David was first encouraged to become an environmentalist and adventurer in 2001 after he brought a farm in New Zealand and was invited to complete a polar expedition. Such an experience made David long for adventure and so he pursued a career as an eco-adventurer. In 2006 David embarked on his first major polar expedition, attempting to cross the Arctic from Russia to Canada. The incredible feat took David 100 days and saw him become the youngest British person to reach both geographical poles. Multiple other polar expeditions followed, and David became part of the team who completed the fastest crossing of the Greenland ice cap, a world record-breaking feat.
As well as a passion for polar expeditions, David has also dedicated his attention to raising awareness of the Pacific Garbage Patch. As part of his mission to raise awareness, David developed a sustainable ship which he called Plastiki. As a keen advocate of sustainability David developed Seretex, a unique technique to recycle PET plastic, which was used alongside 12,500 plastic bottles to make Plastiki. Each part of the boat was made from sustainable products, and it impressively sailed over 8000 nautical miles. David’s creation was highly anticipated and it was recognised as one of 2010s Fifty Best Inventions by Time Magazine.
David has also previously emphasised the damage that is caused by mass oil drilling, again emphasising his passion for the environment. In 2007 David led an expedition to the Ecuadorian rain forest to document the damage that was caused due to oil drilling, as part of Adventure Ecology’s ARTiculate project. David continued support of the ARTiculate project, travelling to Brazil’s rain forest in 2011 to see the effects of the Belo Monte Dam project.
To further his activism of environmental issues, David founded the Myoo Agency. A marketing agency, the Myoo Agency- now known as the World-Exposure Agency- works with other businesses to develop more sustainable practises. David is also highly-regarded as the founder of Sculpt the Future, which he established to spread awareness and educate people on various environmental issues. David has written books to compliment his work in the environmental field, writing The Live Earth Global Warming Survival Handbook: 77 Essential Skills to Stop Climate Change- or Live Through it and The Boy, The Girl, The Tree.
Throughout his career, David has been well rewarded for his dedication to the cause. He has been named Emerging Explorer by National Geographic and named as one of GQ’s Men of the Year 2007. His passion for the environment has seen him appointed as an international ambassador for NGO Clean Up The World and he has also been nominated by the World Economic Forum as Young Global Leader. David has also won the 2008 Kids’ Choice Awards UK Greenie Award and the German Sustainability Award.
As a speaker, David is considered an authoritative figure on the environment, adventure and ecology. Having traversed the world, David has a plethora of awe-inspiring anecdotes to enlighten corporate audiences with, along with valuable life lessons that he learnt on his expeditions. From ridding the oceans of plastic to climate change, there are many pressing issues that David raises awareness of and encourages people to take actionable change towards. A truly passionate and adept speaker, David is the perfect speaker for a range of corporate events.
