Polar explorer speaks about need to take action on global warming

By Ashley White

Mirror Forum Editor
January 25, 2008

In seven degree temperatures and wind chill factors that fall well below zero, many Augustana students spend their January dreaming of warm ocean breezes. Arctic polar bears, on the other hand, wish for exactly the opposite. Yet the ever-increasing problem of global warming is making it difficult for these animals to survive in their native habitats.

Will Steger, a polar explorer, shared his firsthand experiences with global warming to students on Tuesday, Jan. 22.

“I have a tireless conviction to share my experiences,” Steger said. “I’ve been face-to-face with the gravest environmental threat: global warming.”

Steger urged students to take a stance in electing public officials who will work to alleviate the problems of global warming. Steger himself testified before Congress in 1991 on environmental issues, specifically addressing global warming.

According to Steger, the continent of Antarctica “will literally slip off the face of the earth” unless certain environmental laws and regulations are put into effect.

“We cannot put our heads in the sand and give up,” he said. “We do not have an option here. This is not a choice.”

Augie Green hosted the event. Senior Jeff Johnson, president of Augie Green, said that the goal should be to “create a more sustainable lifestyle for ourselves and the people around us.”

J. Drake Hamilton, a global warming expert and science policy director for Fresh Energy, a nonprofit organization, also spoke about policy-oriented solutions to global warming.

“This is an energy revolution,” Hamilton said. “But I don’t at all accept that this needs to be a scary proposition. Little things can matter right away.”

Other students felt enlightened by Steger’s personal insights and experiences.

“He made some very convincing arguments that global warming is real, and it’s something which our government and every human citizen need to be paying close attention to right now,” sophomore Phil Mulder said.

Steger’s lecture also included pictures from his Arctic expeditions. One in particular showed a polar bear floating on a chunk of ice, surrounded by water on all sides.

“Like the polar bear, we’re really on thin ice,” Steger said. “I see global warming as a moral issue. The world is waiting for us to lead.”