Explorer Steger Meets Steelworkers To Talk Renewables, Arctic Meltdown

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Will Steger says that in 43 years as a polar explorer, he has seen the effects of global warming like few other people on Earth. "It's been very clear to me what's happening,'' said Steger, 61, of Ely. ``In the last 15 years I have seen ice shelves drop into the ocean. In Antarctica, an ice shelf as big as Iowa and 14,000 feet thick disintegrated into the ocean. In 10 years, you won't be able to dog sled to the North Pole.''

Steger, an internationally known explorer, writer, lecturer and photographer, is calling on Minnesota to mandate that 20 percent of the state's energy comes from renewable sources by 2020. Renewable energy sources include wind, water, sun and agricultural and timber byproducts.

On Saturday, Steger will speak at a renewable energy forum in Hibbing sponsored by the United Steelworkers of America. The forum is a byproduct of the Blue-Green Alliance, which is an organization consisting of labor unions and environmental groups. Steger and steelworker officials say mandating the use of renewable energy within the state would create new jobs, boost the economy and protect the environment.

``We have a mandate for ethanol in this state and it worked fine for the farmers,'' Steger said. ``And we have a mandate for seat belts. If we start looking and thinking out of the box, there's good jobs that can come from this, and it's good for the economy.''


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