ENGLISH PROJECT

2022-2023

TOPIC : …………………………………………………..

Submitted by: …………

Class: 12th
Roll no: …………..
A LIFE ON OUR
PLANET-
JOURNEY TO THE
END OF THE EARTH
INDEX
 About the author
 Theme
 Journey to the end of the earth
 A short summary of the lesson
 Significance of the chapter
 About Akademik shokalskiy
 Global warming- a threat to mankind
 Students on ice
 Operations in SOI
 Antartic youth expedition
 Route of the operatuons
 Prevention
 Conclusion
 Bibliography
About the Author of the Chapter
Tishani Doshi is a poet, journalist and dancer from India. She
has published some books of poetry and fiction. She has been widely
appreciated for her essays, poems and short stories. She has travelled
a lot and her most exciting journey was to Antarctica.

Theme
The Journey to the end of the Earth from Vistas book for Class
12 is an enlightening account of the author’s visit to the coolest,
windiest and driest continent in the world. Tishani Doshi holds the
opinion that in order to understand the Earth’s present, past and
future, one must go to Antarctica. The study of this region is useful to
us because the world’s geological history is trapped in Antarctica. She
accompanied a team of students visiting the continent. She had a
thrilling experience of the ice-mysteries of this ice-region.
Journey to the End of the Earth

Six years ago, Geoff Green, a Canadian, started the

“Students on Ice” programme. Under this programme, high school
students are taken on a trip to Antarctica and offer inspiring
educational opportunities. This will encourage them in developing
new awareness and respect for our planet. The programme has been a
success because students can see the collapsing ice shelves and
retreating glaciers with their own eyes. They realize the threat of
global warming is real.

Antarctica has a simple ecosystem. It lacks biodiversity. Hence,

Antarctica is the perfect place to study how little changes in the
environment can have big consequences. The author too got a chance
to work in the coldest atmosphere of the Antarctic continent.

The narrator of Journey to the end of the earth heads towards

Antarctica aboard ‘Akademik Shokalskiy’, a Russian research vessel
with a group of students. She commenced her journey 13.09 degrees
north of the Equator in Madras. She crossed none time zones, six
checkpoints, three oceans and many ecospheres to reach her
destination. After travelling for a hundred hours, she finally reached
the Antarctic continent. She felt relieved and wondered about the
isolation of the continent and the historic time when India and
Antarctica were a part of the same landmass.
The narrator says that six hundred and fifty million years ago,
Antarctica was a part of a giant amalgamated Southern supercontinent
called Gondwana. There was no existence of humans on the planet at
that time. The climate was warm then and there was a huge variety of
flora and fauna. The supercontinent of Gondwana existed for 500
million years and then the landmass broke. With the extinction of
dinosaurs, the landmass separated into different countries shaping into
the globe that we know today. From the continent of Antarctica, we
can get an understanding of the evolution of human existence on this
planet and where the humans are heading now. It also enlightens
about the significance of Cordilleran folds and pre-Cambrian granite
shields; ozone and carbon.

The narrator stayed for two weeks in Antarctica, where 90% of the
Earth’s total ice volumes are stored. Midges, mites, blue whales and
limitless expanse of huge icebergs surrounded her with no existence
of human life. The surreal twenty-four-hour summer lights and eerie
silence often interrupted by the breaking sound of an iceberg was
mind-boggling.
The narrator says that human beings have been on Earth for about
12000 years. In this short span of time, humans have changed the face
of the environment for worse. Humans have dominated the Earth by
establishing cities and megacities, which have led to the
encroachment of Mother Nature. The rapid increase in population has
added to more distress. Human beings are battling with each other for
limited resources. The average global temperature is rising and the
blanket of carbon dioxide around the world is increasing.

The narrator is alarmed by many unanswered questions about climate

change like what if West Antarctic ice sheets melt entirely or if the
Gulf Stream Ocean current will be disrupted or will the world come to
end one day. Antarctica has a crucial role to play in this debate. The
Earth’s present and future lie hidden in Antarctica.

