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, March 19, 2013
Antarctic Protection and Tourism
The hot topic of this week is protecting the Ross Sea. I'm excited that John Kerry, along with New Zealand's ambassador to the United States, Michael Moore, asked for the protection of one of the last pristine oceans in the world. At this rate, the Antarctic Treaty of 2041 could easy to uphold for another 100 years! Tourism is controversial. I'm still formulating my feelings on it. It's controversial because, now, increasing numbers of people want to do extreme sports, rather than walk around and look at ice and penguins. I believe we need to pull together to take action that respects and protects the environment, at the bottom of the world. I've read two books that claim people should go to the continent and experience for themselves. Another author says absolutely not! Scientists have mixed feelings.
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