Help me solve climate change from the Top of the World!
Leslie Harroun January 05, 2011 | 03:30 PM
Thank you for reading my blog. I work in philanthropy to protect the Arctic from global warming. Why choose me as Quark’s Official Blogger? I love to write, I’m an intrepid and curious traveler – New Guinea, Laos, Belize, Nunavut, Africa – and a great photographer. I’ll make the frozen North come alive for you — while you stay toasty warm — with my compelling stories, photos, and my knowledge of the Arctic’s environment, cultures, history and politics. I will see and capture for you what others miss, because I know where to look.
I hope you enjoy my story below.
******************************
The river was swift and narrow, with large unstable rocks underfoot and high banks of tall grass. We trekked across a wide valley to get here, flanked by magnificent peaks — some of them active volcanoes — walking miles through deep soft tundra that wafted thyme, peat and summer flowers with every step. We were flyfishing on the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East; one of the most sparsely populated, untouched areas of the planet. I was drunk with happiness.
Waist deep in my solitary stretch of rushing water, I cast repeatedly into roils and riffles where I imagined large hungry trout waited for my fly. Not even a nibble. My mind drifted gently away into the beauty of my surroundings.
Then I heard it: CRACK! My head jerked towards the sound. I waited, frozen, every sense alive. Nothing. I relaxed and sighed deeply with relief. But suddenly there he was, not 20 feet away, rising on his great hind legs directly before me, black nose twitching, paws held as if waving, then slowly lowering to the river bank, slowly lumbering towards me.
Our eyes locked. I stepped back, stumbled. Don’t panic, I thought, you’ll drown. Don't look him in the eye, I reminded myself. But I couldn’t look away. Hold your ground. Where’s the rifle? Too far away; no one sees you. I couldn’t move. I yelled, “BEAR!!”
His head snapped up, ears flattened back, eyes filled with shock, and he turned … his long, luminescent golden fur rippled and gleamed upon layers of fat as he, and my fear, vanished silently into the grass.
No, I whispered, don’t go.
******************************
If I win I hope my encounters with polar bears are only close enough to take an awesome photo ….
I would be honored to have your vote.
Cheers,
Leslie
368 Comments
Please support and pass on….
“Addressing Global Warming, I vow to eliminate all my non-essential flying. It’s a moral issue…”
http://www.facebook.com/pages/ClimateFlightAction/165484890164497?v=info
By signing up to reducing your non-essential flying you make a big impact on emissions reduction in multiple ways.
>Your emissions are substantially reduce.
>Your resolution highlights and focus the urgency of the issue and the sort of effort that will be required to address the problem with your peers.
>Lead by example. We can not ask for climate action without making the first move.
>You reenforce and provide suport
to consolidate action in tackling global warming.
HAPPY TO VOTE FOR YOU LESLIE! FANTASTIC IDEA.
Go Leslie!!
Leslie, it's been to long since we've been in touch. I have fond memories of several days of adventure in Portugal back in 1998. Rooting for you and looking forward to reading your reports and images from the great white land!
Cynthia Robinson, AAAS S&T Policy Fellowships
I hope you win this chance and that we are able to read your observations. Wondering if you have read Consumption by Kevin Patterson, a novel set in the Arctic (one theme is how traditional lives have been impacted by weather & development).
Skimming the comments from your many supporters I see a Belize connection--I once worked for Programme for Belize, but from the island of Martha's Vineyard, as a fundraiser! (This was 20 years ago.) Chan Chich Lodge evolved from that connection and our office is still the US reservations office.
keep walking! watching! writing!
Another Mainer wishing you the best of luck, Leslie. It's so important to try to get the public to understand the seriousness of the situation in the Arctic, and to help overcome the disinformation put out by the climate denialist blogs. I think your writing and photographs would help.
Best of luck Leslie! Pegi, CEGN
Wow! More! I want to read more!
Leslie...contact me at school because I'd like to learn more about your work and travels to share this with my students. eatrummel@d47.org is my school account. I hope to hear from you because I think we'd have much in common in terms of our mission to educate others. I hope you get those votes this morning and make the top 5, but if you don't we can still work together and team up for education. Thanks, Betty Trummel
Hope you make it to the North Pole Leslie! Good luck :).
Can't wait to hear your stories from Way Up. Best, Catherine
je serai plus bref que Leonardo: courage Leslie tu y es presque!
good luck
I'm sorry we never managed to connect in Maine. It's great to have a chance to vote for you and I really hope yo win!
Marion Edey, Threshold Foudnation
Thank you for your kind words, Leslie -- I had to kind of drop out from promoting because a bunch of personal family and school stuff going on and pretty much eating up every second of my day. It was a great run, though, and it was wonderful to see so many people going for this trip of a lifetime. There are still plenty of adventurous spirits in the world!
Good luck tomorrow -- I cast my vote and hope you get juuuust close enough (but not too close) to those polar bears. ;)
Jenn
Good luck, Leslie. I'm hopeful you will get this opportunity.
Good Luck Leslie...I hope you make it into the top 5...I stayed in the top 15 for most of the time...wish I could be as far ahead as you! I hope you will make the trip, share it with not only my students, but students all over the world. I can help you connect with classrooms and develop ways to share this experience if you are chosen. That's what I love to do! All the Best, Betty Trummel.
Jan Graff encouraged me to vote for you. If Jan Graff says so, you're the one! I'm in your court! Victoria
You are the best! I will always vote for you!
Marion Hunt You Go Girl!
Good luck from MHC '75!
Good luck (from a fellow Class of 1981er)!
Thank you ALL so much for your support! I am touched by all the comments and the way my community is lifting me to the "Top of the World"!
