COP26 Paralysis: Climate Shame

 

"It is now sold as a luxury to see Antarctica, where passengers can walk offshore “on the sea ice to watch penguin chicks hatch, see the arrival of seal pups and humpback whales”, on cruises probably affordable because of offshore tax havens.

The “Antarctica in Depth” Scenic Eclipse cruise starts from earlybird $19,701, and the Antarctica, South Georgia and Falkland Island earlybird $28,855. The “truly all-inclusive” provides each guest with private butler service, “immersive dining” and “private dégustation”, “separate sleep zone”, indulgent 5,920 sq ft Senses Spa, Scandinavian inspired outdoor vitality pools, and more.

Describing conditions on a home-made boat carrying Haitian refugees on a nearly 700-mile trip, detained as it neared its end on the Atlantic Ocean, Léonie M. Hermantin, director of communications at Sant La Haitian Neighborhood Center in North Miami, described what thousands of people are forced to endure: “Who goes to the bathroom? How do they drink? How do they eat? It’s just horrible. 104 passengers were spread from the bow to the stern, many sitting shoulder-to-shoulder, some grasping onto the sails and standing where there wasn’t enough room to sit.”

Perhaps the cruise passengers and cruise companies do not know of these other boat people, or perhaps they know but do not ask why this is happening or do not care. Perhaps they do not know of the melting of Antarctic sea ice and ice shelves. The ads depict adorable wonders like seal pups and penguin chicks, not the break-up of ice shelves and the consequent sea level rise that will be catastrophic for the other people. Here are scientific reports about Antarctica just in the last few months:"

read article by Judith Deutsch​