Lee Hotz: Inside an Antarctic time machine

Prevodilac: Vesna Savić Lektor: Dejan Vicai

Come with me to the bottom of the world,

Pođite sa mnom na kraj sveta,

Antarctica,

na Antarktik,

the highest, driest, windiest,

najvišu, najsuvlju, najvetrovitiju,

and yes, coldest region on Earth --

i da, najhladniju regiju na Zemlji -

more arid than the Sahara

suvlju od Sahare

and, in parts, colder than Mars.

i na nekim mestima, hladniju od Marsa.

The ice of Antarctica glows

Led na Antarktiku sija

with a light so dazzling,

svetlošću tako sjajnom

it blinds the unprotected eye.

da zaslepljuje nezaštićeno oko.

Early explorers rubbed cocaine in their eyes

Pre su istraživači utrljavali kokain u oči

to kill the pain of it.

kako bi bol usahnuo.

The weight of the ice is such that the entire continent

Led je toliko težak da je čitav kontinent

sags below sea level, beneath its weight.

uronjen ispod površine mora.

Yet, the ice of Antarctica

Taj led na Antarktiku

is a calendar of climate change.

je kalendar klimatskih promena.

It records the annual rise and fall

Beleži godišnji rast i pad

of greenhouse gases and temperatures

temperatura pod efektom staklene bašte

going back before the onset of the last ice ages.

čak iz doba pre nastupanja poslednjeg ledenog doba.

Nowhere on Earth

Nigde drugde na Zemlji

offers us such a perfect record.

promene se ne beleže tako savršeno.

And here, scientists are drilling

Ovde naučnici buše

into the past of our planet

u prošlost naše planete,

to find clues to the future

kako bi pronašli tragove koji bi ukazali

of climate change.

na budućnost klimatskih promena.

This past January,

Prethodnog januara

I traveled to a place called WAIS Divide,

putovao sam na mesto koje se zove Zapadni antarktički ledeni pojas Divajd,

about 600 miles from the South Pole.

na oko 1000 km od Južnog pola.

It is the best place on the planet, many say,

Mnogi kažu da je to najbolje mesto na planeti

to study the history of climate change.

za proučavanje istorije klimatskih promena.

There, about 45 scientists from the University of Wisconsin,

Oko 45 naučnika sa Univerziteta u Viskonsinu

the Desert Research Institute in Nevada and others

i Pustinjskog istraživačkog instituta u Nevadi i drugih

have been working to answer a central question

tamo se bave odgovaranjem na ključno pitanje

about global warming.

o globalnom zagrevanju.

What is the exact relationship

Kakav je tačan odnos

between levels of greenhouse gases

između nivoa efekta staklene bašte

and planetary temperatures?

i temperatura na planeti?

It's urgent work. We know that temperatures are rising.

Taj posao je vrlo hitan. Poznato je da temperatura raste.

This past May was the warmest worldwide on record.

Maj je ove godine bio najtopliji na svetskom nivou.

And we know that levels of greenhouse gases are rising too.

Znamo i da se efekat staklene bašte pogoršava.

What we don't know

Ono što ne znamo je

is the exact, precise, immediate

tačan, precizan, neposredan

impact of these changes

uticaj tih promena

on natural climate patterns --

na prirodnu klimu -

winds, ocean currents,

vetrove, morske struje,

precipitation rates, cloud formation,

stopu padavina, formiranje oblaka,

things that bear on the health and well-being

stvari koje utiču na zdravlje i blagostanje

of billions of people.

milijardi ljudi.

Their entire camp, every item of gear,

Čitav kamp i svaka stavka opreme

was ferried 885 miles

prevezena je trajektom oko 1.500 km

from McMurdo Station,

iz stanice Makmerdo,

the main U.S. supply base

glavne američke baze za snabdevanje

on the coast of Antarctica.

na samu obalu Antarktika.

WAIS Divide itself though,

Sam pojas Divajd

is a circle of tents in the snow.

je krug šatora u snegu.