Lots of love,
Leslie
Good luck!
GOOD LUCK LESLIE WHAT WONDERFUL WORK
Good Luck
Gail Beck
Good Luck Leslie:-)
Almost there!!! The entire Akari team is behind you!
Good luck!!!
Dress warmly...we're all going to get you there!
Good luck from MHC '86
Best of luck to Leslie!
Go MAINE!
Wat to go!
md
Cant wait to read the next instalment. Well done you ... hope you go
best of luck, Leslie -- I look forward to reading your entries.
good luck Leslie!
Goodluck Leslie!! We're voting for you!!
Hope you win so your views and reports on global warming will have an effect on hardened skeptics and bring more people, off the fence, on the side of conservation.
Best of luck Leslie!!!
sent it to everyone I could think of... long time, no see Leslie! Best of luck. (...continue to) Do Maine proud!
Facebooking to try and help you. Do us proud Leslie!
Good luck, Leslie. We're rooting for you.
Go for it Leslie. We need inspiration and heart to move our global awareness into actions.
Thank you for both.
Margaret
Good luck and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Much metta to a fellow MHC Griffin.
Hope you win.
Good Luck
All the best for you and Planet Earth.
THANKS for taking the trek for all of us! looking forward to seeing your photos!
What a great adventure for you! Best of luck! Look forward to reading all about it!
You go Gyal, get on up to that North Pole and make us proud. We'll live the cold vicariously through you...
You are almost there from what I can see. Good luck with your continued journey to plant the Shambhala Flag at the north pole.
A fellow Shambalian from Fredericton, New Brunswick Canada
I look forward to reading more of your work. The story above was wonderful!
You have my vote. Anyone born on MY birthday has to be special!
Happy Birthday! Hope you make it.
Good luck Leslie! Well written essay. You are truly a steward of the environment!
I sincerely hope that you are in the top 5 now! Thank you so much for all that you're doing to build awareness and to utilize this event to continue to educate~ kudos :)
Best of luck to you Leslie. What an honor and thrill that must have been to be visited by such a magnificent animal. wow..
Jane just voted for you, too. It's a great day for a birthday! Lincoln, Darwin, Harroun, and Solomon!
Leslie, we need many more people like you to spread the word about the importance of saving our environment. Thank you for following your passion; it's helping all of us. Sisters in Spirit - go MHC! JMK '85
I really hope you get to go. You write beautifully, and you support a good cause.
How would you like to go to Haiti next? Email me at psmyth@tourstohaiti.com. Your visit could help eliminate the misunderstandings people have about Haitians and help get assistance to prevent the loss of their natural resources and biodiversity. Did you know many of our US and Canadian songbirds and waterfowl species winter in or fly through Haiti? Not surprising, very few people know this.
Looking forward to reading more and seeing your photos when you win! Delighted to help a talented MHC sister. Best of luck!
Good luck, Leslie. I'm cheering you on. A fellow MHC grad!
Good luck with your project--and thanks for your efforts on our planet's behalf! I hope you win and look forward to reading your blog and seeing the Artic and its wonders thru your snaps!
hope my vote helps you get there
You are amazing! I cannot wait to read more from you and see your photos. You have a gift that must be shared!
Go, Leslie! You have my vote (and I shared on FB so hopefully my MHC & non-MHC friends will vote, too!) All the best and I hope you win!
Sarah Kimball, MHC '86
Best of luck Leslie!
Betsy Brown Rempel MHC'86
Bear witness for climate is NOT weather; there are dunderheads who can't make this distinction. Best of luck.
Happy to vote for you:)
MHC'85
Good luck & Go for it!!
Gabrielle Swinkels
MHC '85
I woke up this morning to so many kind messages and so much support from my Sisters at Mount Holyoke that it brought tears to my eyes. It means so much to me to have your support, even though I don't know many of you.
Thank you, and may the connection stay strong!!!!
Love,
Leslie
We're behind you, Leslie! My oldest daughter, a high school junior, shares your concern and passion for the environment and earth, particularly the Arctic! Thanks for being the example of an "uncommon woman" for her generation! MHC '85
Thanks Leslie, for your caring and determination. I live in coastal Alaska, feeding primarily on (sockeye) salmon, and I support your communication of experiences like the one in Kamchatka you wrote about. I hope that you can help the larger group of humans to both recognize the grandeur of life that is still here now, and to realize its precariousness!! Rock on!!
My vote is in. Good luck and I look forward to your blog.
Good luck Leslie! Got your email and later saw that Steva shared your info on facebook. Doing the same on my facebook page. Hope you win! Adrienne Voorhis MHC '85
go for it!
Emily Dietrich MHC '85
The arctic & glacier/alpine snow cover is where climate change is most visible. In my childhood I visited Glacier National Park, Montana in the summer and the snow fields seem to go on forever - now they are almost all melted and will be completely gone in another generation. Stopping climate change before it goes into runaway acceleration that takes us beyond any hope of return to a habitable planet for humans it the most important thing we can do now, and people in this country are still arguing about whether climate change exists! I hope you get the chance to really show the skeptics Leslie! In the mean time, until you get to go, people should look at the Extreme Ice Survey footage - its truly shocking, especially the time lapse photography!
Looking forward to reading about the Artic. Hope you win!
Bibi R.-Hayakawa, MHC '86
Good luck, Leslie! Rooting for you! ~ Ivy '86
Good luck Leslie! Teresa Renaker, MHC '86
Good Luck! Keep us posted!
MHC'85 Keep the Connection Strong
Good Luck Leslie!
