Editor’s note: Arctic explorer Eric Larsen is trying to make it to the North and South Poles and the summit of Mount Everest in 365 days as part of an effort to raise awareness about climate change. Larsen joined us on American Morning before he set out on his Save the Poles expedition. Below is an excerpt from his online journal.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://www.x-journal.com/member/ericlars/images/b158_25098.jpg caption="The plane Larsen flew in to Antarctica. Courtesy: Eric Larsen, Save the Poles."]
By Eric Larsen
From EricLarsenExplore.com
None of us could believe our luck at the warm (relatively) weather and blue skies. So perfect were the conditions that we were more worried about sunburn than frostbite.
Antarctica! The place where my dreams have lived for so long. From our small temporary outpost nestled close to the Patriot Hills themselves all I can see is ice and sky. To feel important here is to simply ignore the vastness and grandure of this place. This is truly one of the last great frozen places left on the planet.
Being here now, I realize, I must double my efforts. This snowscape is so delicate. No longer immutable to change Antarctica, faces a dire fate unless we act now to reduce carbon emissions.
My fate is equally tied to this place for the next two months. What will I learn? How will I change? Right now there is still too much work to do before flying to our starting point at Hercules Inlet to be philosophical. TIA – this is Antarctica.