Robert Swan

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Robert Swan at Union Glacier Camp (2018)

Robert Swan , OBE , FRGS (born July 28, 1956 in Durham , England ) is a British polar explorer and environmentalist . He is the first person to have reached both geographical poles on foot. Swan is particularly committed to protecting the Antarctic .

Life

Robert Swan was born on July 28, 1956 in Durham, Northern England. After studying ancient history at the University of Durham , Swan graduated with a Bachelor 's degree, he worked from 1979/80 on the British polar research program British Antarctic Survey . As part of an Antarctic expedition in the footsteps of Robert Falcon Scott ( In the Footsteps of Scott Expedition) Swan reached the geographic South Pole on foot on January 11, 1986 .

Three years later Robert Swan took part in the international Arctic expedition Icewalk , of which Arved Fuchs was one of the members , and on May 14, 1989 he also reached the geographic North Pole . This makes him the first person to have reached both poles on foot. (In the same year Arved Fuchs also took part in a South Pole expedition, making him the first person to have reached both poles on foot in just one year.)

During his trips to the polar regions Robert Swan became aware of environmental problems there ( garbage , ozone hole , global warming ) and has been committed to environmental protection ever since . So he founded the organization in 2041 , which is committed to extending the environmental protection protocol to the Antarctic Treaty beyond 2041. Swan also served as a special envoy for the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organization (UNESCO).

Robert Swan was visiting professor at various universities and has received many awards. The British Queen Elizabeth II awarded him the Polar Medal in 1988 for his scientific achievements and appointed him officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1995 . He is also a member (fellow) of the Royal Geographical Society .

Publications

  • Robert Swan / Gil Reavill: Antarctica 2041: My Quest to Save the Earth's Last Wilderness New York 2009, ISBN 978-0-7679-3175-5

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Swan, Robert
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British polar explorer and environmentalist
DATE OF BIRTH July 28, 1956
PLACE OF BIRTH Durham , England