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Will Steger reflects on climate change, past polar adventures

The Minnesota native and adventurous explorer reflects on past journeys, melting sea ice and his concern for life on a warming planet in "After Antarctica."

MINNEAPOLIS — Climate change - two words we are all familiar with, but none of us have witnessed it like Minnesota explorer Will Steger. He has watched it play out for decades in some of the world’s most remote areas.

Steger has spent much of the past 60 years exploring Earth’s harshest environments. He just returned from a ship in Antarctica last week, saying “I love the cold, I’m a Minnesota person.”

Numerous expeditions to the North and South Pole over the decades have inadvertently made Will an eyewitness to climate change.

“An incredible change that I never could have even imagined," Steger said. "Every ice shelf that I’ve travelled on both in the Northern region and the Southern have collapsed.”

The polar explorer first crossed Antarctica three decades ago. He led an international team that took a 3,700-mile route across the continent, traveling for 220 days. 

Today, his route no longer exists as much of it has broken off or melted into the ocean. These changes are documented in a new film called "After Antarctica."

“It was quite remarkable the amount of sea ice lost – there wasn’t any sea ice actually in areas where you couldn’t get a ship in four or five years ago.”

The film follows Steger on a solo adventure through the Arctic while reflecting back on the Trans-Antarctic expedition. It explores how his observations and life’s work have influenced the conversation about climate change.

“I really felt they did a very good job at making an intimate story but at the same time about the planetary issues we are all facing today" said Steger. "But it’s not just protecting the Arctic, it’s really the concern here for life on the planet.”

When not in the polar regions, Steger spends his time educating people about climate change through his Climate Generation organization. Although he's 77, Steger has no thoughts of slowing down – his next journey is already mapped out.

“I’m leaving in April – two months solo expedition in the way-far north, north of the Arctic Circle in Canada, and then back to Minnesota for the 4th of July.”

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