The greater lesson to be learnt is little changes in the environment can

have big repercussions. The microscopic phytoplankton is
nourishment for marine animals and birds in the region. The depletion
in the ozone layer will affect the activities of these grasses. This will
also affect the lives of the others in this region and the global carbon
cycle. The narrator says that her experience at Antarctica was never-
to-be-forgotten. At 65.55 degrees South of Equator, the narrator and
the students were told to get down. It was a breathtaking experience to
see crabeater seals sitting in the periphery.

Tishani Doshi is overwhelmed with the beauty of balance in play on

our planet. She has many questions in mind that are still unanswered
but she is optimistic that next-generation children are full of idealism
to save the Earth.

A Short Summary of the Chapter -

A Journey to the End of the Earth
The story is based on a travelogue written by Tishani Doshi. The
story is covered in the Class 12th book of "vistas". Tishani Doshi, the
author, makes a tour to Antarctica which contains 90% of the total ice
of the earth. She mentions that she travelled 100 hrs in order to reach
Antarctica. The moment she got her feet on the landscape, she got a
feeling of major relief as the journey was too long.

Six years ago, Geoff Green, a Canadian, started the “Students on Ice”
programme. Under this programme, high school students are taken on
a trip to Antarctica and offer inspiring educational opportunities. This
will encourage them in developing new awareness and respect for our
planet. The programme has been a success because students can see
the collapsing ice shelves and retreating glaciers with their own eyes.
They realize the threat of global warming is real.

Antarctica has a simple ecosystem. It lacks biodiversity. Hence,

Antarctica is the perfect place to study how little changes in the
environment can have big consequences. The author too got a chance
to work in the coldest atmosphere of the Antarctic continent.

The narrator of Journey to the end of the earth heads towards

Antarctica aboard ‘Akademik Shokalskiy’, a Russian research vessel
with a group of students. She commenced her journey 13.09 degrees
north of the Equator in Madras. She crossed none time zones, six
checkpoints, three oceans and many ecospheres to reach her
destination. After travelling for a hundred hours, she finally reached
the Antarctic continent. She felt relieved and wondered about the
isolation of the continent and the historic time when India and
Antarctica were a part of the same landmass. The narrator says that
six hundred and fifty million years ago, Antarctica was a part of a
giant amalgamated Southern supercontinent called Gondwana. There
was no existence of humans on the planet at that time. The climate
was warm then and there was a huge variety of flora and fauna. The
supercontinent of Gondwana existed for 500 million years and then
the landmass broke. With the extinction of dinosaurs, the landmass
separated into different countries shaping into the globe that we know
today.
From the continent of Antarctica, we can get an understanding of the
evolution of human existence on this planet and where the humans are
heading now. It also enlightens about the significance of Cordilleran
folds and pre-Cambrian granite shields; ozone and carbon. The
narrator stayed for two weeks in Antarctica, where 90% of the Earth’s
total ice volumes are stored. Midges, mites, blue whales and a
limitless expanse of huge icebergs surrounded her with no existence
of human life. The surreal twenty-four-hour summer lights and eerie
silence often interrupted by the breaking sound of an iceberg was
mind-boggling.

The narrator says that human beings have been on Earth for about
12000 years. In this short span of time, humans have changed the face
of the environment for the worse. Humans have dominated the Earth
by establishing cities and megacities, which have led to the
encroachment of Mother Nature. The rapid increase in population has
added to more distress. Human beings are battling with each other for
limited resources. The average global temperature is rising and the
blanket of carbon dioxide around the world is increasing. The narrator
is alarmed by many unanswered questions about climate change like
what if West Antarctic ice sheets melt entirely or if the Gulf Stream
Ocean current will be disrupted or will the world come to end one
day. Antarctica has a crucial role to play in this debate. The Earth’s
present and future lie hidden in Antarctica.

