3 resource heritage of this country than anyone else in the House. Bruce... REP. VENTO: Well, thanks a lot Jim, and Will, I hope this message finds you and your crew well. We're out here opening up a new session and looking forward to your return and hosting you in Washington in celebration of your victory and also to gain the insights that you have had these past months that you have been going through this very arduous journey. He's been We very much appreciated the message to Jim. sharing it. We know that it will be helpful in term of delivering the message, in terms of what public policies we should have. Back home in Minnesota, of course, while you've probably seen enough snow and ice for a while, we were hoping for a little more. St. Paul's Winter Carnival suffered from lack of that. In fact we had to import snow from other parts to Minnesota, if you can believe that, and had nearly a snowless Winter Carnival. All Minnesotans, Will, are proud of you and your team down there that are working with you and are, of course, happy that you are pointing out and reflecting some of the values about Minnesota and our environment and the problems you are seeing with pollution in Antarctica. If there is one place left on earth where we can 4 and should protect the land and water and air from man's careless action, it surely is Antarctica. Today there is, of course, one person who can really bring these problems to the public's attention with special insight and, of course, that's you, Will, that's you and your comrades. Of course, it is getting more acceptable these days to use the word "comrade", as you noted in your comments to our Congressman Oberstar. I think that your cooperation with your comrades is a wonderful example and we hope that that will be multiplied many times in light of the new developments in the world. When you return, I and others certainly would like to invite you to return to Washington to share your insights with us, and we would like, of course, to get your views on the international treaty on mining in Antarctica. The treaty will certainly affect the future of Antarctica and our efforts to protect it. All of us that can't--and shouldn't--visit the great continent of Antarctica (even well intentioned visits for the sake of curiosity risk harm to that pristine area.), we, of course, are busy working on clean air this session. We want to eliminate the toxics and pollutions and the chloroflourocarbons, the CFCs that affect remote areas like Antarctica. Congress is going to write a strong Clean Air Act this year. Your help there might be key as well as to something really on our agenda. Will, we're looking forward to your first-hand experiences 5. back here in a warm Washington. So, we want you to mush those noble dogs, and mush the explorers way down under. We wish you a happy Ground Hog's Day, Valentine's Day and President's Day as we don't know when this will arrive, but we look forward to seeing you back in Minnesota and back in Washington. Good luck! REP. OBERSTAR: Thank you, Bruce. You reminded me of an experience a visitor had to a wilderness area many years ago. On arriving at the entrance to that wilderness, he was greeted by a sign that said, "Help us save the wilderness. Leave this place!" That's the message, I think, that needs to go forth about Antarctica: "Don't come visiting with drill rigs and exploratory devices and explosives that can measure the volumetric presence of hydrocarbons. You may do more irreparable damage to that environment than any other presence of man." Yours is a contributory presence. You've galvanized the attention of the nation to your exploit across the continent and you've galvanized attention here in Congress to the needs of preservation in Antarctica. I just wanted you to know that we are listening. Your words have not gone, as they do in space, into a dark beyond, but they have fallen on some very receptive ears. Last night at a town forum in Duluth on the budget, its priorities and the environment, some 200 people listened to your message and applauded it at the end, and urged the Congress to support the position you advocated, which is the point of the resolution, H.J. 6 Res. 418, which I hope we can get passed here in the House and in the Senate. Thank you for the inspiration. We look forward to your early and safe return, and probably Bruce Vento can arrange a committee hearing to have you tell the Congress and the country about your exploits, and I know you'll have a lot of support in that regard. To all of you on the expedition, comrades all, crusaders for the environment, from us here in Washington and in the Congress, good luck! Thanks for your message. ### |