Will Steger's Closing Presentation

All of these pictures were taken at Will Steger's VERY well-attended speech this evening. Steger, who in 1986 led the first unsupported dogsled expedition to the North Pole, and followed that up with a dogsled traverse of the continent of Antarctica, has logged (by his estimation) more than 20,000 miles in a dogsled. His position as an Arctic and Antarctic explorer has given him a great deal of first-hand knowledge concerning global warming effects in those regions. His presentation addressed some of the effects of global warming in the Arctic and Antarctic from a unique perspective. For example, He spoke at length about the disintegration of the Larsen B iceshelf, and his upcoming research expedition to Ellesmere Island.

If you'd like to learn a little more about Steger's expeditions, he has a solid website which features journal entries and photo galleries for each of his expeditions. Also, for a little extra reading, visit the Will Steger Foundation website, www.globalwarming101.com; right now the site is undergoing a little remodeling, but it should be back online soon!

All in all, I think Steger's address was a perfect capstone to a busy day of environmental learning. I'd like to thank Will, his soon-to-be expedition-mate, Toby, and his Education Program Manager, Abby Fenton, for taking the time to speak at St. Olaf's Focus the Nation program (and pose for a few photos afterwards).

Update: Click here if you want to listen to audio clips of David Orr and Will Steger's presentations. Both clips are really clear, high-quality audio, courtesy of St. Olaf's broadcast media. The clips are available in streaming or mp3 formats.