Tuesday, August 20, 2013

 

Worried Mind

I'm troubled by the lack of progress by the rowing lads, this year's intrepid Arctic publicity stunt (Pulling together against Climate Change).


They used to be rowing along the northern coast of the Canadian Shield but have just crossed over and are now hugging the southern coast of Victoria Island, the second largest in the Canadian Archipelago. But they haven't moved in a day or two. And they have a long way to go. They have all of the Coronation Gulf and Queen Maud Gulf to go (about 300 miles). Then they have to row across open sea to get up the Boothia Peninsula and cut through a narrow channel east of Prince of Wales Island, skirting the south shore of Somerset Island, and then up Prince Regent Inlet in order even to reach the Brodeur Peninsula on Baffin Island which is largest of all Canadian Islands. But even if they hit the Brodeur Peninsula where it first touches the Parry Channel, they'll have another 300 miles from there to reach their selected end point, Pond Inlet.

The trouble is that they have just about a month to get there. Since July 3, 2013, when they started in the Mackenzie River Delta, they have only traveled 600 miles. So more than seven weeks to go 600 miles and a total of 1200 miles to go in 4 to 5 weeks. I'm almost sure they won't even make it to Baffin Island. Now I'm wondering if they can make it to the Boothia Peninsula.

And I haven't even mentioned the sea ice still clogging up part of the intended route.

If they fail to get 2/3 of the way planned, is that proof that Catastrophic Man-Caused Global Warming and Summer melting of Arctic Ice has been over sold as a crisis?

Does the publicity work both ways?

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Comments:
Keeerist! Fuck Blogger's awful comment system! Damn thing lost my comment when all I did was hit the preview button, and then the back button! Aaaargh!

Anyways, enjoying the travelogue. Looking at the map reminded me of the distorted notion of distance and geography I sort of have stuck in my head, from looking at Miller cylindrical projection maps of the world. That reminded me of these 40 maps, some of which are whimsical, rather than technical. Check out #38, and think about how many people you know who will say, "No Way!".
 
Thanks, Jed.
 
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