Due to his expertise in the subject of sustainability, Robert was the keynote speaker at the first World Summit on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro. At the event, Robert boldly declared his 10-year mission to clean up Antarctica to world leaders, which was met with tremendous support. For his next World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, 2002, Robert pushed himself one step further, completing the longest overland voyage in history on his way to the Summit.
A large portion of Robert’s life has been spent significantly colder than the rest of us, due to his extended periods in Antarctica. In 1968, inspired by Rover Falcon Scott’s Terra Nova Expedition, Robert was stationed at the Jack Hayward base before completing the longest unassisted on-foot journey ever made - an eye-watering 900-mile walk to the South Pole. Typical to the Pole’s unpredictable nature, Robert’s ship had sunk by the time he arrived. Despite the unfortunate circumstances, Robert made sure to return to the South Pole in 1987, to clear any debris the ship had left behind.
Not long after his first mission, Robert returned for an expedition named The Ice Walk until 1989. During the trip, Robert’s life was put at risk as he nearly drowned in the unseasonable melting ice, representative of the global warming effects Robert fight against to this day. Differing to his last mission, Robert filmed several educational videos of the arctic landscape and the effects of climate on the white wasteland.
Not content with going it alone, Robert was joined by a team of 35 young adventurers in 1996, with one intention - clear 1,500 tons of waste left over from scientific research. Thanks to their efforts, the Pole’s native penguin colony could finally reclaim the beach, after 47 years. Robert’s son, Barney, is quickly following in his footsteps.
In 2008, Robert opened the E-Base, a completely self-sustainable research facility in the South Pole, not long after Robert and his son lived in the E-Base for two weeks. Robert’s facility proved that even in the toughest conditions, a sustainable lifestyle is completely doable.
