longest unassisted march
ever made anywhere on Earth in history.
ever made anywhere on Earth in history.
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In this photograph,
we are standing in an area
we are standing in an area
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the size of the United States of America,
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and we're on our own.
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We have no radio
communications, no backup.
communications, no backup.
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Beneath our feet,
90 percent of all the world's ice,
90 percent of all the world's ice,
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70 percent of all the world's fresh water.
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We're standing on it.
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This is the power of Antarctica.
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On this journey, we faced
the danger of crevasses,
the danger of crevasses,
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intense cold,
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so cold that sweat turns
to ice inside your clothing,
to ice inside your clothing,
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your teeth can crack,
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water can freeze in your eyes.
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Let's just say it's a bit chilly.
(Laughter)
(Laughter)
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And after 70 desperate days,
we arrive at the South Pole.
we arrive at the South Pole.
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We had done it.
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But something happened to me
on that 70-day journey in 1986
on that 70-day journey in 1986
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that brought me here, and it hurt.
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My eyes changed color
in 70 days through damage.
in 70 days through damage.
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Our faces blistered out.
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The skin ripped off
and we wondered why.
and we wondered why.
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And when we got home,
we were told by NASA
we were told by NASA
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that a hole in the ozone
had been discovered
had been discovered
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above the South Pole,
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and we'd walked underneath it
the same year it had been discovered.
the same year it had been discovered.
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Ultraviolet rays down, hit the ice,
bounced back, fried out the eyes,
bounced back, fried out the eyes,
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ripped off our faces.
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It was a bit of a shock --
(Laughter) --
(Laughter) --
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and it started me thinking.
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In 1989, we now head north.
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Sixty days, every step away
from the safety of land
from the safety of land
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across a frozen ocean.
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It was desperately cold again.
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Here's me coming in from washing
naked at -60 Celsius.
naked at -60 Celsius.
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And if anybody ever says to you,
"I am cold" -- (Laughter) --
"I am cold" -- (Laughter) --
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if they look like this,
they are cold, definitely.
they are cold, definitely.
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(Applause)
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And 1,000 kilometers away
from the safety of land,
from the safety of land,
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disaster strikes.
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The Arctic Ocean melts beneath our feet
four months before it ever had in history,
four months before it ever had in history,
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and we're 1,000 kilometers from safety.
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The ice is crashing around us, grinding,
and I'm thinking, "Are we going to die?"
and I'm thinking, "Are we going to die?"
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But something clicked
in my head on this day,
in my head on this day,
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as I realized we, as a world,
are in a survival situation,
are in a survival situation,
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and that feeling has never gone away
for 25 long years.
for 25 long years.
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Back then, we had to march or die.
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And we're not some TV survivor program.
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When things go wrong for us,
it's life or death,
it's life or death,
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and our brave African-American Daryl,
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who would become the first American
to walk to the North Pole,
to walk to the North Pole,
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his heel dropped off
from frostbite 200 klicks out.
from frostbite 200 klicks out.
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He must keep going, he does,
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and after 60 days on the ice,
we stood at the North Pole.
we stood at the North Pole.
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We had done it.
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Yes, I became the first person in history
stupid enough to walk to both Poles,
stupid enough to walk to both Poles,
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but it was our success.
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And sadly, on return home,
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it was not all fun.
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I became very low.
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To succeed at something is often harder
than actually making it happen.
than actually making it happen.
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I was empty, lonely,
financially destroyed.
financially destroyed.
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I was without hope,
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but hope came in the form
of the great Jacques Cousteau,
of the great Jacques Cousteau,
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and he inspired me to take on
the 2041 mission.
the 2041 mission.
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Being Jacques, he gave me
clear instructions:
clear instructions:
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Engage the world leaders,
talk to industry and business,
talk to industry and business,
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and above all, Rob, inspire young people,
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because they will choose the future
of the preservation of Antarctica.
of the preservation of Antarctica.
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For the world leaders, we've been
to every world Earth Summit,
to every world Earth Summit,
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all three of them,
with our brave yacht, 2041,
with our brave yacht, 2041,
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twice to Rio, once in '92, once in 2012,
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and for the Earth Summit in Johannesburg,
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we made the longest overland voyage
ever made with a yacht,
ever made with a yacht,
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13,000 kilometers around
the whole of Southern Africa
the whole of Southern Africa
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doing our best to inspire
over a million young people in person
over a million young people in person
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about 2041 and about their environment.
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For the last 11 years,
we have taken over 1,000 people,
we have taken over 1,000 people,
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people from industry and business,
women and men from companies,
women and men from companies,
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students from all over the world,
down to Antarctica,
down to Antarctica,
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and during those missions,
we've managed to pull out
we've managed to pull out
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over 1,500 tons of twisted metal
left in Antarctica.
left in Antarctica.
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That took eight years,
and I'm so proud of it
and I'm so proud of it
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because we recycled all of it
back here in South America.
back here in South America.
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I have been inspired
ever since I could walk
ever since I could walk
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to recycle by my mum.