The greater lesson to be learnt is that little changes in the environment

can have big repercussions. The microscopic phytoplankton is
nourishment for marine animals and birds in the region. The depletion
in the ozone layer will affect the activities of these grasses. This will
also affect the lives of the others in this region and the global carbon
cycle. The narrator says that her experience at Antarctica was never-
to-be-forgotten. At 65.55 degrees South of Equator, the narrator and
the students were told to get down. It was a breathtaking experience to
see crabeater seals sitting in the periphery.

Tishani Doshi is overwhelmed with the beauty of balance in play on

our planet. She has many questions in mind that are still unanswered
but she is optimistic that next-generation children are full of idealism
to save the Earth. The story revolves around the fact that biodiversity
is hampered and how due to some small mistakes the ozone layer is
depleted. The author of the trip was led by Geoff Green. They started
the journey in a Russian vehicle. This was an educational trip with the
help of this trip they were able to discover the end of the earth. Before
humans arrived, Gondwana used to have larger biodiversity including
flora and fauna. It used to flourish by that time.

The story offers an overall overviewing description of the ecosystem

of Antarctica. The whole educational team encounters the inhabitants
of the area like the sea animals and birds. They learn the impact of the
global carbon cycle and how a small step can help you with large
changes. The memorandum also tells about the contributors which
affect climate change which includes the burning of fossil fuels and
more. Antarctica only has 24 hours of austral Summer light and is full
of silence. The author wonders about the time when India and
Antarctica were the same landmasses. After the extinction of
dinosaurs, the land was separated into countries as we know it today.
Finally, it gives a brief explanation of ozone depletion and the lack of
biodiversity. The harm that can be posed is also shown in the
travelogue. The story ends with the author peacefully watching the
seals Sunbathing on ice. She wonders whether anyone will ever be
interested in reserving this wonderful beauty of nature or the future
will be catastrophic.
Significance of the Chapter - A Journey to
the End of the Earth
The story depicts a huge change in climate with passing years.
The place has lost a lot of flora and fauna. Moreover, for over 500
million years, Gondwana flourished. The extinction of the huge living
beings,i.eThe dinosaurs, Antarctica and India got separated. This
story is a brief encounter of everything that would happen and that
happened. An overview of how it can affect mankind to a larger
extent.

Akademik Shokalskiy

The Akademik Shokalskiy is a fully ice-strengthened expedition

vessel built in 1984 for polar and oceanographic research. This class
of vessel is world renowned for polar exploration, because of its
strength, maneuverability, and small passenger numbers. Despite the
Akademik Shokalskiy's impressive strength and maneuverability, it is
still surprisingly comfortable and luxurious. There is only enough
accommodation for 50 passengers, but all the cabins are exceedingly
comfortable for this kind of expedition vessel. The Shokalskiy is an
extremely capable vessel; this is why it is able to travel through the
world's most difficult seascapes, on numerous Antarctic and Arctic
cruises.