Susan Upton Lynch
MHC '76
Leslie-
Thank you for your efforts to write and educate about ocean acidification, a still far too unrecognized and alarming phenomenon. I wish you the best and hope you reach your goal!
Carol Dion Dean, MHC '85
Rooting for you in Ohio!
Rebekah Cotton, '85
Best of luck. Looking forward to the blog!
Barb Smith, MHC '85
Leslie, You are extraordinary, & so is Bear. Thank you SO much, & I'm with Edward Little Hawk Catterton in his message to you of Feb. 11. Go, girl!!!
As one of the many indigenous peoples who walk upon our Mother Earth you have my vote for your doings my friend and I will see that many more of my peoples will know of you and your love of Creators creatures, many prayers and much smoke will be sent up with your name, many blessings on your journeys, Edward Little Hawk, aho.
Make us proud Leslie...we are with you in spirit. Shine your light for all to see. Our world and our future depend upon such a light! Best of luck in all you do...blessings upon you. Hugs!
My deep gratitude to all the 350.org friends who are supporting me, especially Bill McKibbon, Jamie Henn and Joe Solomon. You guys ROCK!!!
xox,
Leslie
Best of luck, Leslie! Look forward to your future writings and pictures! BRAVO :-)
Go Leslie, go Leslie!
THANK YOU, MAINE!!!! Best state in the ocuntry -- let's protect it.
THANK YOU, WCLZ -- Best radio station I've ever listened too, and carbon neutral to boot!
THANK YOU, CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY!!! For all your work to save the world's creatures, and the Arctic.
Cheers,
Leslie
Any friend of a polar bear (or any other wildlife species) is a friend of mine. You go girl.
Best,
Jim Crutchfield
hmmm,
and do you have a regular blog if
~~~ knock wood! ~~~
you don't win this contest?
I would like to continue reading your work!
Lorraine
Good Luck, what an endeavor.
Sharon Pritchard
Leslie,
I'm looking forward to reading your blog.
Good Luck to you.
You sound awesome, you've got my vote!
Good Luck Leslie! I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the expeditions.
Bill Betchart, Betchart Expeditions.
Good luck! What an unbelieveable opportunity!!
Leslie Shomaker Rutan '81
Thank you for your support Ecologic Development Fund!
And thank you for all you do to help people in Central America, especially the jewel of Belize.
Cheers,
Leslie
good luck n hope ur efforts could make a difference.
Good luck, Leslie!
Best of luck Leslie; hope you win. Greetings from Belize
Hope you win and get to see your polar bear.
MaryLee Guida Moulton '85
Congrats and Good luck!!
MHC MA '85
Good luck Leslie. I'll try to get some of our arctic experts to vote as well!
Go Leslie! Wonderful story, beautifully written.
Is it too much of a cliché to say you're truly an "uncommon woman?" I hope not.
Good luck! --Teresa Fox, MHC'85
Thank you my old friends at OTS -- you handle the tropics and I'll see what I can do for the poles!
Cheers,
Leslie
Good luck, Leslie! Everyone at OTS is rooting for you!
Thanks, Don, Jesse and Melissa!
And Thank You Mount Holyoke Sisters!!!!
xox,
Leslie
Leslie: I've been a facebook resister, but you've provided me with the best reason to join. I know you as an excellent, extremely well-informed foundation colleague. I do hope you win the competition so that I can benefit from your insights from the North Pole. Good Luck! Don Weeden, Weeden Foundation
Go Leslie! Unite the bears of the world!
I could not imagine a better person going to the North Pole.
Good luck to you. It seems like an amazing adventure!
Go Leslie! Looking forward to reading your blog.
Best wishes, Leslie. My heart is still beating fast over your bear adventure. Can't wait to read your commentary and see your photos from the Arctic.
Kent
Terrific, Leslie. This is great.
Go Leslie!
Good work Leslie. Hope I see pictures of you from south pole kicking soccer ball.
I noticed early on that (at least) one of the front runners had a lot of comments mentioning iClick2Help, apparently a vote-seeking site for "causes"?
http://www.iclick2help.com/listcauses.asp
Trading votes with others online seemed a bit like cheating to me so I never pursued it, but maybe I'm being naive and that's just the way people get thousands of votes in a contest like this one. Looks like there are other sites like that as well (Helping Hands, etc.). Best of luck.
I'll look forward to living vicariously through you as you trek to the North Pole, Leslie. We're all rooting for you. All the best, Niaz
You have our support, Leslie. Good Luck. great idea and essential cause!!!!
sonia robertson
good luck an wish you well. god speed be with you in all of you're travels. mike pierce north carolina,usa
Thanks for your support, everyone!
And thanks New England Aquarium for doing such a great job raising awareness about the plight of our oceans and for helping to rescue so many hypothermic turtles!!
My best to all! Keep those votes coming!!
Cheers,
Leslie
Best of luck from your friends at the New England Aquarium!
Best of luck. Look forward to reading your posts. As goes the polar bear so goes the planet.
Go for it Leslie. I hsve to say I'munsurprised to see you heading off into parts unknown! Can't wait to read of your experiences.
Best of luck Leslie! Hope you win!
Can I vote for you multiple time? smile
Love to see you go...doin' my part!! :)
Keri
Good Luck Leslie-- it sounds like a real adventure. Just pack your courage.
Leslie,
May your not-too-frozen fingers blog successfully from the Top of the World. Good luck!
Good luck, Leslie!
You would clearly be the best winner of this contest--spreading the word about climate change, particularly its already visible effects on the Arctic is so important. It is heartwarming to see so many names I recognize leaving comments here.
I also enjoyed your story about Kamchatka, as my husband has visited (through his work in conservation) and told me of its beauty and the threats that face it. I look forward to reading your blog entries from the North Pole.
