The Story



We are All Antarctica is a story about my father George W. Gibbs, Jr’s adventures as the first person of African descent to set foot on the continent of Antarctica. He sailed on the famous ship the USS Bear in 1939 to 1941 on Admiral Byrd’s III expedition to the South Pole. It was the first joint venture with the US military and private exploration. Gibbs went on to serve humanity in countless ways, paving the way for not only people of color in the community of Rochester, MN but for all people to become more human, serve their community and appreciate differences.

Through compassion, tenacity, faith and countless hours in the trenches, Gibbs’ life is a model for community service, equality and fun. As the lowest rank on the ship, he was honored for his contribution at a time when people with dark skin were considered less than human.

This story integrates my experiences with natural healing, the arts, the science of the ice, the metaphysics of the South Pole and the history of the expedition and its mystery.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

More About Life in Antarctica

I'm rereading the news of "life buried under Antarctic lake". Three lakes are now drilled. Vostok, Ellsworth and Whillans. See photos of Ellsworth. Subglacial Lake Whillans is on the southeastern edge of the Ross Sea. The first ever, useable water samples from below the Antarctic ice sheet. They confirmed about 1000 bacteria per 1/5 of a teaspoon of lake water. This means life can live in most any condition. "Everywhere we look, whether it is in the sunlit coral reefs of tropical waters or beneath Antarctica shrouded in eternal darkness, we find unique ecosystems that we need to understand and protect." -Professor Alex Rogers of Oxford University's Department of Zoology Where will life be in 40 years?
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