Warming tales of the Arctic
The Arctic is on thin ice. And explorer Lonnie Dupre has harrowing firsthand stories to prove it.
Dupre, 44, of Grand Marais, Minn., attempted the first summer crossing of the Arctic Ocean in May to highlight the dangers of global warming. Working with Greenpeace, a nonprofit organization focused on solving environmental problems, Dupre and explorer Eric Larsen, 34, also of Grand Marais, left Siberia for the North Pole on May 12 with two canoe-sleds.
But their expedition was cut short because of heavy rainfall and other conditions they did not expect until mid-July: Temperatures reached 40 degrees, breaking the ice, and strong currents flowed south, making it difficult to walk, paddle, or ski.
On good days, they would travel eight to 12 miles, but when they slept, drifting ice pushed them back the same distance or more. The team, which finally had to be airlifted out, plans to try again next spring.
Until then, Dupre plans to tour the United States to share details of his voyage, stress the threat of global warming, and show support for nature as a primary energy source. (He's a fan of the proposed Cape Cod wind farm.)
The idea for the expedition came in 2001 during a 6,500-mile trip around Greenland. A 1982 map showed an area where two glaciers jutted a mile out to sea. When Dupre reached the spot, the glaciers were not there.
It turned out the location was right, he said, but the glaciers had receded -- a mile inland.
Dupre plans to leave in April 2006 for his next Arctic expedition, three weeks earlier than he left this year, and with a little more insight about the effects of global warming.
''It's starting to snowball," he said. ''When the ice is gone, we're going to be in a world of hurt."
IF YOU GO:
Dupre is scheduled to speak about his adventures at Cape Cod Community College in Barnstable Sept. 6 at 6:30 p.m. and to endorse the proposed Cape Cod wind farm, a project to install 130 energy-efficient wind turbines in Nantucket Sound.
Also, Larsen will be touring New England next month aboard Greenpeace's Arctic Sunrise, a 170-foot ice-breaker. The ship, which has been traveling around Greenland to observe the effects of global warming, will be open for tours at the Boston Harbor Shipyard and Marina, 256 Marginal St., on Sept. 17 and 18, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The ship will then travel to various New England ports, and is scheduled to reach Nantucket on Sept. 25. Call 800-219-9260 or check www.projectthinice.org for more information, and to confirm dates and times. The ship is not accessible to wheelchairs and has lots of steep stairs.