You have a moral reason and I like that.
Thank you, my fabulous women friends!! Joan, I will most certainly be bringing an MHC flag with me, and Judith, I can't wait to take your brilliant advice!
xox,
Leslie
YOU HAVE MY VOTE and my HEART. Take both with you to the top of the world and blog, dance, scream, think, be scientific and above all be HUMAN. easy for you. And if you have to stay in PORTLAND, MN... not so shabby. Where ever you are is the top of the world.
Amazing! So certain this would be a wonderful thing for you and our world. :)
Bring an Mt Holyoke flag with you!
Joan Amory
Go Leslie! We're tweeting like crazy to spread the word!
You're catchiong up fast on this one Leslie. Good luck; we're looking for you to best the competition and send wonderful photos and descriptions of the north. Bill Green
VOTA por mí! Si gano este concurso, voy a reportar en mi blog crónicas sobre el calentamiento global - y voy a llevar conmigo la bandera de la "campaña 350.org" - alertando el mundo acerca de los impactos del calentamiento global! Gracias!
Leslie
any friend of a friend og Dan's (H) is a friend of mine; Good luck
VOTE para mim! Se vencer o concurso, vou escrever, em meu blog, reportagens sobre o aquecimento global - e vou levar comigo a bandeira da "campanha 350.org " para alertar o mundo sobre o impacto do aquecimento global no ártico! Obrigada!
Leslie
Thank you, my dear Heymans! I will be thinking of our Belize adventures from the Top of the World!
xox,
Leslie
any friend of Dan's (H) is a friend of mine; i've passed to voting info onto me and mine. hope you win
Happy to have been vote #1136 - looks like a necessary undertaking for which will Leslie would be perfect.
Good Luck!
Stu Gray
Leslie,
This I know of you; you will never shy away from an adventure, a challenge, an opportunity to grow and share with others, so, go!!! Sounds awesome and you a fitting winner.
What did Mother Superior say? "when one door is closed a window is opened" (something like that!)
Looking forward to experiencing it through you - The frozen north is still on my short list!
Peg Heyman
Leslie,
I can't imagine a better person for this. You will be able to share the excitement, the austerity, and the beauty of the place, as could many others. . . But you will also share the importance and relevance of the observations, from a perspective of extensive knowledge built during an impressive career in conservation. You have my full confidence and of course, my vote!
Good luck Leslie, for some photographic inspiration check out one of my heroes - Fred Bruemmer an amazing photographer and writer who has spent years of his life documenting the natural and human world of the Arctic.
http://www.thepolarcircle.com/02_mem_fred.htm
Go, Leslie, go! Can't wait to read your blog :-)
Good luck Leslie from your friends at Pembina. Danielle Droitsch
Great blog, looking forward to see your photos
Go Leslie! Good Luck!
Alejandro
Go Leslie! Moving on now....:-)
Impressive jump in numbers since last night! Nice to meet you and I hope you win. I'll pass it on to others.
Good luck, Leslie.
Sherry
Marvelous! Fascinating! Go Leslie!
Sara Brodsky Sieman
go get 'em Leslie!
Go, have fun, inform, dress warm. Andrew Halpin
Thank you all for your support of me and 350.org. Please keep those votes coming! If each of you got two of your friends to vote we'd really be moving!
Many thanks,
Leslie
Hello Leslie,
I hope you I can read your experiences at the North Pole. Maybe I will even interview you for the Hungarian Public Radio.
I've been to Alaska twice. My family traveled there for a summer vacation in 1970 then I returned in '83 and stayed until '85. My daughter was born there. Remembering the frigid air while gazing at Portage Glacier, I was shocked to learn from a friend a couple years ago that it is now gone, melted away. It was larger than the town I now live in!
I hope you win the contest so that you can bring a heightened awareness to the Global Warming Plight that is so misunderstood by many and, due to some unscrupulous scientists and politicians, is now discredited by perhaps even more people.
According to some legends and native wisdom the Bear medicine is the power of introspection. It represents the direction of the west, the direction and energy of going within to find gifts of renewal. The fear of the west is abandonment, with a desire for order and virtue. The emotions are both happiness and shame. Your writing about climate change and sacred living things on the verge of extinction is important to me. I hope you will help us understand why Polar Bears have anything to do with drought and violent conflict in the Middle East. Thanks for your Great work.
"Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love."
— Rai...ner Maria Rilke
Great story. Good luck. You have my vote.
Good luck. You have my vote.
Thanks Leslie for the nice note! We are working very hard and have great supporters!
If I am fortunate enough to be selected, I would love to help with your philanthropy programs. You can find my information on my website at: www.southerncrossgalleries.com.
All my best, Dean
I am ready to read your blog when you win. You are a beautiful writer and look forward to your posts. Peace to you.
Most worthy cause and aspiration, as well as most courageous; best luck, best wishes;
I am backing you 100%, looking forward to hear your the winner.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Leslie
I look forward to your entries & photos & keep warm!!
KiKiSoSo
iris
Leslie, Thank you for your brave warriorship and vivid writing. Best wishes in this adventure!
Margaret Sagar: I dodn't know you, Lelsie, but your excellent writing and bio make you a fitting candidate. Hope you win
Leslie, you would be fabulous. And everyone would benefit. Good luck. Rachel
Good luck Leslie. This is a first for me to witness someone's experience at the North Pole. Thank you for offering the stories and images that should help people see the truth!
How smart and vivid both you and the bear were.
Beautifully written - I look forward to reading more after you win!
Jolly good luck, Leslie in sharing what is happening in the arctic!
Excellent! Very good luck to you.
