Expedition Around North America contre le réchauffement climatique

Around North America Newsletter

Newsletter 13/ DECEMBER 2008

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December 29, 2008.
As we are writing these lines, “Southern Star” is anchored at Balboa, Panama City, at the entrance of the Panama Canal. The end of the 13th leg of the expedition marks the end of navigation in the Pacific. We have sailed 14,123 nautical miles (26,155 km) since our departure from Tromsø. Upon entering the Gulf of Panama, the expedition began heading North (already!) – that was on Christmas day. This symbolic turn marks the sourthernmost point of the journey: 06°47’N. Last July 30, the expedition had reached its northernmost point by 75°12’N, 40 miles or so from Cape York in Melville Bay.

Marcelo Adano
Director of the Historical Naval Museum of Acapulco

Ports of call :
In the past month, members of the expedition have made only one stopover: Acapulco (Mexico). “Southern Star” was welcomed in grand style by the Acapulco Yacht Club. The hospitality of the “Acapulquenos” was just exemplary. The media coverage, which the expedition elicited during the Mexican stopover, managed to reach a very wide public: three TV reports were aired nationally at prime time.

Exchanges with the East coast of the U.S., concerning the organization of the Miami, New York, Newport and Halifax stopovers, are going swiftly and well.

Themes :
The theme of the Acapulco stopover was climate change and tourism. Meetings and exchanges, allowing us to develop this theme, were rich and varied. Conferences, round-tables and meetings were organized together with the tourism university, municipal officials responsible for tourism, ecologists and urban architects. For a long time, Acapulco has functioned on the « sea, sex and sun » paradigm, which is now obsolete and passé. Tourism officials are conscious of this and have begun to see true potential in the development of green tourism. For the moment, this approach is only at the attempt stage.

Tourism officials are conscious of this and have begun to see true potential in the development of green tourism. For the moment, this approach is only at the attempt stage. However, repeated initiatives emanating from ecological organizations, along with the desire to attract again foreign customers, have motivated local actors in the realm of tourism. After a week-long stay in Acapulco, members of the expedition felt that the inhabitants of Acapulco were ready to act and do, if only they were educated and guided by information campaigns. The present economic situation of the state of Guerrero is not propitious to an environmental awakening of conscience, but each Mexican carries within himself the love of his land and of his clan. The notions of comfort and quality of life do not have to mean having and consuming more, even if this scheme is, for the moment, the most commonly held.

The lectures given on the occasion of a two-day colloquium on tourism highlighted the economic aspects of green tourism, bringing forth the Scandinavian model.

Films :
The crew continues to film : there’s plenty of work until May 17. The search for co-producers is still on.

A happy and swell New Year 2009 from the entire crew of the expedition « Around North America » !