The Akademik Shokalskiy is as safe as a polar exploration vessel can

get, but there's so much more to it. For one thing, it provides
passengers with a lecture theatre in order to listen to the onboard
experts and academics talk about the environment and ecology of the
incredible places it visits. It also has a lounge and library where
passengers can swap stories or catch up on a little reading between
excursions out on the water or on land.
Global Warming
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the
ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on
Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also
includes previous long-term changes to Earth's climate. The current
rise in global average temperature is more rapid than previous
changes, and is primarily caused by humans burning fossil
fuels. Fossil fuel use, deforestation ,and
some agricultural and industrial practices increase greenhouse gases,
notably carbon dioxide and methane. Greenhouse gases absorb some
of the heat that the Earth radiates after it warms from sunlight. Larger
amounts of these gases trap more heat in Earth's lower atmosphere,
causing global warming.
Due to climate change, deserts are expanding, while heat
waves and wildfires are becoming more common. Increased warming
in the Arctic has contributed to melting permafrost, glacial retreat and
sea ice loss. Higher temperatures are also causing more intense
storms, droughts, and other weather extremes. Rapid environmental
change in mountains, coral reefs, and the Arctic is forcing many
species to relocate or become extinct. Even if efforts to minimise
future warming are successful, some effects will continue for
centuries. These include ocean heating, ocean acidification and sea
level rise.
Climate change threatens people with food and water scarcity,
increased flooding, extreme heat, more disease, and economic
loss. Human migration and conflict can also be a result. The World
Health Organization (WHO) calls climate change the greatest threat to
global health in the 21st century. Communities may adapt to climate
change through efforts like coastline protection or expanding access
to air conditioning, but some impacts are unavoidable. Poorer
countries are responsible for a small share of global emissions, yet
they have the least ability to adapt and are most vulnerable to climate
change.
Many climate change impacts are already felt at the current 1.2 °C
(2.2 °F) level of warming. Additional warming will increase these
impacts and can trigger tipping points, such as the melting of
the Greenland ice sheet. Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, nations
collectively agreed to keep warming "well under 2 °C". However,
with pledges made under the Agreement, global warming would still
reach about 2.7 °C (4.9 °F) by the end of the century. Limiting
warming to 1.5 °C will require halving emissions by 2030 and
achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
Some effects of climate change, clockwise from top
left: Wildfire intensified by heat and drought,
worsening droughts compromising water supplies, and bleaching of
coral caused by marine heatwaves.

Students on Ice

Students on Ice Foundation (also known as SOI) is a Canadian

charitable organisation that leads educational expeditions to the Arctic
and Antarctic for international high school and university students. Its
mandate is to provide youth, educators and scientists from around the
world with learning and teaching opportunities in the polar regions,
with the goal of fostering an understanding of, and commitment to
building a more sustainable future.

Operations
Students on Ice is currently based in Gatineau, Quebec. It conducts
two ship-based journeys annually: typically one to the Eastern
Canadian Arctic and western coast of Greenland (and occasionally
Iceland); and the other to southern South America, the Antarctic
Peninsula and surrounding Southern Ocean. Expeditions typically
involve 100 international students, aged 14 and up. The students
travel with a team of staff and educators including scientists,
historians, artists, elders, explorers, polar experts and others. SOI also
offers a biennial expedition offering university-level course credits for
undergraduate and graduate students through a program of Zodiac
boat excursions and ship-board presentations and research activities in
partnership with several international universities and educational
institutions. Additionally, SOI has led occasional Arctic floe edge
expeditions (to the region where the frozen Arctic Ocean meets the
open ocean) during which students travel by snowmobile
and qamutiq (komatik) across the sea ice. SOI also organized a Gulf
of St. Lawrence research trip with whale expert Richard Sears and
Mingan Island Cetacean Study biologists to observe and survey the
endangered blue whale.

Antarctic Youth Expeditions

Students on Ice organizes annual ship-based journeys to
southern South America, the Antarctic Peninsula and
surrounding Southern Ocean during the Austral summer when the
weather conditions are suitable. It is at this time of year that the
surrounding sea ice has melted sufficiently to allow access to
Antarctic waters, which are abundant with millions of penguins, seals,
seabirds and whales. During this season, Antarctica is home to the
greatest concentration of wildlife on Earth.
On board activities for students include presentations, seminars and
other hands-on activities focused on topics including the history,
geography, and the flora and fauna of the Antarctic. Students have the
opportunity to assist international scientists who are conducting on-
going research projects and fieldwork. During forum sessions,
students examine the complex environmental, geopolitical and
economical issues facing Antarctica, while simultaneously exploring
solutions and policy alternatives to the challenges facing the Antarctic
and the planet. Students make shore landings on the coast of the
Antarctic Peninsula in Zodiac boats operated by qualified guides.
They also visit islands noted for their abundant penguin populations.
Students on Ice is a member of the International Association of
Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), a member organisation founded
in 1991 to advocate and practice safe and environmentally responsible
private-sector travel to the Antarctic. All activities adhere strictly to
industry-generated Antarctic Visitor and Tour Operator Guidelines.