Good Luck Leslie!
I so appreciate your commitment to doing something important and worthwhile in life and combining that with your commitment to
practice. Warm best wishes to you,
Kunga Dawa (Richard Arthure_
Thank you, my fearless and kind supporters. Now I am doing this for YOU!
Shambhala rocks!! Ki ki so so!
Love,
Leslie
good luck Leslie. we hope you win!!!!!
miss you
beny papua New Guinea
Leslie - you are amazing!!! Thanks for being such an extraordinary leader and woman! I'm pulling for you. Love,
Betsy
Very inspiring!!
Gail Flynn
Way to go Leslie! Best of luck to you for such a GREAT cause.
Nicely written. Can't wait to see the pics.
You are my nominee to dance with the polar bears, again.
Leslie, I wish you the best. Stay safe and let our class know how your adventures went.:)
Send me a postcard! Oh! This IS a postcard!
Best of Luck in this endeavor Leslie!!!! Hope you win.
Good Luck Leslie, Hope You Win
From an old Classmate at EJHS, 1981
Terrific! Best of luck, looking forward to your posts. Mary de Filippis
I hope you can make it to the reunion - I'd love to hear about your adventures. We're avid travelers ourselves (I actually leave in about 4 hours for Uruguay and Chile).
Your last big adventure? Nonsense. But wishing you the best and hope you get the gig!
I love your post. Good luck, Leslie!
Happy to help. Hope to see and hear more between now and the class reunion in August. Best of luck with the voting.
good luck Leslie. we hope you win!!!!!
Go! Go! Hurray!Wonderful job. Hoping to hear wonderful things from you. Leo from Belize
Best of luck Leslie. I would love to hear your stories, see your photos, and learn your knowledge of the Arctic’s environment, cultures, history and politics. I can't wait to see the scenes that you will capture for all of us.
Regards,
Harrison Flowers
University of Belize
Love the article !!! However, I don't agree with your suggestion.Bringing back manufacturing to developed nations will only weaken the economies of developing countries, making them more vulnerable to unscrupulous investors. We need to enable developing countries so that they can also have clean air legislation and clean air technology.
Thanks for your work and zeal !!!
All the best from Belize,
Sylvia Cattouse
Keep up the excellent work. Hope you win.
Best wishes from Belize!
THANK YOU, AND GO BELIZE!!! You are not just the jewel of the Caribbean because of your reef, but because of your people (and of course the coconut cake I have every time I visit).
Keep those votes coming!
Many, many thanks, Leslie
wish the best!!
Marvelous work, we need more committed individuals like you!
Regards,
From Belize
Keep on doing the good work your doing, Belize is behind you 100%.
All the best
Belize is with you.
Good luck Leslie with your noble endeavor!
Liz Korabek-Emerson
Go Leslie....!
Annabelle, I would be over the moon to have you come with me, and I know Santa would love to meet you! Thanks for your vote, Sweetie!!
SOMEBODY IS ABOUT TO BE VOTER 700!!
All the best Leslie, win or lose, thank you for your commitment to the vision.
Hi Leslie:
It is nice to hear you are bringing this important message to the world. Belize, its coastal areas and our Barrier Reef will be and is being impacted by Climate Change. Thanks for your great efforts. Programme for Belize supports you.
Eddie
Edilberto Romero
Executive Director
Programme for Belize
Be careful of the Polar Bears Leslie. Good luck from southern Belize
When you win this contest, let me know if you need a little buddy to go with you. I've been wanting to meet Santa.
Outstanding blog post! I love it.
Leslie, you're absolutely the right person for this journey. We know you'll get there.
Was happy to add my vote and hope you win!!
Thank you All for the wonderful support! Norman, I am so happy to see you counted among the voters -- it touched my heart. And thanks Deb for passing on your friend's comment; that made me feel really good!
Stay tuned, everyone, for a new story within the week -- this one about my travels in the Artic!
Love to all,
Leslie
Go Leslie, may the gods be victorious! Most of the US is in a deep freeze this month, putting everyone to sleep so we won't notice that 2010 was another record warm year in Greenland, beating the previous record years of 2007, 2005, 2002 and 1998: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/103746/20110121/greenland-ice-sheets-melting-faster.htm
That a sh--load of ice, folks.
I just had a friend read your entry (sorry he doesn't have email so can't vote) but he was moved to tears by your story and commented... "no empty words".
Just wanted to share.
Good luck!
You write with the voice of someone who has her tea by her keyboard...as natural as the subjects that interest you. Couple that accessible narrative with a life marked by efforts to learn, to stem the tide of man's inequities, and you leave me little choice but to support you. You're lovely. Have a wonderful trip.
Dear Leslie:
Thanks for being in the trenches!
Love,
Norman
BELIZE is backing you Leslie! Tell the world about the mess climate change is creating for our reefs.
Any friend recommended by Melanie has my vote!
I'm rooting (and voting) for you Leslie. You'd do a fantastic job.
KI KI So So
Yours In the East
I Wish You All The Luck
thank you Leslie for following your heart and being of benefit to our precious earth
Thanks to all for your votes and support! It feels great to be part of such wonderful communities.
Ki Ki So So!!
Beautifully written story Leslie... a warrior in vision and action. A win for you is a win for all of us.
Ki Ki So So!
You are right Leslie. Save Santa. Think of the kids. There is no way Santa should have to deal with slush or the thaw/freeze cycle typical of Nova Scotia winters these days. I'll pass your message on. Check out the birds, not just the bears when you are up there.
Go Leslie. Very well written passage. You will really enjoy reading about my own bear encounter while flyfishing in "The View From Lazy Point; A Natural Year in an Unnatural World." It's just out; I'll send you a copy.
