Prince Albert II of Monaco said Monday that his goal in getting on a dog sled bound for the North Pole is to focus the attention of world leaders on the need for more environment-friendly policies.
MONACO — Prince Albert II of Monaco said Monday that his goal in getting on a dog sled bound for the North Pole is to focus the attention of world leaders on the need for more environment-friendly policies.
Following in the footsteps of his great-great-grandfather, Albert plans a seven-day, 120-kilometer (75-mile) trip in April from a Russian meteorological base to the North Pole. He will be part of a seven-person team.
Albert called the trip a small step toward increasing awareness about climate change and the Earth's environmental needs.
"We have to do more so that everyone is aware of environmental problems," he told a news conference at Monaco's Oceanographic Museum.
"If, in our modest way, by this action we are able to bring environmental problems to the forefront and force some leaders to take stronger actions, this expedition will have achieved its objectives."
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Long devoted to environmental causes, Albert announced shortly after taking the throne in July that Monaco would ratify the Kyoto Protocol, designed to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
The 47-year-old prince of the Mediterranean enclave also has a fondness for sports and snow: he has been a member of Monaco's bobsled team in the last five Winter Olympics.
The prince planned the project after taking part in a scientific expedition in July to sites his ancestor visited in the Norwegian archipelago of Spitsbergen.
His great-great-grandfather, Prince Albert I, was a pioneering oceanographer who explored the little-known regions of Spitsbergen, creating an inventory of marine life and studying ice fields and glaciers. He ruled Monaco from 1889 to 1922.
Albert -- the son of Prince Rainier III and Hollywood star Grace Kelly -- took the throne of the tiny Mediterranean principality in July and celebrated the second and final part of his investiture Nov. 19. Rainier died in April.
Source: Associated Press
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