Chat: Will Gadd

Interviewer: Will thank you for talking to us tonight, in our live online chat room.

Will Gadd: Good evening from a very early morning in Canada!

FrostBite asks: Do you remember the day you woke up and thought "I want to climb big icy things!!!"?

Will Gadd: No, but I wish I did! No, I‘ve always been a climber so the ice part of it came after the rock part of it. Probably misguided childhoods lead to this obsession.

Timmy asks: My name is Tim. I am currently 16. My question is where can someone like me start to one day climb icebergs and see glaciers?

Will Gadd: Probably New Zealand is the closest place with lots of peaks and mountains, maybe seek out a program from New Zealand. If you want to do it, you can. Good luck!

kittykat asks: Hi Will, loved your segment on 60 mins, very inspired to make the trip to Alaska... do you run tours yourself or can you recommend one for 3 young ladies?

Will Gadd: I’d love to give a tour to 3 young ladies, unfortunately I don’t do that, probably just the Alaska state tourism would be your best bet and also to come over to Canada and have a look at the glaciers here.

Kylz asks: How does one get into your career path? I heard your an environmentalist, but what other areas of studies have you taken?

Will Gadd: I was going to be a lawyer that was plan A. And I have a degree in political science with a minor in English, so that doesn’t help me too much with climbing icebergs, but having the ability to write about interesting things in the world, was probably the best way to get into this. If you can write and just like you get outside, and do enough of it somehow it turns into a career. I guess it helps to like ice too.

pania asks: Hi great interview. Are the glaciers in NZ being affected as well??

Will Gadd: I think they are, I don’t know as much about NZ as I do North America, but from talking to guides in NZ they are also having problems there. I think it is a global thing unfortunately.

CHAS asks: Will. Your a true environmentalist. Love your spirit. When did you first start to notice that the ice was melting?

Will Gadd: I think I first noticed when I was out 15 or 16. There’s a glacier near my house in Canada that has receded a long way and I remember where we used to park was very close to the glacier and there was a very small lake next to it, no where you park you can barely see the glacier and the lake is much bigger. You have to hike a lot longer, and I remember being 16 and thinking, “Huh that’s different!”. And also, to topographic maps are really inaccurate now as to where the glaciers are, most of those maps were drawn in the 60s and are just wildly inaccurate. There are places that show glaciers, and there just aren’t any there anymore. It’s also made some my climbing routes a lot more difficult, as I have to move on loose rock instead of ice.

DauntingDave asks: I just saw your report on TV. What part do you play in monitoring the glaciers? Is this being done officially somewhere?

Will Gadd: Yeah, there are a few mountain projects around the world that are asking climbers to help out. There is one being done by the BANFF Centre and some in Switzerland. Most are being done by the scientist in the various countries. Climbers and guides give feedback, but most of the research is done by scientist.

GeoPacific asks: How have you been able to get the attention of global media to your efforts?

Will Gadd: I haven’t really set out to get attention for glacial recession. It’s just something I’ve noticed from being out in the mountains so much, as a climber and as an athlete if I can show that to people then I’m happy to do so, but I’m not really out to get attention for it. I am happy if that happens, but I’d just like to climb ice really and it seems to be going away.

Benn asks: Will, I just watched the story on 60 minutes and I have to say it is very sad to see something of such great beauty being destroyed by us humans. Does it really get under your skin that there is still narrow minded people out there who do not believe that global warming is actually happening?

Will Gadd: What gets under my skin is not so much that people might disagree with the idea of global warming, that’s their opinion. But what bothers me is people might think its okay to flat out mess with the atmosphere so much. If the global warming advocates are wrong and nothing happens, I’ll be really happy. But if they are right and we do nothing, then I think the world will be a pretty miserable place. So for me, I’d rather not take a huge risk.

julie asks: I believe in climate change, but I'm wondering if the melting of the icecaps etc is just a part of the earths natural cycle? I mean, we had an ice age etc, is it possible that this could be another one of them in reverse? Don't mean to be sceptical as I'm actually not! I am just naive.

Will Gadd: I don’t think that’s naive and it’s true that the earth has gone through dramatic warming and cooling, that’s really clear and that may be why some people are sceptics so I think that’s a good question. But if I talk to scientist, other people involved and climate research around the world, what they seem most concerned about is the rate of change over such a short period of time. It is very dramatic, very fast rate of change and ecosystems don’t do very well under this rate of change, and that could include us unfortunately.

clacko asks: Hi Will, just trying to work out the colour of the water there in Alaska. A bit too brown for my understanding, can you explain that please?

