Had enough inconvenient truths? Hong Kong-based journalist Cameron Dueck has. Instead of regurgitating stats about global warming and the environment, he will be embarking on a sailing expedition to see first-hand how climate change is affecting people in the Arctic. The yachting enthusiast will set off with a crew of three in June, crossing the Canadian north for a four-month trip while documenting the voyage. Although he will essentially be self-financing the adventure, a fund-raiser is planned tonight at the Philia Lounge to help him cover some of the costs.
'The idea began in 2004,' Dueck explained. 'I had quit my job in Singapore to sail, but I wanted to do it for a cause. Since then, it's turned from a dream to a plan to a passion. I plan to look at how communities in the Arctic are affected by change and put together a book drawing from the voyage. There'll also be a documentary filmmaker with us.'
Although the yachtsman is experienced - he's sailed across the Atlantic - it's still uncharted water he's heading towards. Fewer than 35 pleasure boats have done what he's attempting. 'There's still a lot of stuff I don't know. I've talked to people and consulted with the Arctic coastguard but some things you just find out when you go.'
