Harrowing conditions cut short first summer crossing of Arctic Ocean

Although the expedition was cut short, both have vowed to continue voicing their concerns about global warming. Expedition Leader, Lonnie Dupre will help Greenpeace as it prepares its ship Arctic Sunrise for its voyage to Greenland later this month to survey global warming impacts.

“Based on the information we had, we were expecting low precipitation and northwest wind and ice drift this time of year. Instead we encountered unusual ice conditions, uncharateristically heavy snow and southerly ice drift,” said Lonnie Dupre. “We can try to fend off Mother Nature and force our way forward, but I think to do so would end in disaster. We need to respect that and just go back to the drawing board and see what we can do.”

There is little eyewitness information about conditions in this region and Dupre and Larsen are bringing back invaluable accounts about what they encountered. It snowed heavily for more than two thirds of the time they were in the region, making travel increasingly difficult. Additionally, strong wind and ocean currents pushed ridged ice southward, and the explorers often found themselves adrift, travelling backwards, rather than towards the North Pole. The explorers also had several encounters with polar bears.

This attempt at a first summer crossing of the Arctic Ocean was part of Greenpeace’s international campaign Project Thin Ice. In addition to being a partner of the Arctic Ocean crossing, Greenpeace will be in Greenland with its ship, the Arctic Sunrise hosting global warming scientists, visiting Arctic research stations, and documenting the huge melt lakes that are now forming annually on the ice cap.

“What these explorers attempted was admirable and the fact that they were willing to put their lives on the line to spotlight global warming is in and of itself an inspiration,” said John Passacantando, Executive Director of Greenpeace in the United States. “We’re encouraged as people around the world move ahead with action to combat this global crisis. Greenpeace will continue to push solutions, document the impacts and oppose the Bush administration and others who are responsible.”

Dupre’s expertise will be invaluable when Greenpeace conducts its work in Greenland later this month. The region was the catalyst for his work on exposing the impacts of global warming. In 2001, Dupre and Australian teammate John Hoelscher completed the first circumnavigation of Greenland. During that expedition glaciers that appeared on a map (dated 1984) were no longer there and had receded about a mile inland.