Will Steger Visits Campus

by Erica Tomaszewski
edited by Phil Enright

Arctic polar explorer and environmental educator Will Steger was featured at a Fitzwater Center special presentation on Thursday, February 18^th in the Patterson Television Studio.

The presentation was part of the Tuesday Briefing series run by the Fitzwater Center, but was re-scheduled to Thursday due to the weather.  Steger entertained the audience by recounting his 45 years of exploration throughout the Polar Regions of the world.   He also advised the attendees of the changes that need to be made to preserve these regions.

“It is important to educate yourself about global warming.  We have a lot of control over the situation, and we need to collectively take action,” said Steger.

The explorer saw ice shelves begin to melt on one of his explorations through Antarctica in 1995.  Ever since that trip, he has been traveling throughout the United States and the world educating people about the destruction of global warming to the Polar Regions.

“The possibility of losing polar bears and ice is a moral implication.  We need to do things a little smarter and live a little bit simpler,” said Steger.

Attendees of the event were very happy that Steger was so realistic in his approach.  He acknowledged that not everyone accepts the idea of global warming.  He also showed the difference that could be made by changing small aspects of their lives.

Many attendees were unaware of the destruction the ice melting had on the ecosystem as a whole.  Nalina Shapiro, the host of the presentation, was happy to see that Steger was directing his message to the younger generations.

“He has seen global warming first hand, and dedicated 45 years of his life to our environment.  He wants to educate the younger generation because they have the power to make changes in the future,” said Shapiro.

During his presentation, Steger targeted college age students, as well as other young adults that are ready to spark change in their world.  He encouraged the youth to educate the older generations about this problem, as well as tell them what can be done to save these regions were the ice melting has devastated the entire ecosystem.

“It was especially interesting that he called for us to educate the older, more naïve generations who are stubborn to see the truth.  The pressure is now on our generation to preserve the future by what we do everyday,” said Stephanie Lewis, an attendee of the event.

Lewis also saw Steger’s presentation last year, but said this year he changed his focus from simply educating his audience, to motivating them to change their ways.

“He told us not to make great sacrifices in our lives, but to change little things that could matter a lot like turning off a light or seeing where our clothes were made,” said Lewis.

Steger advocated for self-change before trying for global change.  He stated to work on you first and then look at the larger picture.

“Start small.  Focus on your own community and then change the larger picture,” said Steger.

To learn more about Will Steger, his explorations, or his advice please visit his website at www.willsteger.com