Media

Next stop… ANTARCTICA! Penguins-Seals-Whales-Icebergs-Shooting Stars…

29 Apr 2009

 

Mr. Robert Swan, OBE - the first person to walk both North and South Poles - will be making a special appearance at the University of Hong Kong this Thursday (April 30) to talk about his quest to protect Antarctica and inspire the public to work for a sustainable world.

Since reaching the South Pole in 1987 and the North Pole in 1989, Mr. Swan has been working with young people as well as professionals from business and industry to prepare them to lead society towards a sustainable future.

"We have the power to overcome obstacles and achieve our goals through perseverance, determination and commitment," Mr. Swan believes. "A leader must make decisions, at times difficult ones, and have the courage to stick to them. You must show commitment, not just talk it."

Joining Mr. Swan will be four young people who returned to Hong Kong from an expedition with Mr. Swan in the Antarctic last month. "Once you've been to Antarctica, you will want to go back" says Amy Zhang, an environmental consultant and previous graduate student of the University of Hong Kong. Serena Gao, a law student at the University of Hong Kong adds, "We have the choice to let our future generation see the beauty of Antarctica untainted".

They were truly inspired by the experience, says Vivian Lam, who is finishing her MPhil studies in Ecology and Biodiversity at the University of Hong Kong. Apart from learning about climate change, renewable energy and sustainability, they also witnessed for themselves the effects of global warming, "We saw ice breaking off glaciers throughout the trip - something must be done, and fast!"

Daisy Chee, who works at a non-governmental organization on sustainable development, felt something was missing before the trip. "This trip has made me see the many things that could be done for sustainability and I'd like to continue working in this field".

The students also became truly inspired by Mr. Swan's sharing of his personal experiences as a leader.

"The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it, " - Robert Swan OBE.

Media are cordially invited to cover the event, details are:

Date: April 30, 2009 (Thursday)
Time: 12:45pm-2:00pm
Venue: T7, Meng Wah Complex, HKU

For enquiries, please contact Ms Vivian Lam (Tel: 61823019/E-mail: vivian_lam@hkusua.hku.hk )