(You don't want to have an encounter that close with a Polar Bear; you're right!)
I look forward to following your journey!
I'm glad your making this bid. A chance for an adventure as well as a chance to bear witness to changes that are happening far faster than scientists thought possible.
Of course you should go! Just remember that any polar bears you encounter will likely be much hungrier than your fat Russian friend -- and they are a LOT more stealthy, too.
Leslie, I see numerous colleagues and friends already amoung your supporters, good luck. Having looked through all the entries-yes all of them; I especially appreciate that your focus is not about this experience FOR you but what YOU can do WITH this experience for so many others....connecting to those who may otherwise know little of the wonder, majestry and mystery of the Artic. Indeed in the great tradition of centuries of fearless adventure women, "YOU GO SISTER", as ever Peace, Dianne Dillon-Ridgley
Great idea Leslie!
Good luck and pack warm clothes!
Bill Ronco
Leslie,
I'm a landscape photographer, author and workshop instructor, currently on the road full time to complete a guidebook to the most photogenic landscapes of California, from Yosemite to the Mexican border.
On the topic of global warming, I started out as a skeptic but quickly realized that there's no question on the science. Now I've answered a few thousand questions on the subject over on Yahoo Answers under the screen name "J_S" to help clue in the public and combat the fossil fuel industry's propaganda campaign to confuse us and slow our response. I'm thrilled to hear that you're working to reduce black carbon pollution in the developing world, since that's the fastest path to reduce climate warming influences (not to mention reduce air pollution in the U.S., now that California recieves a 50% boost in air pollution from Asia's highly toxic "brown cloud").
Once I get my current book finished I'd like to move strongly into conservation photography, selling prints and donating profits through Art for Conservation, and I'd like to have enough impact to get invited into the Internaional League of Conservation Photographers, where I can effectively lead others on various campaigns.
I have also entered this contest (my original essay was about a grizzly bear encounter, LOL), but I really don't have time to drum up support, so I'd certainly like to do what I can to support someone who will "do good" with the opportunity and have an impact. I think we each get five votes... just voted for you now. Best of luck to you!
Cheers,
Jeff
Photos: www.flickr.com/photos/jeffreysullivan/sets/72157603822583160/show/
Blog: www.MyPhotoGuides.com
Facebook: www.flickr.com/photos/jeffreysullivan/sets/72157624723019347/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/JeffSullPhoto
A journey worth taking!
What a fabulous thing for all of us. Can't wait.
What a terrific quest - we are all behind you!
Jeff,
I totally agree with you -- and that was one of the most informative and succinct descriptions of what is happening that I've seen. In my work I'm involved with reducting black carbon emissions from the developing world and reducing methane emissions globally. Both of these activities, if successful, should slow down Arctic melting and give us more time globally to deal with carbon.
Who are you and from where do you come? :)
Cheers,
Leslie
We can't stop Arctic melting any time soon. The excess CO2 already emitted every year will remain a warming influence on the planet for 1000+ years.
Here's the barrier to global reductions: developing nations produce half of all greenhouse gasses today, but represent the vast majority of emissions growth, so it's mathematically impossible to stop Arctic melting until they stop building coal power plants (China and India alone have 500 more planned for construction). Despite this simple fact, politics being what it is, there isn't a single treaty or proposal under discussion to address the problem globally. Exponential growth in China and India alone could double global emissions in one to two decades, so about the best we can do at the moment is to buy locally-produced goods and prepare for the worst case scenario that we're on track to achieve.
However, the growth and pollution in developing nations is to manufacture goods for developed nation populations (and for retailers such as Wal-Mart), so the solution is to bring back manufacturing to developed nations, where we have the ability to insist upon investment in cleaner power generation (40% of global emissions) and minimize transportation emissions (the second biggest category at 20%). We also need to curb black soot emissions (60% as strong an influence as CO2), mainly a developing nation problem. We'll need to elect entirely new political representatives who are intelligent and honest enough to take the difficult but necessary steps to minimize the global damage and destruction that we pass on to our children.
Neither of our two current political parties here in the U.S. are even remotely honest with us on topics such as global warming and immigration (a major contributor to U.S. population and emissions growth). The first order of business must be to properly define the acceptance of so-called "campaign contribution" bribes as treason, to remove crooks form teh process and to restore politics to the role of public service.
Go, Leslie, go!
What a fantastic post--makes casting this vote really easy. Thanks for all you're doing to protect the Arctic and the people and wildlife who call it home. Not to mention the rest of us, who know that the Earth is round and that climate change is real.
I hope you win!
You sound like you deserve it!
I am Dan's friend Ellen from Chicago and look forward to meeting you!
bring me back some ice...
You would be perfect for this! Good luck.
Lovely post Leslie. Good luck!
Good luck, Leslie - hope you win!
Wonderful vision Leslie, do you need a Sherpa?
Leslie - you are amazing! This is such a great opportunity for you but also for raising the profile of this issue! What a smart way to share your very important perspective to a new audience. Your style, your approach will be perfect for this effort. Go forth boldly - I'm so proud of you!
Hope you win, your photography will be shared with my classes. Best of luck!
Very niece piece -- good luck on a great journey!
good luck Leslie!
#500, Good luck Leslie.
I was going to say, "go get 'em Leslie", but Joel beat me to it! You get my vote for sure!
I can't think of a more splendid person to join the trip... readers would share both her her lovely writing and her passion to work to protect the beautiful and fragile Artic.
Leslie gets my vote! Great observer, effective activist, excellent writer, and a wonderful person. It doesn't get any better than that!
