Biggest news from the Consulate this week is the opening of the American Museum of Natural History’s exhibit on the Anatarctic expeditions of Scott and Amundsen to the South Pole.
Why is the Consulate involved? Leaving aside the compelling history of the "race to the Pole", it’s a great way for us to get across messages on climate change. The Antarctic is the site of some of the most important climate research, as well as being a barometer or climate change itself. The UK believes that climate change is one of the gravest threats we face, and that urgent action at home and abroad is required. We need to use a wide range of levers to cut carbon emissions, decarbonise the economy and support the creation of new green jobs and technologies. Prime Minister Cameron has said he wants this Government to be the greenest ever – both in terms of action at home and internationally.
Important as the underlying scientific messages are, the most affecting parts of the exhibit are those to do with the day-to-day realities of exploring the Antarctic nearly a century ago: the huts, the books, the food and the clothes. If you’re in New York, the exhibit, in one of New York’s finest museums, is well worth a visit.
Strange as it is to write about Polar exploration in 90 degree heat, I wanted to end on a contemporary expedition. Visit the Walking with the Wounded website and you’ll find a message from HRH Prince Harry about a remarkable undertaking, an unsupported walk to the North Pole by a team including British veterans who have lost limbs on active service. British and American troops continue to serve together in Afghanistan and we hope to build links between the organisations which help veterans in both countries- a theme I’ll come back to in the next couple of weeks.