CHANGE AGENT
My whole life I have read books of Freya Stark, Shackleton, Bruce Chatwin, Richard Burton, Mungo Park about exploration of the far flung corners of our world. I too love to explore the extreme environments, feeding my restless soul searching for that cutting edge between life and death that makes you feel so alive. I have made it my professional life: as the owner of Moki Treks, providing cultural native american programs in the United States and Canada, as a radio reporter for NPR Savvy Traveler, as an author of two books, television presenter and writer for National Geographic. I have lead a life of extremes, fast paced, ski, climb, kayak and ride camels and horses on all continents but nothing prepared me for the experiences in the Arctic and Antarctic. While on assignment for National Geographic Traveler to the North Pole in 2007, I discovered the fragility of the Arctic sea ice. This insight propelled me to report about climate change in extreme environments. I haven’t stopped. After 25 years, I am still doing it.
CLIMATE CHANGE
This landscape conveys permanence. It is not hostile. It is just there – undisturbed, still and complete.
I was part of the official Dutch delegation to the climate conferences in Copenhagen, Paris and Bonn. I give cutting edge sustainability seminars, consult corporations about green strategies, speak at TEDx conferences and writes science articles about climate change for various newspapers and magazines. I presented/co-produced Tipping Points, a 6 x 1 hour series about tipping points in our climate system filmed with scientists from all around the world. This series has aired in 45 countries. In 2015 I received the sustainable award for best environmental television program. In 2014 I skied across the frozen Arctic Ocean from the North Pole to Canada to document the future of the melting Arctic. This expedition has led to the making of Sea Blind, the price of shipping our stuff. The film was originally produced for the COP21 in Paris and after screenings for delegates it has been shown in all major ports around the world, in Dutch parliament, European Parliament, US Congress, UNESCO and for the International Maritime Organization. Sea Blind has aired on major television networks around the world. During the premiere of Sea Blind in her native Rotterdam, Bernice received the Knighthood of Orange Nassau for her work in climate change. In 2017 she skied 2 degrees to the Geographic North Pole while conducting snow measurements for NASA and ESA followed by a sailing trip with 66 CEO’s of corporations around Svalbard to show them the consequences of climate change in the Arctic. In December 2017 Bernice published her latest book Arctica, and produced a 3 part television series on conducting science in the Arctic. Currently she is producing a new film SKY GODS – the price for our love of flying. This film is slated to be ready in the Fall of 2020.