I know Leslie will do Maine proud when she wins this contest!! We are all rooting for her!!!!
Leslie- It IS your passion for this part of the world that will keep us back here warm.......and informed and inspired!!
Go!
Go, Leslie, go!
You have my vote :) - Jessica, Anchorage, AK
Leslie will not only write beautifully about the Arctic and the changes global warming is having, but she will also help do something to stop the worst of it from happening. Go Leslie!
Hey Leslie -- I can think of anyone with better karma to be sittin' on top of the world. Can't wait to be vicariously thrilled.
Best,
Dan
Hope you win! But your cats will miss you if you do.
Good Luck Kelly's Dad
Say hello to the bears for me!
Thank you, thank you to everyone who has voted! Your support is deeply appreciated! Keep those votes coming!
KiKiSoSo!!
This is what I call real outdoor adventure writing with blue-eyed soul...sweet!
This is beautiful. Thanks for doing this and good luck!
Go get em Leslie, but seriously, do you really want to see a polar bear up close? Binoculars distance, I say.
Best of luck Leslie. We hope you will be heading to the Arctic soon!
What a terrific opportunity Leslie and shall look forward to the first installment!
Hi
My brother Brad speaks highly of you. You and I share a commitment to helping people outside the environmental understand the urgency of climate change and what it means in human terms-- through the heart.
Good luck and I look forward to your posts. I tweet a lot and am happy to post links!
Go Leslie! I am so excited for you - good luck!
As a student of VCTR..many years ago I shared with him there was not enough attention being devoted to the environment,basically he gave a strong encouragement to do what one can...good luck and may the vision of "Sacred World" awaken..KiKiSoSo
Best wishes for your win. Brilliant idea, powerful cause. KiKiSoSo.
Dear Leslie,
I wish you all the best,
Hope you will be the winner!
KI and SO
Veit
Dear Leslie, I'm with you!! Hope you are successful in winning this extraordinary opportunity. I had the good fortune many, many years ago to visit Alaska, only as far north as Fairbanks, and fell in love with the North. And with extremes. Have longed to return to the arctic or antarctic for a long time. So -- if you win, I will join you vicariously! And, I actually hope you do have a "close" encounter with a polar bear, as long as you respect each other! Almost nothing could be more thrilling.
I too have been caught by the eyes of the Bear Clan, a Cinnamon Bear in Northern B.C. at Tyax Lake. Couldn't take my eyes away, couldn't move, could barely whisper to my friends feet in front of me, not noticing. Bear I whispered, loudly and softly. But it startled the moment and it was gone. Good luck, keep writing. Your writing is captivating.
Leslie -you deserve to win for all your efforts to save the our world from destruction-keep up the good work -alan
Leslie, I hope you win - this sounds like a terrific idea and I'm glad you'll be able to communicate your observations and passion so effectively when you get there. My own work continues on Ice911 (www.ice911.org) to try to slow the melt. Each of us must work in our own way, using our own best skills. Best of luck to you!!!
I'm routing for you -- and will send your email out to a bunch of folks!
Leslie, what a wonderful idea using this opportunity to address the key threat to the Arctic and its ocean - warming, melting sea ice and ocean acidification. Good luck!
Leslie, What an exciting opportunity. I can't wait to read your posts from the Arctic. Just posted this to my Facebook page. Fingers crossed!
I love your writing, it makes me want to be there as well (though the bear sounds a little scarey!). Good Luck Leslie :)
Best of luck! Jo D. Saffeir
I look forward to fabulous blogs!
One of the most committed environmental leaders I know, with a voice and an eye to match! There really isn't any other choice for this task!
Excellent quest Leslie. Good luck!
Leslie, You go girl! Too bad we can't vote early and often.
Best of luck.......
Best of luck and I look forward to seeing some amazing pictures!
Well done Leslie! And come back soon to Lovatens for a fondue with Andrea and me... Can you bring me back a polar bear skin? Just kidding!
Mary Foster January 13, 2010/8:15PM
Good Luck Leslie sure hope you win!
Good luck, Leslie. Place is everything . . . hope you get there.
Your commitment to the environment is complete and longstanding. I hope you win and get even more exposure for your environmentally oriented perspective. Go Leslie!
Leslie - you would do an awesome job AND we would all enjoy the experience through your posts and photos. Good luck!
Your community is pulling you to victory like a team of huskies, Leslie! Mush!
Go for it Leslie...although I'm thinking you are just trying to get avoid Maine's winter ; }
Leslie, you are THE ONE!! good luck
sally bingham
What an incredible experience!
Go Leslie! You will be brillaint at doing this and deserve to win. Best of luck.
Good Luck!
Leslie - good luck, I hope your dream of encounters with polar bears come true.
Leslie,
May you win this contest and be able to write stories not only from the perspective of a disengaged and fickle tourist (the world is just too full of those, quite frankly), but of a world citizen who cares about and registers the changes in an environment being transformed by the recklessness and selfishness of the only species endowed with the Logos and reasoning. Maybe a spark of the kind that generous Prometheus gave us be kindled, and may the brightness of those vast snowed expanses reflect some light back at us. Be brave and go!
Leslie you have to win! I could not think of a better ambassador for the Artic!
Well done! Best of luck, hope you get your dream trip.
Thank you for taking on yet another great endeavor - for the good of all. Hope you win!
Leslie - this would be wonderful - reminds me of other stories we have shared! You have my vote - good luck!
Thank you ALL for your wonderful support! What an amazing community of lovely people you are. I feel blessed!!!
I'd love to see you win! Can't wait to see your photos! What a win that would br for ALL of us. You go girl!
Hemmingway, Haroun.... i can see the similarities! Your blog will be both syle and substance. It will make for a terrific read. Looking forward to it!.
