Mexican scientist goes to Antartica to fight climate change

Sandra Guzmán, the first female Mexican scientist to travel to the Antartica, told EFE that her goal is to study from several angles the effects of climate change to correctly transmit information and generate actions that can help fight this problem.

Guzmán, an environmental activist for over 15 years, is proud of her role as the sole Mexican in this expedition of 78 women, which is trying to shed light on “the type of actions needed to address [climate change] at a global scale.”

This February 17, the women selected by the leadership program Homeward Bound departed for the frozen territory to visit the operation centers of several countries “to see the progress made" on the subject.

One of the main problems Guzmán has detected is the lack of skill in relaying the information generated at the research centers to Governments and civil society.

Mexican scientist goes to Antartica to fight climate change

(Photo courtesy of the Chilean Antartic Institute to EFE)

“There's a lot of information being generated in Antarctica but not all of it is public,” claimed the founder and coordinator of the Climate Finance Group for Latin America and the Caribbean (GFLAC).

For this reason, the expert wants to identify “these gaps in information” and transmit it to international Heads of State “starting with the President” of Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto .

Antartica is a continent of which we know little. It's composed of 90% ice and has the largest reserves of fresh water in the planet.

This vast frozen land “helps regulate climate,” acting as a counterweight to global warming . Unfortunately, it is melting at an accelerated pace and “if temperatures continue increasing, Antartida will not be enough to regulate climate,” Guzmán warned.

Mexican scientist goes to Antartica to fight climate change

(Photo courtesy of the Australian Antarctic Division to EFE)

The other concern the scientist has is the death of native species, such as penguins , who starve due to a lack of food.

If temperatures increase, algae species die, affecting the fish which feed on them, and these, in turn, affect the penguins who feed on fish, not only in the Antartida but in other parts of the world. “ All species are connected in one way or another,” reason why Guzmán claims penguin deaths are the consequence of the alteration to the food and reproductive chains caused by climate change.

Talking about the project the female scientists have embarked on, Guzmán is confident they will be able to provide new ideas as they are capable of seeing things from a different angle.

“As women, we have a stronger conservation sense than men, and this is something that characterizes us, we share a more collective vision,” she said, convinced of the potential of this conviction.

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