Calling all penguin lovers
Penguin lovers and creative spirits: Now’s your time to shine. Our World Penguin Day Art Contest is open for submissions! Click HERE to enter. Your penguin art can be absolutely anything, as long as it’s rated PG (appropriate for penguins of all ages) and submitted as an image or video file. Express your love for penguins through a song, a painting, a dance, a poem, a meme, an ice sculpture…you name it. You don’t need to be a professional artist to get in on the fun. And the contest is open to all ages, with a special category for kids. We will select the winners based on creativity and heart. Deadline to submit your entry is April 15, so don’t delay. We will feature winners on ASOC’s social media during the week of World Penguin Day, April 25. (Be sure you’re following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.) We can’t wait to see how you celebrate these Antarctic icons! With you to save Earth’s last great wilderness,
P.S. Please read on, below, for more Antarctica news and events.
SPEAKING UP AT THE ONE OCEAN SUMMIT
The One Ocean Summit, hosted by the French government in Brest last month, brought together heads of state, scientists, NGOs, and business leaders. The goal: strengthening international cooperation for ocean protection. Antarctica and the Southern Ocean were well represented in and around the Summit – including a #ListenToTheOcean take-over of Le Monde newspaper, an article by NGOs calling for stronger commitments to Southern Ocean protection, and 39 striking billboards throughout Brest – including some with #CallOnCCAMLR messages. Four Antarctic advocates – Antarctica 2020 Champion Genevieve Pons; MEPs Grace O’Sullivan and Catherine Chabaud, and Polar explorer Jean-Louis Etienne – sent powerful video messages to the leaders at the One Ocean Summit, telling them: “Enough talking! It’s time to listen to the ocean, to act and break the deadlock at CCAMLR, and to safeguard Antarctica’s future.” President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen called on states to push together at the highest levels to protect this unique environment, while President Emmanuel Macron announced that France will create the world’s second largest MPA around its Southern and Antarctic lands. French President Macron also insisted in his statement that: "We need cooperation and commitment from China and Russia” to support marine protection in the Southern Ocean. ASOC welcomed the President’s commitment to work directly with these nations at the highest level to protect the Antarctic.
AN UNWELCOME NEW RECORD
Antarctica will likely set a new record this year: for the lowest area of ocean covered by sea ice. That’s according to new findings from the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Scientists say this recent shift doesn’t necessarily mean a long-term trend. But the earlier retreat of sea ice raises concern and may have global implications. See more on the story from The Guardian and New York Times. Analysis of these findings highlights the message we’ve long shared: What happens in Antarctica affects us all. And data like this reminds us what we’re fighting for, together. Thank you for standing with us to save the Antarctic.