Baffin Island of the Canadian Artic is ground zero for climate change. The ice hunting season has been cut in half, weather, precipitation and wind patterns are changing, animals for which the elders have no names are appearing, permafrost is melting, ponds are draining and polar bears are beginning to wander into villages looking for food. No better place exists to witness the disruption of ecosystems and cultures by climate change. This February, Will Steger and his expedition team of Inuit hunters, explorers and educators, will embark on a four-month-long expedition to get a first-hand look at how global warming is impacting the Arctic landscape, wildlife, and human communities. The Global Warming 101 expedition will publicize these impacts using photo, audio and text updates they collect and post to www.globalwarming101.com as a warning to the rest of the world of the reality and magnitude of climate change. Students and teachers around the country can follow along with the Expedition using the freely available educational curricula. In addition, the Global Warming 101 website will provide the wider community with tools, resources, and information that builds a solid understanding of the issue as well as motivation to slow global warming through personal and legislative action.

Planning for the expedition began in January of 2006 and in June of the same year, equipment sponsors and supplies began rolling in. As the group of four explorers and educators train for the expedition, some of the potential hazards that they are aware of include falling ice along the steep sides of the fjords they must pass through, falling into crevasses, and the attempt of the first dog sled crossing of the Barnes Ice Cap. They must also keep in mind the 50 F below winter temperatures. The group will be joined by four Inuit hunters on the 1,200 mile, 4 month dog sled journey and will be staying with Inuit communities along the way. This particular component sets this expedition apart from other artic explorations that Steger has lead. Connecting with the Inuit people of the Canadian Arctic to hear their voices and stories of how their lives are changing as a result of global climate change is the primary goal of the expedition. The remoteness of the communities where Steger and his comrades will be visiting normally prevents any acknowledgment of their existence in the mainstream media. The Inuit, along with many species of wildlife native to the Canadian Artic, are innocent victims of global climate change. We at Peace Coffee sincerely hope that the world tunes in to hear what the Inuit of Baffin Island have to say about global climate change.

Peace Coffee is a proud supporter of the Will Steger Foundation’s Baffin Island 2007 Expedition. We are lucky to share an office building with them and hear frequent updates on the progress of their important work. For more information or to support this expedition, please visit www.globalwarming101.com

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