Will Steger is now half way through the Global Warming 101 Expedition across the Arctic. As Steger and his team continue their journey, they are seeing drastic changes in the landscape.

Recently, the team passed through the Pangnirtung Pass. This area has often been known as “the land where ice never melts,” but over the last 40 years the overhanging glaciers have been disappearing or becoming significantly smaller due to melting.

The area of Pangnirtung also relies on the sea ice for its livelihood, because the ice allows the people to hunt for seals and fish. Nearly 80 percent of their food comes from hunting and fishing. Due to the thinner and breaking sea ice, the people of Pangnirtung have had to change their lifestyle. This has greatly disrupted the culture that has been carried down through generations.

Steger notes that the ethanol industry, through the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council, is an important sponsor of the expedition. “It is important to focus on the solutions that are currently available, and EPIC is helping with that solution by spreading the word about ethanol,” said Steger. “It’s essential to lower our carbon emissions to help save areas like Pangnirtung.”