What an opportunity, Leslie! I look forward to reading your blogs, and even more, to there being something left of the Arctic for future generations to be inspired by, thanks to your work.
Great writing can save the world, and polar bears. Good luck! Go blog Go!
Can't wait to read your blog about the Arctic. The polar bears and I hope you win!
Hope you win - I'd love to hear about your observations and I bet that they will touch people and support climate change action here and around the world.
I hope you make it and have an amazing trip. Definitely send photos!
what writing! What a goal!
I can already see you in your bright red coveralls like we sported in Barrow. You go girl!!
Good luck, Leslie! (www.breaking-ground.org)
Leslie, so good to see that you continue to pursue your dreams! Best of luck!
Leslie, love the blog post! This is meant to be, I'm sure of it!
Leslie will bring the plight of the Arctic to life for those that follow her blog. Good Luck Leslie!
Leslie, I really hope you get to continue to do what you obviously love to do. It's more precious than you know. Also, keep expanding peoples' minds.
What a brilliant way to highlight the tragedy and urgency of global warming through the observations, both written and photographic, of someone so committed to our planet.
Thanks for doing this Leslie! (And it looks amazing!) We need you up there and are sending our votes your way. Good luck!
Go Leslie!
Go Leslie. Great initiative and best of luck with this. I'll get my wife and sons to vote for you too. Cheers.--chris
GO Leslie! This is awesome - hope you win! Ryan and I will be sending much warmth from sunny San Diego during your quest.
Great story, beautifully written, we need you as our rep up there. Good luck Leslie....
Leslie can do it. Get your friends out to vote to send her there!
Leslie's extensive travels from the heart of urban Boston to New Guinea to Belize and beyond and her deep engagement in environmental issues give her a unique perspective that would make her an essential part of this team. She has thought, and taken action, about the effects of global warming on places like the Arctic more than just about anyone else and is deeply qualified for this assignment.
Good gosh you write well Leslie -- may you be able to spread your words from the Pole.
Leslie is an awesome woman who will bring energy, enthusiam and informative photos to readers! Good luck Leslie! You deserve to win!
Can't wait to read more and see your pictures from the top of the world, Leslie!
Good luck!
Hard to imagine a better representative for the interests of generations to come.
What a beautifully written piece, Leslie.
You absolutely deserve to win!
Michael
Best of luck Leslie-when you get up there ask Santa why I didn't get the exotic meat I asked for...
Go Leslie!!
Your trip to the North Pole, I guarantee, will excite and trigger others of us in the foundation world to take the threats to the Arctic more seriously, and will focus the attention of civil society to its protection. You go, woman!
Beautiful prose. I hope you win, Leslie!!!!! Looking forward to your next dispatch from the North Pole.
Passion, tenacity, and the ability to tell a good story are all combined in Leslie. Horray for Harroun.
The North Pole seems a long way away from Sydney, Australia. Come to think of it, it IS a long way away. All the better to have such a well-informed and engaging correspondent in the field - go Leslie!
A Friend of Elizabeth S is a friend of mine- no interview needed. But your writing alone deserves the chance to win.
Bon Chance!
Julia
Leslie understands how climate change is affecting the Arctic, and how to express she is seeing with clarity and emotional impact. Vote for Leslie!
Perfect person for this trip. Leslie is advenuresome and she tells a wonderful story so we will all be enhanced from her experience.
She is very smart and insightful and will give us an educated view that will address the questions we would ask ourselves if we were there.
Go, Leslie, go. Can't wait to read your blog.
Want to see global warming close up? Vote for me and you will. My blog will make the Arctic’s beauty and fragility real for you, along with its tragic unraveling.
As far as I know, I am the only entrant who plans to use this opportunity to ignite people’s compassion and basic humanity.
Thank you, Leslie
Sounds like a dream come true for you and those of us who get to experience it vicariously through your writing and photos -- happy to do whatever I can to help!
Go Leslie GO!! My anti-SUV ticketing project could never have made it without you!!
Cheers and good luck!!
Leslie is just an amazing woman!! She respects all of life and takes great care of the environment and our world. She so.... deserves to win this contest for a trip to the North Pole.
I'd love to have a friend at the North Pole besides Santa. Good luck Leslie.
Positive things happen to positive people and I am betting that you will experience all there is to offer! Best wishes!
I'm a friend of Leslie's Mom also and I am so impressed with her writing, she deserves this trip
Leslie is such a special person. She is a joy to be with and would be a great member of any expedition. I love her writing; it really draws me into the places with such enthusiastic observations. What talents!!
I am a friend of Leslie's Mom and I love to hear stories about Leslie. She is so smart and accomplished and absolutely intrepid!! You go girl!
Julie Lechtanski
Leslie is bright, courageous, caring, very capable, and an excellent writer. This is SO like her. She will write and photograph a beautiful blog from the North Pole. I've known her all of her life, and she never ceases to amaze me.
Go for it, Leslie! (...and take care) Love, Mom
Just promise you will share with us after you come back.
Leslie is the perfect candidate for this contest! I will send this link along to all, and my good vibes your way, Leslie! SKOL!
Wouldn't we all be lucky if Leslie won this contest, and we got to read her posts an see her photos.
Leslie, you beautiful woman, get thee to the Artic! And take wonderful photos and write and write and write. Best wishes for your win!
Leslie, I really enjoy your posts! Hope you win the trip so I can live vicariously through your pics and words! :-)
Good Luck Leslie hope you win! I always enjoy traveling thru your pictures!
Hope you win! Can't wait to see your photos!
Excellently written. I look forward to the next installment!