About

Based on the Climate Change Report 2007 published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) it is now worldwide accepted, that “climate change is a serious threat to development everywhere”. Especially the Arctic Region is one of the very last white spots on earth and has special significance for the global climate. Therefore this needs a very balanced view on both economics and ecologist aspects, as a treaty system like the Antarctic Treaty System does not exist for the Northern Polar Region.

The intention with this blog is to build a bridge and stimulate a more direct communication between the Polar Research and the Business World for an ongoing process of more precise forecasts of the climate change and to support the adjustment of business strategies of companies considering the climate change.

As McKinsey published in December 2007, “fully 60 percent of the global executives surveyed regard climate change as strategically important. Fewer companies, however, act on these opinions”. A much stronger understanding and link of this two world Polar Research and Business may could help to improve this situation. The Business World can only understand and leverage the results from Research, if there is a certain level of understanding of the complexity und interpretability without a “political” layer in between.

To support this initiative Harald Fuchs aimed, as the expedition leader, together with his partner, Andre Felbrich, to cross the Greenland Ice Sheet from East to West. The expedition has been executed “by fair means”, i.e. without any logistical support from the outside using ski, pulkas (men hauled sleds) and snow-kites. The Route started on April 21, 2008 in Isortoq, East Greenland (N65°32′ W38°59′) via Tasiilaq (Ammassalik). The arrival was in Kangerlussuaq via the Point 660 (N67°09′ W50°03′) on Mai 21, 2008. The distance to cover was almost 600 km.

During the icecap crossing data has been collected and regular podcast has been send to this blog so others could follow along.

Harald Fuchs started his “career” as mountaineer at the age of 14, by discovering very early a special interest in snow and the winter season and became infected by the “Arctic virus” many years ago.

Today, he is a PhD in Geology and Diplom-Wirtschaftsingenieur with 20 years of industry experience working for IBM. As the IBM Business Development Executive for Global Strategic Outsourcing Partnerships for many years, he has an insider’s view in the industrial sector within Arctic related countries (e.g. the Oil and Petroleum Business and their Supplier Industries). During that time, he has also kept regular contact to the world of research and scientific organizations and is member of the German Society of Polar Research.

Andre Felbrich was born April, 10th 1971 in Moscow, but grew up in Berlin (GDR). From 1995 until 2000 he studied physics. After then he founded an IT company with his friend Volker Schmitt. Under the name of www.photo-druck.de they are selling very successful digital photo prints. Making photos is also a passion of Andre which he combines with a lot of travel in all over the world. Especially he likes the arctic regions. This leads to the actual planned expedition over the Greenland icecap 2008.