Students on Ice and Geoff Green

The expedition that carries Doshi to Antarctica is "Students on Ice," a programme that takes high-school students to the ends of the world and gives them inspiring educational opportunities meant to foster a new understanding and respect for the planet. At the time of her voyage it had been in operation for six years.

The programme is headed by the Canadian Geoff Green, and he is the one clearly drawn human figure in the essay. Green had grown tired of carting celebrities and retired, rich, curiosity-seekers to the poles — people who could only "give" back in a limited way. Instead, he deliberately chose to offer the future generation of policy-makers a life-changing experience at an age when they are still ready to absorb, to learn, and, most importantly, to act. His choice reveals his foresight, his faith in education, and his belief that genuine understanding grows out of first-hand experience rather than distant reports. …