Global Warming 101 - Back from Ellesmere Island

We told you awhile back about the Global Warming 101 Initiative to Ellesmere Island (in the Canadian Arctic) by Will Steger and fellow adventurers. Now the National Geographic Adventure Blog is reporting on the trip.

This is a great post with awesome photos of the adventure and insightful commentary by photographer Ben Horton. He spent 60 days dogsledding with the crew on the second Global Warming 101 expedition and reflects on that experience. Here’s a snippet from his post…

Having learned so much about how the Inuit survive up there, about the animals that inhabit it, and about how our lives are so intimately connected to it, I want to keep learning more. There are so many changes taking place at the Poles and so much more to see. Our team saw the collapsed Ayles Ice Shelf, traveled across the ruins of the Polar Ocean, and witnessed a spring that came three weeks early. The Arctic cannot keep changing like this and remain a healthy, productive ecosystem for much longer. Only 20 percent of the “old ice” that has made up the Arctic for as long as we can remember even still exists!

The expedition was meant to raise awareness about climate change by showing the world what’s happening in the Arctic. It’s scary to think what will happen if the Arctic ice keeps melting like this - it plays a crucial role in maintaining the fragile health and balance of our planet.