Environmental Issues in Antarctica

Can you imagine an iceberg the size of Hanoi?  Well this week, news came from Antarctica that an iceberg the size of the city of Rome in Italy broke off from the ice shelf and drifted into the sea before slamming into a different part of this vast inhospitable continent and changing the shape of the ice mass.

These are worrying signs as the sea continues to rise in temperature and the ice melts.  With current estimates that there are about 26 million cubic kilometres of ice in Antarctica, were it all to melt, the sea across the entire planet is set to rise by up to 58m.

This would represent a significant catastrophe for vast parts of the world and not just coastal regions.

For a colony of Adelie penguins this is already a disaster.  The shift and relocation of this vast iceberg has irreversibly changed their habitat and in the past 5 years over 150,000 penguins have lost their lives as they are now a further 60km away from the sea, and from their feeding grounds and food sources.  In fact so bad is it that the very existence of Adelie penguins is in doubt.

As a school we take environmental issues very seriously and believe that we shouldn’t only leave it up to governments to solve these types of problems but rather that everyone has a role to play in addressing these issues.  We believe that our students in generations to come will be the future leaders of Vietnam and it is very reassuring that in the coming weeks our students will be playing a leading role in highlighting the environmental challenges facing the world.  Do look out for news of it and join us in the projects and activities that will arise from it.   It promises to be a very interesting time, a lot of fun for us all, but with a significant and powerful message.

Mr Mark Sayer - Principal of BVIS Hanoi