In blizzard winds, the crew sling ropes between the tents

Kada duvaju mećavni vetrovi, ekipa razvuče konopce od šatora do šatora

so that people can feel their way safely

kako bi sa sigurnošću napipali put

to the nearest ice house

do najbliže ledene kuće

and to the nearest outhouse.

ili najbliže sporedne zgrade.

It snows so heavily there,

Tamo tako jako pada sneg

the installation was almost immediately buried.

da su instalacije skoro odmah bile zatrpane.

Indeed, the researchers picked this site

Istraživači su odabrali baš to mesto

because ice and snow accumulates here

upravo zato što se sneg i led tu najbrže nataloži,

10 times faster than anywhere else in Antarctica.

deset puta brže nego na bilo kom drugom mestu na Antarktiku.

They have to dig themselves out every day.

Svakoga dana moraju da iskopaju put do napolje.

It makes for an exotic

Putovanje od kuće do posla im je prilično

and chilly commute.

egzotično i hladno.

(Laughter)

(Smeh)

But under the surface

Ispod površine

is a hive of industrial activity

je aktivna industrijska košnica

centered around an eight-million-dollar drill assembly.

koja okružuje bušilicu vrednu 8 miliona dolara.

Periodically, this drill, like a biopsy needle,

S vremena na vreme, ta bušilica, poput igle za biopsiju,

plunges thousands of feet deep into the ice

zariva se oko 300 m u led

to extract a marrow of gases

kako bi se za analizu

and isotopes for analysis.

izvukla srž zaleđenih gasova.

Ten times a day, they extract

Deset puta dnevno vade

the 10-foot long cylinder of compressed ice crystals

cilindar od tri metra sa kompresovanim kristalima leda

that contain the unsullied air and trace chemicals

koji sadrže neukaljan vazduh i tragove hemikalija

laid down by snow,

koje je sneg zarobljavao

season after season for thousands of years.

svakog godišnjeg doba hiljadama godina.

It's really a time machine.

To je zapravo vremeplov.

At the peak of activity earlier this year,

Na vrhuncu aktivnosti ove godine,

the researchers lowered the drill

istraživači su svakog dana bušilicu zarivali

an extra hundred feet deeper into the ice every day

po 30 m dublje u led,

and another 365 years

i još 365 godina

deeper into the past.

dalje u prošlost.

Periodically, they remove

S vremena na vreme izvade

a cylinder of ice,

cilindar s ledom,

like gamekeepers popping a spent shotgun shell

kao što lovci izvade praznu čauru

from the barrel of a drill.

iz cevi.

They inspect it, they check it for cracks,

Ispitaju je, provere da li ima pukotina,

for drill damage, for spalls, for chips.

oštećenja od bušenja, ivera, piljevine.

More importantly,

Što je najbitnije,

they prepare it for inspection and analysis

oni taj led pripremaju za ispitivanje i analizu

by 27 independent laboratories

u 27 nezavisnih laboratorija

in the United States and Europe,

u SAD i Evropi,

who will examine it for 40 different trace chemicals

koje će ispitati ostatke 40 različitih tragova hemikalija

related to climate,

vezanih za klimu,

some in parts per quadrillion.

veličine 10 na -15.

Yes, I said that with a Q, quadrillion.

Da, na -15.

They cut the cylinders up into three-foot sections

Cilindre seku na delove od po metar,

for easier handling and shipment

radi lakšeg rukovanja

back to these labs,

i prenošenja u laboratorije,

some 8,000 miles from the drill site.

nekada udaljene i oko 13.000 km od bušotine.

Each cylinder

Svaki cilindar

is a parfait of time.

je vremenski parfe.

This ice formed as snow

Sneg se pretvorio u led

15,800 years ago,

pre 15.800 godina,

when our ancestors were daubing themselves with paint

kada su se naši preci mazali bojama

and considering the radical new technology

i počeli da koriste novu

of the alphabet.

radikalnu tehnologiju - alfabet.

