Feb. 8, 2010

A long-time Arctic explorer wants Montanans to "see for themselves" how the pace of climate change has accelerated. Will Steger's film footage, taken on extreme polar expeditions over 40 years, shows how polar lakes have thawed, ice shelves have disintegrated and wildlife habitat has disappeared. That footage is on display in Billings, Bozeman and Missoula this week. 
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Steger says he wants his first-hand experiences to help people understand the urgency to transition away from a lifestyle that contributes to the pollution that's scientifically linked to a faster-changing climate.

"I didn't think the global warming would come so quickly; I knew it was coming, but it happened so fast. I'm actually glad that I'm around at this crisis point."

Bob Clark, associate representative with the Sierra Club, Missoula, is organizing a local showing of Steger's video.

While the science around climate change has been controversial at times, he says Steger's footage gets right to the point.

"It shows us where things are at - why we need to make changes, and what changes we as Americans and Montanans can make.

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Steger started a foundation to help develop solutions for slowing the pace of climate change, and to find support for those projects.

Tour stops: Billings - Feb. 9 at 8:30 p.m. at the Billings Depot; Bozeman - Feb. 10 at 7 p.m., Museum of the Rockies; Missoula - Feb. 11 at 7 p.m., UM Campus, Urey Lecture Hall. The tour is sponsored by the Sierra Club, National Wildlife Federation, The Wilderness Society, Montana Audubon and Repower Montana.
 Deb Courson, Public News Service - MT .

See the online article from the Public News Service website - Feb 8, 2010