Himani Patel Assignment 1 Draft 1 Documentary: Chasing Ice Description of the Location: This documentary takes place in western

Greenland, mainly in the small town of Ilulissat which overlooks the Disko Bay. Disko Bay is the opening for the Jakobshvan glacier and is littered with icebergs due to constant calving of the glacier. It is a wide open area of water and is surrounded by the glacier on 3 sides. The glacier is massive and covers most of the western Greenland area. With the exception of sea gulls, there are no other animals found or seen in the area. Figured World: It is a large community with specialized groups within it. It consists of actors, artifacts and discourse communities. Rules and Conventions: The Extreme Ice survey was a very dangerous expedition and therefore, safety is the biggest priority. To participate in this figured world, you need to have a strong background in Meteorology and Climate change patterns. There is a strict policy on what you should wear when you are walking across the glacier. You are expected to wear multiple layers of clothing instead of one heavy coat, ice boots, a head gear, and a muffler, to keep you warm and a backpack with your essentials. The backpack should not be too heavy that it wears you out, but it should also have all the things you might need in case of an accident or emergency. Another important rule is not to take unnecessary risks such as go too close to the edge of the ice cliff overlooking a huge, bottomless ditch. An unspoken rule is that if one of the team members is hurt or injured, you try to get a helicopter there but keep moving and leave him behind. This happened when the lead, Jeff Orlowski, hurt his knee and the team just left him in a tent and kept going. Since the journey is being recorded and going to be viewed by audience of all ages, you cannot use foul language no matter how harsh the weather gets. You cannot joke around (horseplay and such) on the field of study (the glacier) because it is a very sensitive place and any anyone could very easily fall and die. Actors: The people who populate the figured world. The follow the rules and conventions and are expected to behave a certain way. Dr. Jacob Box: The scientist from University of Minnesota Research Dept. who will be examining the data collected to figure out just how fast the glacier is moving and how much of Greenland its draining away per year. Jeff Orlowski: The lead field expert from National Geographic. He knows the rough terrain of Greenland and how to navigate through it. Jason Balog: Works under Dr. Jason Box to help analyze and record data.

Himani Patel Assignment 1 Draft 1 Documentary: Chasing Ice Svan Jonatansson: a native Greenlander with a climatology background who helps the team with the field research. Artifacts: objects, emotions or ideas that hold a meaning for a group of people. The Cameras They are the reason the first trip to Greenland happened. They are significant because they will help the team get data and result they need to prove how much climate change is influencing the polar ice caps. Discourse community: a group of people within a figured world who share certain goals and work together to achieve them. Camera set-up crew This discourse community consists of Jeff Orlowski and Dr. Jacob Box. Their shared goal is to set up cameras across the glacier and Disko Bay. The overcome many obstacles and work hard together to achieve their goal. Observation notes (Assume 8:00 am to 8:45 am) 8:00 AM: Jeff explains how they are taking 36 cameras, the most sensitive technology, and will be putting them all over the Jakobshvan glacier, the harshest conditions, for the next 6 months. He and Dr. Box start packing the cameras and realize theyll have to take an extra bag each because they still need to take the hiking gear. After they are done packing their backpacks, they weigh them and find out they will each be carrying 20 pounds. 8:07 AM: The two decide to start near base of the glacier. They are walking along its side when they reach a point where they can climb it easily. Jeff exclaims how beautiful the side sectioning is and its a pity that Jakobshvan wont be here for his grandchildren to see. 8:15 AM: Jeff and Dr. Box are seen trekking half a mile to get to the middle of the glacier. They place their first camera there but in order to keep it safe, they need a small tower to stabilize it over. They call their team for help and a red helicopter comes by and drops off a steady, iron tower where the fix the camera in a plastic box to protect it from the weather. 8:20 AM: Dr. Box hopes the camera survives 6 months because it is at a critical point. He also tells us that the camera will be shot with a laser by the team soon to determine its co-ordinates. Jeff only hopes he is still alive after placing 35 more cameras. 8:30 AM: The scene jumps to Jeff and Box already having placed 27 cameras across the southern Greenland. They are now climbing an ice cliff to place one on top. It ends up being way more difficult than either of them thought it would be. Dr. Box almost loses his footing and slips off. When they finally get to the top, they are exhausted and out of breath. While Jeff is setting up the tent, Dr. Box is sitting nearby repacking the hiking gear and states he never thought he would say this but he misses his desk job.

