AEE Supports Mission to the South Pole!

 

On December 1, 2019, Robert Swan, Record-Breaking Polar Explorer, Environmental Campaigner, and founder of 2041 Foundation, began a 300-mile expedition to the South Pole to raise awareness for the continued preservation of Antarctica and highlight the need for a clean and sustainable energy future for our entire planet.

For Robert, this journey started over 30-years ago when he set out to “follow in the footsteps of Scott” to the South Pole. His team arrived on January 11, 1986, after a grueling 70 days walking 900 miles (1,400 km) across Antarctica. They had achieved the longest unassisted march ever made in history, which stands to this day. Over the past three decades, Robert has dedicated himself to the preservation of the Antarctic and environmental issues, including founding the 2041 Foundation.

During the 2019 AEE World Energy Conference & Expo in Washington, DC, Robert gave a compelling keynote speech before embarking on the Last 300 Expedition. The ideals he expressed, and the goal of his latest journey align with AEE’s core mission, his efforts humble us, and we find him genuinely inspiring. He graciously offered to carry an AEE Flag with him to the south pole, which Bill Kent, AEE’s Executive Director, presented to him at the closing of the event.

With the AEE flag in tow, Robert and the Last 300 Expedition team set out on their journey. In the latter part of the journey, extreme conditions and navigating icy terrain proved very difficult. Robert sustained a severe hip injury from an aggressive fall on the ice and unfortunately had to be airlifted out to receive emergency medical treatment. Despite his absence, his team forged on in Robert’s honor and completed the final leg of the mission. On January 13, 2020, they successfully completed the trek to the South Pole. We are honored to have the AEE flag flown in support of energy conservation and sustainability for our planet.

The AEE flag at the South Pole, presented by Barney Swan (son of Robert Swan) and Cameron Kerr. Both gentlemen joined the Expedition at 89* South and skied the last degree to the South Pole.

Cameron served as a platoon leader with the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division in the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar, Afghanistan from 2010-11. In the spring of 2011, while on a routine foot patrol, Cameron lost his lower left leg to an improvised explosive device (IED), a catastrophic but also catalytic event which radically transformed his life – for the better (in his words).