The project aims at meeting Chile's growing energy demands with a “clean” source of power. Of course, building the dams and transmission lines would be far from benign on the region's ecosystems. A number of concerned parties are protesting the dams' construction, including activist (and The North Face co-founder) , past whose proposed Estancia Chacabuco, a massive stretch of conserved land that Tompkins wants to donate to the Chilean government, the Baker flows.
Anyway, the team is tracing the Baker from its headwaters in the rapidly-melting Neff Glacier, all the way to its terminus in the sea. Weekly posts are punctuated with Child's literary musings, team photog James Q Martin's images and even some videos (with are rather staged and stale–despite Timmy O'Neill's finger-pointing enthusiasm).This week, the team meets up with Jonathan Leidich (featured in ϳԹ's 2005 ) who talks about the the Neff seems to be disappearing.
But is it just me or do his observations seem a tad unscientific? Couldn't Patagonia find some climate scientists to join them on this journey? I don't get it. If you care to, tell me what you think…
— is a freelance writer, covering the environment, sustainability and outdoor recreation. The Good Route, her blog for ϳԹ Online, is focused on the places where the active life and sustainability merge.