Himani Patel Assignment 1 Draft 1 Documentary: Chasing Ice 8:37 AM: They explore the top of the cliff which seems never ending and turns out to be a part of the glacier. It becomes tricky to navigate because there are a lot of deep ridges scattered across the terrain. 8:45 AM: They come across an ice canyon which is deep but is filled with shallow, crystal clear water and it is the most breath taking scene ever. Jeff cannot seem to get over how beautiful it is and mentions, how was I to know the world isnt supposed to look like this. They walk onwards and place five more cameras at a one and a half mile radius from each other before calling it a day.

Observation notes (The crew returns to collect ice samples 1 month later) (Assume 8:00 8:45 am) 8:00 AM: This time, there are two more members added to the crew: James Balog and Svan Jonatansson. The four trek over to the first site and prepare the ice digging tools. Svan and James joke about how they will probably die (due to the horrible weather) but they are glad they came to Greenland with Jason and Jeff. 8:10 AM: They dig up a sample of ice and secure it in a box to send it over to research lab. Dr. Jason Box explains how the story is in the ice just like the tree rings. The snow builds up and as more pressure builds up at the top, it turns to ice. The ice holds air bubbles that tell us about the environment and weather conditions at the time it formed. 8:15 AM: While the team is out getting more samples, we are taken to the lab where Dr. Jason Box is dissecting the ice sample. He uses several machines and microscopes to get out the air bubbles and separate the Carbon dioxide from other gases in the sample. He spends a long time doing the analysis and extrapolating data and then joins the team. 8:25 AM: Meanwhile, the team has collected 5 more samples along the glacier. They walk towards the edge of the glacier near a camera they placed earlier and Jeff and Box realize it is nowhere near any ice. Jeff says how there use to be ice where Svan is standing and boom; now its gone. 8:35 AM: Dr. Box explains the science behind the receding of glaciers and how it connects to rising sea levels and other such things. 8:45 AM: As the team gets closer to the end of the glacier bay, they witness a huge chunk of glacier calve off. Jeff ends the scene by stating, You know, they [the glaciers] came from a great, impassive place, and now they're just, they're crumbling into these tiny little blocks of ice going off into the ocean. It's crazy.

Himani Patel Assignment 1 Draft 1 Documentary: Chasing Ice

Interview Questions: 1. What motivates you to voluntarily go to these dangerous places and risk your own life for what most people would call "just research samples?" -People need to see that this is more than just research. Also, I could just tell them the data and logistics but they will get nothing out of it so I decided to do the documentary to show them how beautiful our world is and how quickly it is falling apart right before our eyes. 2. Do you think the techniques many nations are implementing on reducing the amount of Carbon dioxide from the atmosphere will perhaps play a role in slowing the rate of melting polar ice caps? -No, I dont think it will ever be enough. While these techniques take away a few amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere, twice as much is being added by factories around the world. If the amount of CO2 we put into the atmosphere was a steady number, it would help but every day, there is a new factory opening up somewhere in a third world nation. We value our economy more than our environment. If we shut down coal factories, it would hurt the economy but if we keep them, they only harm the environmentwhich we live and breathe in. 3. Suppose we are in 2050s and the polar ice caps have reduced by 80 percent, Give me an example of the kind of policies/protection programs you think need to be taken to ensure the welfare of people living along coastal regions? -There are several options but the amount of money the government will need to put in are going to be unbelievable. It ranges anywhere from building sea walls to avoid flooding to just relocating everyone towards main land. 4. Tell me about what day to day changes will occur regarding the melting of ice caps - I realize the sea levels will rise and our source of drinking water will decrease, but what other things will be altered or caused by it? -Well, first off all, there is definitely going to be a problem decreased water supply but our bio diversity will also decrease. That is because the polar ice caps are an ecosystem by itself and home to many different types of animals that are very slow to adapt to the rapidly occurring changes. We will lose a lot of land, of course, due to the high sea levels and the salinity of the ocean will be altered due to a difference in balance of salt concentrations. 5. What message do you have for people who think global warming is still just a theory? -At this point, if you still dont believe in global warming, I dont know what to tell you. It is real, it is happening, and we are all going to be doomed.

Himani Patel Assignment 1 Draft 1 Documentary: Chasing Ice Pictures: Copyright: The Guardian Magazine

Himani Patel Assignment 1 Draft 1 Documentary: Chasing Ice

Himani Patel Assignment 1 Draft 1 Documentary: Chasing Ice