The Arctic Ocean ice is our planet’s air conditioning system. Its ice balances weather patterns globally so that we have the food and resources we need to survive. Pathogens such as Smallpox, Anthrax, the plague and other germs are buried frozen in the Arctic Ocean. But the ice is melting fast, leaving open waters vulnerable to exploitation that further destroys what's left of the rapidly  melting sea ice and increases our risk of exposure to these pathogens. What happens in the Arctic Ocean affects all life because we are all inherently and inescapably interconnected. The Arctic sea ice is a gift of life for the entire world.  

The all-volunteer Parvati.org, founded and led by the award-winning Canadian musician and author Parvati, took the unprecedented step to create the MAPS Treaty. The MAPS Treaty transforms this key and vulnerable region into the world’s largest preservation area, stopping all activity that harms the cooling sea ice. World leaders are signing the MAPS Treaty to protect their citizens and the world.