WORTHINGTON -- Will Steger has seen a lot in areas that have almost gone entirely unseen.
Steger, known for polar explorations and his advocacy for preserving the Arctic region as well as the Earth, will speak at 11:30 a.m. Friday at the Bioscience Conference at Minnesota West Community and Technical College, Worthington campus.
"I've had a first-hand view of what's been happening in polar areas for the last 15 years," said Steger in a phone conversation Monday. "I'm going to be sharing my eyewitness account of global warming."
While Steger acknowledged that "probably a third of the population" doesn't believe global warming is occurring, he said there's much to talk about -- now so more than ever. Instead of making a planned, repeat trip to Greenland, he is staying behind to concentrate on advocacy work. His Will Steger Foundation (WSF) is dedicated to creating programs that foster international leadership and cooperation through environmental education and policy.
"I decided to stay in Minnesota and work on solutions, and work toward boosting the green economy," he said. "I thought that was the best way to use my time right now."
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Steger, a Minnesota native, has completed such journeys as a 1,600-mile south-north trek across Greenland, a 3,471-mile International Trans-Antarctic Expedition, a dogsled traverse on Antarctica, and a dogsled traverse of the Arctic Ocean from Russia to Canada's Ellesmere Island.
"What's been different about these presentations ... usually there's a lot of statistics, but these are real pictures that show how this (global warming) is accelerating very quickly," Steger said. "Fifteen years ago or more, scientists predicted changes would happen in these regions. Those changes have been going on, for the most part, unseen ... but I've seen them."
Steger noted that he appeared at a Bioenergy Days event in Mankato last September, which attracted a "big turnout." He said he does public speaking on global warming to audiences ranging from high-schoolers to public policy makers.
Steger received word through a friend who does his booking that the Worthington Regional Economic Development Corp. (WREDC) was looking for another speaker for the second day of its Bioscience Conference. G. Steven Burrill, who has been involved in the biotechnology industry for more than 40 years, will be the keynote speaker for the conference, and address attendees at 8 a.m. Friday.
"At the conference, I'll talk about economic opportunities, solutions and so forth," Steger said. "This helps really nail home why we should take this seriously. I think the story is really important."
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