Antarctica 2041:The Quest to Save Earth’s Last Wilderness

Wednesday, February 01, 2012 4:10:00 PM - Wednesday, February 01, 2012 6:00:00 PM
Rm. 1190, Bahen Centre, 40 St. George Street
Environment Seminar



TODD LATHAM, Communications Explorer, Actual Media Inc.

ABSTRACT:Antarctica is twice the size of Australia and the coldest, driest, and most remote place on earth. The continent has 70% of the world’s freshwater locked in ice sheets up to four kilometers thick. It’s big, largely devoid of life and few people have ever been there. In an overpopulated world struggling with climate change, the place is an inspiration – or it should be. Robert Swan, the first person in history to walk to both the north and south poles, was inspired by the continent as a kid and became a world famous polar explorer. As Robert Kennedy, Jr. calls him, Swan is the “icekeeper” and protector of Antarctica. Todd was asked to join Robert and his organization, 2041.com on an international expedition to Antarctica in March 2011. He was part of a team of six Canadians who were tasked with helping Robert prepare a report on the environmental conditions of a particular Antarctic research station for the 2012 Earth Summit. The three-week journey was an engaging, beautiful voyage to the last untamed wilderness on the planet. This lecture will take you to Antarctica, virtually, where we will examine the environmental and political conditions of the continent as well as the stunning landscape and wildlife. Then we will ask ourselves – what will it be like in 2041 when the treaty protecting Antarctica comes up for renewal? What will our own Arctic be like then?

BRIEF BIO:Todd is a media entrepreneur with over twenty-two years of experience in environmental business publishing, marketing and communications. He is the founder of Actual Media Inc., a specialized business publishing, research and creative design company that produces ReNew Canada – the infrastructure renewal magazine and Water Canada - the complete water magazine. Todd is a business communicator with broad industry knowledge and an extensive network in the environment, infrastructure and government sectors. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Ontario Public Works Association (OPWA) and is the Communications Chair. He is co-founder of the Canadian Brownfields Network, a senior associate of the Canadian Urban Institute, a member of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE) Infrastructure Task Force and a University Fellow with the University of Toronto Environmental Finance Committee. He was recently appointed to the Advisory Council of the Future Industry Leader Honors Program in Shanghai, China and the Places To Invest Advisory Council in Washington, DC. In March 2011, he fulfilled a life-long dream and joined an expedition to Antarctica with Robert Swan and 2041 - an international organization committed the preservation of the continent.