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We Cannot Plant
ICE
OUR VISION is to achieve a consciousness in action that we are one humanity, dependent on the Global Commons, the interdependent natural systems crucial to all life.
Our mission is to drive action on the Ice Crisis, prioritizing the Arctic and Antarctic Global Commons.
Polar Ice is on the Edge of Extinction
Why it matters
Polar Ice is Critical to Global Climate Stability
There is an exciting uptick in climate action, yet we have failed to prioritize the Ice Crisis. On our watch, we have lost 28 trillion tonnes of Polar Ice in less than 30 years.
A Global SOS
The Arctic has already warmed by 2°C (3.6°F) - 4°C (7.2°F). The geopolitics of the Arctic is heating up, with increasing interest in exploiting soon to be exposed resources, potentially including deep sea mining and oil and gas exploration. There are plans afoot for a Transpolar shipping route across the North Pole, punching through the older, thicker ice - all this just to save 2 days travel. Together with the predicted 10x increase in shipping, this will significantly increase the risk of oil spills and heavy fuel oil contamination in this last pristine biosphere.
Why should we care?
We need to care because we are effectively losing the Earth's thermostats. Ice loss is now not only a symptom of climate change but also a driver. The ice deflects the suns heat and as we lose the ice, the oceans warm and more ice is lost. We are only beginning to understand this regulating role and how interconnected this is with other systems, in particular ocean and atmospheric circulation.
"It's not just that we're talking about polar bears or seals...We all are ice-dependent species"
Professor Julienne Stroeve, Arctic Climate Scientist
From the Arctic to the Antarctic, the loss of this Global Commons will have global and exponential impacts. Not forgetting that 4 million Arctic dwellers and generations of global Indigenous wisdom are at risk.
Accelerating Antarctic ice sheet melt is responsible for approx. 94% of the sea level rise, which is set to affect 600 million coastal residents directly and a further 1.5 billion people indirectly.
The Poles are pristine biomes with unique species supporting a marine ecosystem that science is only just beginning to explore. We need to protect them.
The Ice Crisis needs to go to the top of the global political agenda.
Once it's gone, it's gone.
It's irrecoverable in our lifetime.
What we can do
Save the Central Arctic Ice Shield
Support a 10 year moratorium
We are taking Bold Action
Proactive and Precautionary
We are calling for an urgent 10 year moratorium to protect the Central Arctic Ocean Ice Shield and ecosystems from destructive exploitation, providing time for science and CO2 emissions reduction to catch up.
Protection of this Global Commons would encourage scientific exploration but prohibit oil and gas drilling, deep sea mining, seismic testing, shipping lanes, radioactive waste dumping and nuclear weapons testing.
For the long-term, this aligns with the 30 X 30 agenda and sets precedents for the protection of our shared Global Commons.
Safeguarding and enhancing the Global Commons is therefore the wisest investment we can possibly make.
Naoki Ishii
Director, Center for Global Commons, University of Tokyo
Our Impact Portfolio
We are maximising impact by executing our five cohesive, focused strategies that amplify and accelerate action for protection.
Creating impact requires that we reposition the concept of the Global Commons from the abstract to a deeper recognition that these systems materially affect us and future generations.
The necessary systems change will come through innovation and smart action, and by building ecosystems of intergenerational collaboration and partnering with fresh thinkers.
Our portfolio is designed to be tightly intersectional and holistic.
Hands-Off
Our Hands Off the Central Arctic Ice Shield campaign confronts policy makers, corporations industry and individuals with the implications of the loss of the Earth’s thermostats and urges urgent action to protect what is left of the ice.
Finance
Finance needs to properly value social and natural capital. We are convening thought leaders to create precedent-setting instruments to direct funds to protect the Global Commons.
Intergenerational Network
Our Arctic Angels are self-selected young leaders whom we mentor and empower. As voices for their generation they drive multi media engagement to raise awareness and press for the protection of the Arctic and Antarctic.
Operational Ethos
"The whole is greater than the sum of the parts" - Aristotle
Climate Literacy Education
Change happens from telling stories, giving an experiential understanding of the facts.
We make verified science accessible in innovative ways.
Humpty Dumpty
To gather influential female leaders who bring conscious feminine energy to strategically tackle the climate crisis
"The greatest threat to our Planet is the belief that someone else will save it"
Robert Swan OBE
The first person in history to walk to both the North and South Poles