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Here she is, and my mum --
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(Applause) --
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my mum is still recycling,
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and as she is in her 100th year,
isn't that fantastic?
isn't that fantastic?
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(Applause)
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And when -- I love my mum.
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(Laughter)
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But when Mum was born,
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the population of our planet
was only 1.8 billion people,
was only 1.8 billion people,
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and talking in terms of billions,
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we have taken young people
from industry and business
from industry and business
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from India, from China.
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These are game-changing nations,
and will be hugely important
and will be hugely important
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in the decision about
the preservation of the Antarctic.
the preservation of the Antarctic.
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Unbelievably, we've engaged and inspired
women to come from the Middle East,
women to come from the Middle East,
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often for the first time they've
represented their nations in Antarctica.
represented their nations in Antarctica.
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Fantastic people, so inspired.
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To look after Antarctica,
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you've got to first engage people
with this extraordinary place,
with this extraordinary place,
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form a relationship, form a bond,
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form some love.
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It is such a privilege
to go to Antarctica,
to go to Antarctica,
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I can't tell you.
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I feel so lucky,
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and I've been 35 times in my life,
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and all those people who come with us
return home as great champions,
return home as great champions,
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not only for Antarctica,
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but for local issues
back in their own nations.
back in their own nations.
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Let's go back to where we began:
the ice melt of the North and South Poles.
the ice melt of the North and South Poles.
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And it's not good news.
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NASA informed us six months ago
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that the Western Antarctic Ice Shelf
is now disintegrating.
is now disintegrating.
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Huge areas of ice --
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look how big Antarctica is
even compared to here --
even compared to here --
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Huge areas of ice
are breaking off from Antarctica,
are breaking off from Antarctica,
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the size of small nations.
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And NASA have calculated
that the sea level will rise,
that the sea level will rise,
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it is definite,
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by one meter in the next 100 years,
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the same time that my mum
has been on planet Earth.
has been on planet Earth.
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It's going to happen,
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and I've realized that
the preservation of Antarctica
the preservation of Antarctica
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and our survival here on Earth are linked.
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And there is a very simple solution.
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If we are using more renewable energy
in the real world,
in the real world,
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if we are being more efficient
with the energy here,
with the energy here,
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running our energy mix in a cleaner way,
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there will be no financial reason
to go and exploit Antarctica.
to go and exploit Antarctica.
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It won't make financial sense,
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and if we manage our energy better,
we also may be able to slow down,
we also may be able to slow down,
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maybe even stop,
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this great ice melt that threatens us.
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It's a big challenge, and what
is our response to it?
is our response to it?
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We've got to go back one last time,
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and at the end of next year,
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we will go back to the
South Geographic Pole,
South Geographic Pole,
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where we arrived 30 years ago on foot,
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and retrace our steps of 1,600 kilometers,
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but this time only using
renewable energy to survive.
renewable energy to survive.
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We will walk across those icecaps,
which far down below are melting,
which far down below are melting,
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hopefully inspiring some
solutions on that issue.
solutions on that issue.
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This is my son, Barney.
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He is coming with me.
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He is committed to walking
side by side with his father,
side by side with his father,
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and what he will do is
to translate these messages
to translate these messages
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and inspire these messages
to the minds of future young leaders.
to the minds of future young leaders.
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I'm extremely proud of him.
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Good on him, Barney.
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Ladies and gentlemen,
a survivor -- and I'm good --
a survivor -- and I'm good --
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a survivor sees a problem
and doesn't go, "Whatever."
and doesn't go, "Whatever."
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A survivor sees a problem
and deals with that problem
and deals with that problem
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before it becomes a threat.
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We have 27 years
to preserve the Antarctic.
to preserve the Antarctic.
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We all own it.
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We all have responsibility.
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The fact that nobody owns it
maybe means that we can succeed.
maybe means that we can succeed.
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Antarctica is a moral line in the snow,
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and on one side of that line
we should fight,
we should fight,
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fight hard for this one beautiful,
pristine place left alone on Earth.
pristine place left alone on Earth.
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I know it's possible.
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We are going to do it.
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And I'll leave you with
these words from Goethe.
these words from Goethe.
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I've tried to live by them.
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"If you can do, or dream you can,
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begin it now,
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for boldness has genius,
power and magic in it."
power and magic in it."
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Good luck to you all.
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Thank you very much.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Robert Swan - Polar explorerRobert Swan has explored both poles, and wants to make sure that Antarctica, the world's last great wilderness, is never exploited.
Why you should listen
When Robert Swan, OBE, set foot on the North Pole in 1989, he entered the history books as the first person to walk to both poles. But the South Pole, which he had reached in 1984, inspired his life's work -- to preserve Antarctica in the face of climate change.
Swan's organization 2041 (named for the date when the world’s moratoriums on mining and drilling in Antarctica will expire) leads expeditions of the world's most influential people to the continent in hopes that it will ignite their passion for preservation. The hope: to affect real and lasting environmental policy changes.
Robert Swan | Speaker | TED.com