Environmentalist/Explorer Will Steger Endorses Kerry

[sandnsea]

Will Steger, one of the country's leading explorers and environmentalists, has announced his endorsement of John Kerry for President. Steger is best known for his record-breaking dog sled expeditions, including the first confirmed dogsled journey to the North Pole and the first and only dogsled traverse of Antarctica. He is a well-known advocate for understanding and preserving the Arctic.

From his solar home in northern Minnesota, Steger said:

"I am very pleased to endorse John Kerry for President. As an educator,environmentalist, and an explorer of some of the world's most isolated places, I have learned first hand about the threats to the global environment. John Kerry has been a fighter for the environment for his entire career. I believe he is far and away the best qualified candidate to tackle tough global environmental problems like global warming. And his bold plan for rapidly developing alternative energy sources will strengthen our national security by reducing our dependence on foreign oil, create well-paying jobs, and produce cleaner air and water."

Steger will be embarking on a 3,000 mile dogsled expedition across northern Canada on December 15th. Steger will be using satellite phones to reach an estimated 10 million school children who will follow the expedition over the Internet. For more information on the Polar Transect, go to Steger's website.


http://blog.johnkerry.com/

This is a cool endorsement.

Yes, I know, he's mean to the doggies.

[JailBush]

1. A guy I worked with in Barrow accompanied Steger to the North Pole.

I hope he finishes his latest dogsled expedition before global melting leaves him high and dry.

[blm]

4. Geez...what an awful thought.

But it does kind of crystallize why it's a good idea to have a president in 2005 who can hit the ground running on this issue. Kerry KNOWS the science already.

[George_Bonanza]

2. Kerry = Environmentalism

[blm]

13. Yep...

that's why the right will do anything to stop him. They don't want RFK as head of the EPA, do they?

[JohnKleeb]

14. C'mon you need Bobby Jr at a higher job than that

Give him the interior, I am sure we can find someone else more apt for the EPA, Bobby is a great guy, I think the interior would be fittin.

[blm]

15. Dept. of Interior.

LOL...I know, I know.

[JohnKleeb]

16. I know, I am just messing around with you

Why not the interior? great men need great responsiblities. Maybe he would be like his dad was in the justice dept. Just giving you a bit of humor, Ive noticed that the Kerry crowd is kinda having a rough night. I am suprised people arent commenting that he would consider Jimmy Carter, thats cool and awesome, hes one of our best and most well respected citizens. Who would be good for the EPA though I wonder.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

3. "John Kerry has been a fighter for the environment for his entire career"

Not the first time I've heard that. This is a great endorsement.

[JohnKleeb]

7. wont be the last, thats what you get when you get a 96

lifetime from the LCV and organizing Earth Day early on. Congrads to my number two candiate, Senator John Kerry.

[blm]

8. I'm sure he'd be proud to be your number 2

considering that Kucinich is your number 1. You have a strong set of ethics.

[JohnKleeb]

9. Why thanks

I appreciate it. I really think hes a good senator generally with a solid liberal background, and he has many admirable qualities.

[no name no slogan]

5. Congratulations

My mom met Steger shortly after his first expedition to the North Pole, it must be almost 20 years ago by now. She said he was a very down-to-earth, no-nonsense individual who was kind and thoughtful. She was his "handler" for a conference given by her employer, where he spoke to the other workers about success (the whole motivational speaker thing).

Congrats on a fine endorsement! :toast:

[blm]

6. I was never aware of his political side....

although anyone knowledgeable about the environment HAS to be political these days. Sad commentary on these times.

[sandnsea]

10. Green at Work article

Found this today and thought I'd add it to this thread. I'd never heard the Sierra Club's description of Kerry before:

"Convening an environmental conference in Washington, DC, dictated the presence of a nationally recognized eco-activist. Senator John Kerry (D-MA), identified by the Sierra Club as the Senate’s strongest environmental advocate, was an obvious choice. He has consistently recognized that a healthy environment is fundamental to our nation’s quality of life and economic security. While applauding the visionary pioneers in the audience, he labeled the current U.S. Senate as “nearly dysfunctional” for its inability to move the nation forward in solving our environmental problems such as oil dependence, down-stream pollution, air quality, waste and global warming. Politics, he said, should be the “art of the possible,” rather than constantly trying to fix the things we’ve done wrong in the past.

A true tax cut, one that would ultimately save the country billions of dollars and rejuvenate our economy, would put policies in place that don’t require us to repair decades of damage, but would offer America different choices. Kerry suggested two fundamental changes: government’s methods of addressing these choices and the way in which citizens approach government. It is the job of leaders, he said, to provide the marketplace incentives that will transition the country to energy sources that are clean, abundant and reliable—things such as subsidies, tax credits, partnerships with industry and joint ventures with universities—that will move us rapidly toward true national security.

Citizens, Kerry reminded the audience, have created a “felt need” in the past on issues such as civil rights, voting rights, the clean air and clean water acts and the formation of the EPA, and can do so again by becoming vested in holding politicians accountable. One hundred million dollars or more is spent in Washington each month by special interest lobbyists to influence government decisions, but it is the citizens who must re-engage and reclaim our own democracy by making cleaner air, better fuel economy and other environmental concerns a voting issue. Reconnecting to the possibilities, to dare and reach, be tough and courageous, thoughtful and compassionate is the responsibility of voters and politicians alike. This, said Kerry, will enable us to avoid becoming the first generation in history to leave the country in worse shape than we found it."
http://www.greenatworkmag.com/magazine/articles/ed7_recap.html

[blm]

11. Kerry's true core principles will lead this nation

as the environmental beacon in the world that it SHOULD be.

[kerrygoddess]

12. chat now

Join us at 3 PM for a chat with Frank Lowenstein of our foreign policy team about John Kerry's speech today to the Council of Foreign Relations in New York. The title of the speech is “Making America Secure Again: Setting the Right Course for Foreign Policy," and the text will be up on the web site at 2 PM. You can find the text and a link to the chat at http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/clips/news_2003_1203.html

The direct link to the chat is: http://www.johnkerry.com/chat/index.html
The chat room will open shortly before 3 PM EST.

[molly]

17. Sorry I missed this - my schedule doesn't

correspond to these chats.

[ldoolin]

18. Glad he's on our side

Interesting, I'm reading one of Will Steger's books as we speak. Crossing Antarctica. I didn't know he was politically active. Kerry's not my first choice but it's always good to hear of anyone being on the Democratic side.