by Rich WIlson, Skipper, Great American III

In the last two days here in the Indian Ocean, we have been hammered by two severe storms with near-hurricane-force winds and mountainous seas. I’m tired, cold, and scared. But it was my choice to enter the VendÈe Globe, and it is my responsibility therefore to deal with Mother Nature as she is.

In an analogous, moral way it is up to humankind to deal with the Earth’s climate as it is, and not to allow our activities to change it. Sadly, we have violated that moral truth by causing global warming.

Since we are on a path of climate change, what is our responsibility now? I believe that it is to say, “OK. We caused this problem, and we must do something to fix it.” Now we must have enough strength of character to make sacrifices for the betterment of the planet and of the 6 billion humans on it. We must slow and then stop this manmade climate change.

We in advanced economies and developed nations can often buy our way out of problems. We tend to think, “It’s going to get hotter? Turn on more air conditioning!” Unfortunately that approach will only worsen the problem. And the underdeveloped nations of the world, who live more closely than we to nature, and therefore depend on nature staying consistent, will suffer the most. And it is simply not fair for us to change their environment.