We are facing the nature’s wrath. Floods in J&K, Hudhud cyclone much closer to home, or unbelievable fluctuations in temperatures are all signs for us to brace up. The amount of awareness among citizens is on par with the speed at which environment is deteriorating. Though all of us wish to see a change, only a few of us go and take that extra step.
One such is Sunil Kumar from the city who has been selected for The International Antarctic Expedition, an annual expedition that will help people understand the first hand effects of global warming. The expedition is hosted by Robert Swan, an environmentalist, a polar explorer and the first person on the planet to have walked to the north and south poles.
“He is an inspiration to me. He is legendary and I am glad that I have been selected,” says an excited Sunil who is all set to explore Antarctica along with other men and women from across the globe. Sunil feels that global warming needs to be addressed through a calculated approach. Though a lot is being done for the same, Sunil’s idea is specific. “I feel that the financial community is completely cut off from sustainability and other environmental issues. If this community, that has a major role to play in any given project -- mining, construction, or anything, it is going to make a gigantic difference,” he observes. His aim is to share his experiences particularly with this community. “I come from the same place so I will be best suited to explain to these people in the jargon they can understand,” he says.
Sunil admits that his understanding of the environment was like any other individual until he got selected for the expedition. “The recent natural calamities made me look at these issues more closely and that’s when I realised along with me everyone else needs to be sensitised,” shares Sunil who started made small adaptations to his own lifestyle -- monitoring the usage of electricty at home and office, reusing paper and so on. Sunil requires close to Rs 22 lakh for the trip which also includes the expedition fee. He raised that amount with the help of organisations and individuals who were willing to help.
Apart from this, Sunil is also planning for another initiative to show Antarctica to the world using Google Glass.
“As part of the expedition, we will pass though Drake Passage. No one till date has recorded journey through that passage using Google Glass, which will help me show the world exactly like I see it,” explains Sunil who requires at close to one and half lakh rupees and has raised Rs 25000 till date. The expedition begins on March 13. If you support Sunil, you can visit bit.ly/1AOwgtl or call him on 9642820089.