Telugu engineer to explore Antarctica

It takes courage to visit a no-man land, covered in ice. It also needs passion for exploration and compassion for nature to start a journey to Antarctica, where the weather in next minute is uncertain. Pradeep Karuturi, a native of Rajahmundry will be one of 100 participants from 35 countries to start the expedition to Antarctica from March 13.

Earth has a lot of minerals covered within rocky mountains, sandy desserts and icy glaciers. Man is exploiting all of them for minerals, gas and water. Antarctica is being left untouched as there is moratorium (a temporary prohibition of an activity) on mining activities there until 2041.

As Antarctica is home to about 70 per cent of the planet's fresh water, and 90 per cent of the planet's freshwater ice, apart from minerals, the top world countries would re-negotiate to lift the moratorium in 2041.

The International Antarctica Expedition (IAE) is being organised every year by the 2041 Foundation, which was founded by Robert Swan, the first person in history to walk unsupported to both the North and South poles. On his expeditions to both poles, Swan experienced the effects of environmental damage on the Polar icecaps.

This motivated him to work for the preservation of Antarctica as the last great wilderness on earth. The 2041 foundation seeks to create an international youth coalition of Antarctica defenders who will champion renewable energy as their path to saving the continent.

Pradeep Karuturi, aged 23 and an alumni of RVR&JC College of Engineering, Guntur is all set to join the team for the prestigious IAE 2016, which is to be held from March 13 to 25. Pradeep left his job at an MNC to join the social service sector and engaged in multiple activities.

He worked with different agencies to help out with disaster relief which included travelling to Nepal after the earthquake. Pradeeps recollects, “I have witnessed the kind of damage that can be caused when nature decides to take its vengeance.”

He also worked with a team called, Pratham to design a solution to improve the quality of primary education in India. They were selected as the most popular solution in the country among 6000 teams in Manthan.

Currently, he is volunteering with Rasta, an NGO which is promoting sustainable solutions to tackle climate change in the district of Wayanad, Kerala by training local people with different methods like Organic farming, Biogas usage, plastic reduction etc.

He also works towards empowering locals about sustainable energy to make this planet clean and green. “This experience made me apply for the expedition. I desire to work in a profession where I can impact the lives of people directly,” he said.

At IAE 2016, along with an international team of young leaders, Pradeep will learn from global experts on solutions of sustainability and energy use. He will see first-hand, the effects of climate change in the Western Antarctica Peninsula.

He says that he is committed to bringing skills and connections back to guide successful teams and resilient communities across the globe. “With firsthand experience gained about glacier melting and sustainable business solutions from climate change experts, we will work towards preserving Antarctica, the last great wilderness on earth and promoting sustainable business,” he added.

The expedition starts from Ushuaia in Argentina on March 13 and continues through Drake Passage and reach Antarctic Peninsula on March 16. The participants will explore Cuverville Island, Neko Harbour, Paradise Harbour, Lemaire Channel, Whalers Bay and Brown Bluff before returning to Ushuaia.

As a social worker, Pradeep finds it difficult to reach the budgets for the expedition. He needs to raise an amount of USD 14720 to join the expedition along with expences for clothing and accessories to protect him from low temperatures. He said, “I am looking for sponsorship and raised some amount in the process.

With the environment becoming the fastest growing and most prominent issue, the demand for environmental impact is increasing, I am looking at organisations or individuals contribution who wish to endeavour for a greener and cleaner environment.” Pradeep Karuturi can be reached at mobile number +91-9494954659, email karuturipradeep10@ gmail.com and facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Pradeep4IAE/