Bathed in polarized light

Okupan polarnom svetlošću

and cut in cross-section,

i poprečno isečen,

this ancient ice reveals itself

taj drevni led se prikazuje

as a mosaic of colors,

u mozaiku boja,

each one showing how conditions at depth in the ice

koje svaka pokazuju kako su uslovi duboko u ledu

have affected this material

uticali na taj materijal,

at depths where pressures can reach

na dubinama gde pritisak dostiže

a ton per square inch.

skoro 13,79 mPa.

Every year, it begins with a snowflake,

Svake godine, proces počinje jednom pahuljom

and by digging into fresh snow,

i kopanjem novog snega vidimo

we can see how this process is ongoing today.

kako se proces danas odvija.

This wall of undisturbed snow,

Ovaj zid netaknutog snega,

back-lit by sunlight,

osvetljen sunčevom svetlošću,

shows the striations of winter and summer snow,

pokazuje pruge zimskog i letnjeg snega,

layer upon layer.

sloj po sloj.

Each storm scours the atmosphere,

Svaka oluja spira atmosferu,

washing out dust, soot,

spira prašinu, čađ,

trace chemicals,

tragove hemikalija,

and depositing them on the snow pack

odlažući ih u paketu snega,

year after year,

godinu za godinom,

millennia after millennia,

milenijum za milenijumom,

creating a kind of periodic table of elements

stvarajući vrstu periodnog sistema elemenata

that at this point

koji je u ovom trenutku

is more than 11,000 feet thick.

deblji od 3 km.

From this, we can detect an extraordinary number of things.

Iz svega toga možemo otkriti puno raznih stvari.

We can see the calcium

Možemo videti kalcijum

from the world's deserts,

iz svetskih pustinja,

soot from distant wildfires,

čađ iz udaljenih logorskih vatri,

methane as an indicator of the strength of a Pacific monsoon,

metan kao indikator snage pacifičkog monsuna,

all wafted on winds from warmer latitudes

što je sve doletelo s vetrovima toplijih geografskih širina

to this remote and very cold place.

do ovog udaljenog i vrlo hladnog mesta.

Most importantly,

Što je najvažnije,

these cylinders and this snow

ti cilindri i taj sneg

trap air.

zarobljavaju vazduh.

Each cylinder is about 10 percent ancient air,

U svakom cilindru ima oko 10% drevnog vazduha.

a pristine time capsule

To je iskonska vremenska kapsula

of greenhouse gases -- carbon dioxide,

efekata staklene bašte: ugljen-dikosid,

methane, nitrous oxide --

metan, azot-oksid -

all unchanged from the day that snow formed

svi ti gasovi nisu se menjali od dana

and first fell.

kada se taj sneg formirao i pao.

And this is the object of their scrutiny.

To naučnici nadziru.

But don't we already know

Ali zar se već ne zna sve

what we need to know about greenhouse gases?

o efektima staklene bašte?

Why do we need to study this anymore?

Zašto se to i dalje proučava?

Don't we already know how they affect temperatures?

Zar se ne zna već uticaj na temperaturu?

Don't we already know the consequences

Zar se već ne znaju posledice

of a changing climate on our settled civilization?

klimatskih promena na našu naseljenu civilizaciju?

The truth is, we only know the outlines,

Istina je da se znaju samo okosnice problema,

and what we don't completely understand,

a ono što nije u potpunosti jasno

we can't properly fix.

ne može se ni popraviti.

Indeed, we run the risk of making things worse.

Dabome, rizikujemo da stvari pogoršamo.

Consider, the single most successful

Uzmimo za primer najuspešniji

international environmental effort of the 20th century,

međunarodni ekološki napor 20. veka,

the Montreal Protocol,

Montrealski protokol,

in which the nations of Earth banded together to protect the planet

u kome su se nacije sveta udružile da zaštite našu planetu

from the harmful effects of ozone-destroying chemicals

od štetnih efekata hemikalija koje uništavaju ozonski omotač

used at that time

koji se u to vreme koristio

in air conditioners, refrigerators and other cooling devices.

u klima-uređajima, frižiderima i drugim uređajima za hlađenje.