Route and itinerary

The Antarctic itinerary is always subject to change due to weather and
ice conditions. The SOI website states: “We take advantage of all our
opportunities, while at the same time respecting the power of the
Antarctic climate.” Expeditions begin in late December when students
travel to gateway cities of Toronto, New York, and Buenos
Aires, Argentina, or Santiago, Chile, ultimately to convene as one
international group in Ushuaia, Argentina, the southernmost town in
the world. Students typically spend a day in Ushuaia hiking into
the Tierra del Fuego backcountry and participating in pre-expedition
educational activities. The ship-based expedition begins as the
expedition vessel exits the Beagle Channel and heads for the Drake
Passage. SOI Antarctic expedition participants have the unique
experience of celebrating Christmas or ringing in the New Year as
they cross the Antarctic convergence and make their first landing in
the South Shetland Islands.
Itinerary items in Antarctica include Zodiac boat landings and cruises
to Paulet Island and the Argentine Esperanza Base; Deception Island,
a dormant volcano inhabited by chinstrap penguins; Koerner
Rock, Neko Harbour and Ukraine's Vernadsky Station, a scientific
research base in Antarctica; Petermann Island, home of gentoo
penguin and Adélie penguin colonies, Pleneau Island, Danco Island,
and Goudier Island, and the rocky Wauwermans Islands.
On the return trip through the Drake Passage, the lecture series
continues and student forum activities commence. The return trip,
weather conditions permitting, includes a sail around famous Cape
Horn. Students return to Ushuaia to disembark from the expedition
vessel and catch return flights home via Buenos Aires, Santiago, New
York and Toronto. According to the SOI website, a “journey that once
took explorers two years to accomplish will now take us just over two
weeks!”

Prevention
Reducing emissions requires generating electricity from low-carbon
sources rather than burning fossil fuels. This change includes phasing
out coal and natural gas fired power plants, vastly increasing use
of wind, solar, and other types of renewable energy, and reducing
energy use. Electricity generated from non-carbon-emitting sources
will need to replace fossil fuels for powering transportation, heating
buildings, and operating industrial facilities. Carbon can also
be removed from the atmosphere, for instance by increasing forest
cover and by farming with methods that capture carbon in soil.

Conclusion

Thus we can say that we the humans of the world are destroying our
own world and putting the blame on othe things.Things were quite
different then: humans hadn’t arrived on the global scene, and the
climate was much warmer, hosting a huge variety of flora and fauna.
For 500 million years Gondwana thrived, but around the time when
the dinosaurs were wiped out and the age of the mammals got under
way, the landmass was forced to separate into countries, shaping the
globe much as we know it today.There is a saying that “ If we want
to study and examine the Earth’s past, present and future,
Antarctica is the place to go”.The mantra which will save the world
from the end is “If we take care of the small things,the big things
will automatically come into its place”.
Bibiliography
 https://expeditionsonline.com/vessels/akademik-
shokalskiy
 https://www.vedantu.com/english/the-journey-to-the-end-
of-the-earth-summary
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Students_on_Ice
 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/88/
Change_in_Average_Temperature.svg/800px-
Change_in_Average_Temperature.svg.png
 https://static.ffx.io/images/
$zoom_0.254%2C$multiply_0.5855%2C$ratio_1.776846%2C$
width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_121/t_crop_custom/
q_86%2Cf_auto/4f2480ede4f7cb4493c705588148f7fb0919b08f
 https://www.ducksters.com/science/environment/
global_warming_greenhouse_gasses.GIF
 https://www.heritage-expeditions.com/content/image/big-
cropped/media/uploads/
%C2%A9m.potts_akademik_shokalskiy.jpg
 https://www.worldatlas.com/img/ncore/world_map.jpg
 https://www.wettropics.gov.au/site/user-assets/images/
gondwana1.jpg
 https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w728-h728-q90/img/areamap/
continent/antartica_map.gif