BEYOND THE ICE: REVEALING THE SECRETS OF THE ARCTIC
JOHN FARRELL PRESENTS HIS WORK AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE US ARCTIC RESEARCH COMMISSION
BHC members and guests of the Bethlehem Public Library sat in on a world-class presentation on August 7, 2024, when John Farrell, PhD, son of member Rita Farrell, gave a talk on his work.
John has a super-cool job: he coordinates the Arctic research interests of all interested US government agencies, from all branches of the military to fisheries management. His talk and slide show - similar to his presentations to congress, world scientific, global security and economic development groups - covered the environmental, geopolitical, and economic state of the Arctic today.
John credited his mom, Rita, for instilling the curiosity that led him to a career in science and encouraging his confidence to speak in public.
The slides he presented were beautiful and chilling. He showed data on how the Arctic ice cap in melting at terrifying speeds, the examples of the degradation of Arctic shorelines and the consequent need to relocate indigenous communities, as well as photos of scientists and naturalists at work in their favorite milieu. He discussed the shifting stories of climate change deniers and how he works to communicate how important a healthy Arctic region is to the entire world.
You can download John’s presentation here.
Slides by John Farrell, PhD. Photos by Martin Kessel