Will Gadd: Yeah, we shot in a couple of different locations, not sure which shot you are referring to, but if the water is brown or gray, it’s probably from what is called “rock flour” as a glacier grinds down a valley, it grinds the rock down to flour. I think it’s really cool that glaciers are so powerful to turn rocks into flour.

smelliott asks: How can climbing the icebergs and all the extreme activities that you do be good to this "environmentally sensitive' area? Isn't it a little contradictory?

Will Gadd: Yes to a certain extent it is. Any time we enter a wild area we do change that area. But the icebergs are melting and nothing visits that area so I hope we are doing very little immediate damage. What concerns me more is the travel involved to get to these areas, I think that is a much bigger problem. I don't pretend to have all the answers to this, it's just something that bothers me and I don't always know what to do about it, besides not travel, but these are the dilemmas we have to face as humans in a world that is changing. I also hope that by showing people these area it will encourage them to preserve them as well.

Snedzy asks: Are you self funded, and what are your goals?

Will Gadd: I’m self funded through taking adventure sport films, athletic sponsorship, writing articles and whatever else comes up, but I get no funding from any corporation or university or anything having to do with climate change or global warming. I’m an outdoor sports guy, not an expert on climate change. So my goals are to explore this very cool planet I’m lucky to be alive on and hopefully share that with people and to also show my daughter the world. So far that’s a lot of fun.

Timmy asks: On the show you where wearing a red bull helmet. Do you get sponsored to travel around and do this? or was it just for the program?

Will Gadd: No, I’m a Red Bull athlete. Red Bull has really helped me do a lot of these sports. Sort of like having a very rich uncle.

Sasha asks: Are the ecosystems in the areas where the glaciers are at risk from all the melting? Are there any creatures that suffer directly?

Will Gadd: Yeah, the ecosystems around the recessing glaciers are changing very quickly but in these areas is probably not where the biggest changes are occurring. The glaciers are a symptom of a bigger problem from all over the world, we end up with species moving further north or south with the warming temperatures and animals that used to live at say 1000 metres are moving up to 1500 metres and what we’re seeing around my area are some animals in my areas are moving to the top to where they can be. And the obvious ones are that every species around the world is affected to some extend. But people only think of the polar bears, but it’s a problem for all species who live on a high latitude are in trouble. The more I learn about this the more I realize that everything is connected.

wendy asks: What is the one thing we can all do on a daily basis to make a difference. Give us something simple to help?

Will Gadd: That’s a really good question. Probably the biggest thing anyone can do is first be aware and concerned. And then do whatever they feel is reasonable after that, using less energy in one form or another, especially energy that comes from coal fire plants. But things won’t really change until governments and politicians want to do things differently. So if we are aware, show that concern then we can change things.

CHAS asks: Will. Great to see someone putting forward a story of the real life effects of global warming. Just wondering if you are coming to Australia to tell your story anytime soon?

Will Gadd: I’m not planning on it, but I really enjoy Australia so if that’s an invitation, yeah?

Lachy asks: Do you have an idol or is there a past explorer that you are a fan of. I have just read a book about an Aussie scientist called Sir Hubert Wilkins who has worked vastly throughout the Arctic. I am concerned I may miss the opportunity to get involved with the vast expanse of Glaciers as they once were. How does one find work in Alaska, in this field?

Will Gadd: Probably the best way to get involved is to go to school in Geology and I think there will be more work and more people required to do that work for some time yet. IN the arctic, things are changing very very quickly. IN the Antarctic the glaciers are not going to disappear in our life time, so I think you will get to experience that, but I don’t know for sure the answer to your question, but good luck with it and let me know how it works out!

Benn asks: Will, I am moving to Canada in a couple of months. Could you please point me in the right direction to check out some glaciers?

