My long time friend, Ginny Michaux, has written a fascinating futuristic novel about the impacts of climate change. Joining the ranks of Science Fiction writers, she shares her vision of what life could be like if we don’t take action now.
In this, a guest blog, we get a peek at the locations in the book. An expanded and more complete version of Ginny’s inspirations can be found on Ginny’s blog. Her travel experiences, often focused on the issues of climate change, cover many places on the globe.
Ginny’s blog
by Ginny Michaux, Guest Blogger
I hope you enjoy the varying locations in “A Tree for Antarctica.”
The action settings were inspired and informed by a lot of in person traveling, and in one case by flying low over an area as many as six times. This is a partial list for you! Doing so meant shuffling through a lot of photos, diaries, files and discs, which brought to mind fond memories of people, places and event. For the complete list, check out my blog.
So, please join me now as ‘off we go!” On a visit to many of the places and experiences that inspired “A Tree for Antarctica.”
Antarctica
I camped for over two weeks in a single person tent in the interior of Antarctica at Patriot Hills, while pursuing a visit to the South Pole and other scientific stations. Skied about 60 miles total in Antarctica while looking for fossils, a wrecked plane, and visiting a Chilean camp of scientists and climbing nearby hills. Camped with 4 others many miles away from Patriot Hills for 2 nights and skied around there.
Skied around Amundson Scott South Pole station during a visit there, and talked with scientists. All this added up to what I think was 60 miles. Especially, I enjoyed taking a GPS and radio (in case of sudden weather, crevasse, etc) and skiing off by myself until I could see no one else or the camp. Just the predominant white and few colors of Antarctica. Amazing feeling!
North Pole
I skied the last degree to the North Pole with two others while pulling a sled of supplies across broken ice and around a lot of open water. The land and air transit through northern Siberia was also fascinating. Our idea was to experience how climate was affecting Arctic Ice.
Bahia Lapataia
I visited Bahia Lapataia, which is a park just north of Ushuaia, Argentina. You might remember this location name from A Tree for Antarctica.
Bhutan
While on a trip to Bhutan, I met with the Minister in charge of Climate Policy, to discuss how climate change was affecting and was projected to affect his country.
Greenland
I hiked in coastal Greenland. I was especially interested to see the Jacobshann Glacier calving and groaning and filling up Disko Bay with ice. It is the fastest moving glacier in the world, and Greenland’s largest.
V.J. Michaux, known to friends and family as ‘Ginny,’ is an author, speaker, explorer, and expert on climate change. She is a member of the Explorers Club. Ginny, was a member of Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project since its early years, and has given talks to thousands of adults and school children in the USA and Mexico about climate and about her own expeditions related to climate. You can find more about Ginny on her website at www.vjmichaux.com
