Kayaker Steve Posselt is paddling 5,000 miles to symbolically connect extreme weather events around the world and draw attention to global warming.

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In January of 2015, he began his journey in Canberra, Australia – which has experienced increasingly destructive wildfires. Along the way, Posselt will paddle through areas demolished by Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy in the U.S., into the Canadian Arctic where glaciers are rapidly melting, and flood-devastated areas in England.

Posselt’s kayak has been customized with wheels, so he can pull it over riverbeds that have run dry due to prolonged drought. A custom-made kayak sail is also helping him travel a grueling 20 miles per day.

In November, he will paddle up the River Seine in France, ending his voyage in Paris as the world gathers to negotiate a global climate treaty.

Posselt hopes his trip can help engage people and jump-start the climate change conversation. He also has a very personal reason for his journey.

Posselt: “This trip is all about doing whatever I can to be able to say to my grandchildren ‘I tried my best for you guys.’”

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Reporting credit: ChavoBart Digital Media.
Photos: Steve Posselt and Posselt’s routes (source: Kayak4Earth).

More Resources
Kayak4Earth website
Kayak4Earth on Facebook

Bud Ward was editor of Yale Climate Connections from 2007-2022. He started his environmental journalism career in 1974. He later served as assistant director of the U.S. Congress's National Commission...