Will Gadd: Good choice! For glaciers it’s a very good choice, most of the easily accessible glaciers are in the west side of Canada, so anywhere from the Rocky Mountains to the coast and north for a very long way. One of the greatest inventions ever is Google Earth, you can really look at everything on that site. It’s great, I waste many hours on it. And I'm not sponsored by Google.

johno asks: Hey Will, enjoyed your story from Alaska, nice work. I used to be a nurse in Banff for 6 years, moved back to Australia and just completed an environmental science degree. nice to see you shift some of your climbing exposure to environmental issues. I am a mad keen ice climber, but struggle for partners down here in Australia (I climb ice at a place called blue lake). Have you climbed down here? Come on down! Long way to come for some ice which is equivalent to the junkyards!

Will Gadd: That’s a great story! Thanks for the invitation, I’ll come if you or anyone wants to drop me an email at willgadd.com. Please drop me an email, I’d love to climb ice in Australia that would be a lot of fun! And congratulations on your new field of work.

Alison asks: Are videos, photographs, or some of the project photos you took available on line for the public to see?

Will Gadd: Yeah, if you search my name of YouTube, there are a few different videos up there and some other videos also available through my website, but I’m not really here to self plug.

Anju asks: It was great to see someone so enthusiastic about nature and adventure! How do you make your living though?

Will Gadd: I’ve made my living through a lot of different ways. I’ve served doughnuts, worked for magazines, worked for a judge, pounded nails, do have a University degree and basically done whatever it takes to spend a lot of time outside and exploring mountains and the world. Had I been thinking further ahead when I was 20 I’d have done a degree in Geology, but I didn’t so still making it up as I go along.

CHAS asks: Will. Big fan. Was Michael Usher scared of the glacier, he looked like he was packing it a bit. Is it a safe activity?

Will Gadd: Ice climbing can be reasonably safe, and Michael was reasonably scared. What was a lot of fun was to see Michael stand up and beat the challenge and have a lot of fun doing it. That’s the best part about this sport for me, sometimes I get to take people to great places and do really fun things with them. I really enjoyed my time with Michael, I’m not sure if he will become a professional ice climber, but he did really well for his first try at it.

JimmyW asks: Such areas like those featured in Alaska, are they restricted areas or can they be accessed and visited before they totally disappear? When is the best time to be lucky enough to experience such beautiful places?

Will Gadd: Most of the natural areas of the world, anyone can visit and Alaska is pretty accessible that way. If you can get there you are welcome to visit the glaciers, probably the summer is the easiest time to visit. And one great way to really experience the glacier is to go out with a mountain guide and go for a walk on the glacier. Just about anyone can do that and it will be an unforgettable experience. But just getting into the mountains (even if just walking 10 mins from your car) it’s a great thing to do. In the Alps 100 years ago some of the places they built near the glaciers, are really no longer near the glaciers. So when you are travelling, look at the old postcards to see just how much things have changed.

sami3201 asks: How will the climate change affect our future? I mean I know that a lot of people are thinking exactly what you said their thinking and keep doing the things their thinking but the more they do that the more they ignore what little hope humanity has... Does that make us the real pests of nature or the world as we humans call some animals pests, are we the real murders of earth?

Will Gadd: For me the scary thing is that we can make some very educated guess about how climate change will affect our future, but the scariest thing is that no one really knows. The most pessimistic model from 10 years ago is today looking very optimistic. And for me that’s scary. And I have a child, and I would like her to have a reasonable quality of life and if even the most moderate scenarios play out, things may be very difficult for her. But there have been things in humanities past that we have gotten together on (not many, a few) , the world did come together and say this is really made for the atmosphere and by an large it has actually happened. I think about what bothers me the most is talking how we will change how we use energy, how we change we exist on the world like it is such a horrible thing. But it would be a lot more fun to do this is an organized manner than to watch our way of life possibly completely collapse before our eyes. I think there will be a lot of work in clean energy, all the unknowable ways of doing things that come with that, we can look at this as a really dark and terrible time or as we say here in Canada, we can buck up and get excited about it and move forwards. And I hope we choose the second option, or at least enough people do. Not everyone has to the same thing, but I hope enough people do the right thing.

Interviewer: I am sorry we are out of time, do you have anything else you would like to share before we finish tonight?

Will Gadd: Thanks to everyone at 60 Minutes and everyone who watched the program. Thanks for having me on tonight, if people do have questions I would be happy to answer them at WillGadd.com

Interviewer: Once again thank you and goodnight.

Interviewer: This concludes our chat with Will Gadd, Sunday August 16, 2009.