We banned those chemicals,

Te hemikalije su bile zabranjene

and we replaced them, unknowingly,

i ne znajući, zamenjene

with other substances

drugim supstancama

that, molecule per molecule,

čiji je svaki molekul

are a hundred times more potent

stostruko jači

as heat-trapping, greenhouse gases

od toplote efekta staklene bašte,

than carbon dioxide.

i od ugljen-dioksida.

This process requires

Proces vađenja leda zahteva

extraordinary precautions.

strašnu predostrožnost.

The scientists must insure

Naučnici moraju da se pobrinu

that the ice is not contaminated.

da se led ne zagadi.

Moreover, in this 8,000-mile journey,

Štaviše, moraju da se postaraju

they have to insure this ice doesn't melt.

da se led na tom putovanju od 13.000 km ne otopi.

Imagine juggling a snowball across the tropics.

Zamislite da bacite grudvu snega u tropima.

They have to, in fact,

Zapravo, moraju da se

make sure this ice never gets warmer

postaraju da led nikad ne bude

than about 20 degrees below zero,

na temperaturi iznad -20 stepeni;

otherwise, the key gases inside it will dissipate.

u suprotnom bi gasovi u njemu izvetrili.

So, in the coldest place on Earth,

Na najhladnijem mestu na Zemlji,

they work inside a refrigerator.

naučnici rade unutar frižidera.

As they handle the ice, in fact,

Dok rade s ledom,

they keep an extra pair of gloves warming in an oven,

moraju da drže još jedan par rukavica koji se zagreva,

so that, when their work gloves freeze

kako bi, kada im se rukavice na rukama zalede

and their fingers stiffen,

i kada im se prsti ukoče,

they can don a fresh pair.

mogli da uzmu par toplih.

They work against the clock and against the thermometer.

Rade protiv vremena i termometra.

So far, they've packed up

Spakovali su

about 4,500 feet of ice cores

oko kilometar i po slojeva leda

for shipment back to the United States.

za isporuku u SAD.

This past season,

U zadnjem periodu

they manhandled them across the ice

ručno su ih preneli preko leda

to waiting aircraft.

do aviona koji su ih čekali.

The 109th Air National Guard

109. vazdušna nacionalna garda

flew the most recent shipment of ice

prenela je poslednju isporuku leda

back to the coast of Antarctica,

na obale Antarktika,

where it was boarded onto a freighter,

gde je utovarena na teretni brod,

shipped across the tropics to California,

preneta kroz tropsku oblast sve do Kalifornije,

unloaded, put on a truck,

istovarena, utovarena na kamion,

driven across the desert

prevezena kroz pustinju

to the National Ice Core Laboratory in Denver, Colorado,

sve do Nacionalne laboratorije za led u Denveru, u Koloradu,

where, as we speak,

gde je u ovom trenutku

scientists are now slicing this material up

naučnici seku na slojeve,

for samples, for analysis,

uzimaju uzorke za analizu

to be distributed

kako bi ih poslali

to the laboratories around the country

u laboratorije širom Amerike

and in Europe.

i Evrope.

Antarctica was this planet's

Antarktik je bio poslednje

last empty quarter --

prazno mesto na planeti -

the blind spot

tamna mrlja u našoj

in our expanding vision of the world.

viziji sveta koji se proširuje.

Early explorers

Prvi istraživači su otplovili

sailed off the edge of the map,

preko ivice karte sveta

and they found a place

i našli mesto na kome se čini

where the normal rules of time and temperature

da uobičajena pravila vremena i temperature

seem suspended.

više ne važe.

Here, the ice seems a living presence.

Led je tamo svakodnevna pojava.

The wind that rubs against it

Vetar koji tamo duva

gives it voice.

ledu daje glas.

It is a voice of experience.

To je glas iskustva.

It is a voice we should heed.

To je glas koji treba da poslušamo.

Thank you.

Hvala.

(Applause)

(Aplauz)