Arctic Explorer Steger Treks to Warn about Climate Change
(Posted Dec 9, 2011 09:09 am)
By Les Coleman
TALLAHASSEE, FL - Arctic explorer Will Steger is parking his dogsled to speak out across the country about the threat of climate change - and he says there's no mistaking what he's seen on his many journeys:
"In the polar regions the ice is starting to melt,
and we're seeing the ice shelves in Antarctica and the
higher arctic disappearing. At the same time, we're
starting to see weather extremes all around, not only
the United States, but all around the rest of the world
right now."
Another of Steger's climate-related concerns has been
the decline of the coral reefs off the Florida Keys.
Despite what he's witnessed, however, he believes there
are ways to reverse the trends and says he is hopeful
about the future.
"There are solutions to the climate change, and the
solutions are economical. It's changing our economy into
a clean energy economy - new fuels and lessening our
demand on energy, in particular - which means the saving
of money, not only at homes, but in businesses. So, the
solutions are definitely economical."
Joining Steger at some of his public forums is J Drake
Hamilton, science policy director for the group
Fresh
Energy, who says those solutions include job
creation through modernizing coal-fired power plants.
"Everyone from pipefitters and welders, who'll be
putting pollution control equipment on these plants, to
engineers and electricians - so, all kinds of skill sets
will be needed."
In addition to job creation, says Hamilton, reducing
pollution from coal plants will have a positive health
impact.
"Coal is the number one source of the climate pollution,
and it's a number one source of a number of respiratory
illnesses. So, when we talk about improvements that get
us cleaner air, we're also really directly talking about
improving people's lives."
To focus on educating the public about climate change,
Steger says his next trek will be a 2,000-mile journey
across the Canadian Arctic by dogsled, but that's still
a few years off.