ANN ARBOR, January 7, 2008--Phaeton's director Dr. David West Reynolds is scheduled to present a lecture entitled "Icebreaker: Mission Report from the Northwest Passage" at the University of Michigan's Ann Arbor campus on March 27th. The talk, to be presented at the Exhibit Museum of Natural History, is part of the Museum's theme semester on Science at the Poles, in connection with International Polar Year 2007-2009. Along with technical lectures presented by polar scientists from NASA and the University of Texas Marine Institute, two presentations will cover the first-hand experience of polar field operations. One lecturer will discuss Antarctic science and logistics, and Dr. Reynolds will present the Arctic counterpart.

In addition to addressing the ecological concerns, Reynolds will offer a focus on the strategic and political issues associated with the melting of the Arctic and the opening of the Northwest Passage. "The Russians launched the world's largest icebreaker in 2007," Reynolds notes, "a nuclear-powered giant carrying twin 171-megawatt atomic reactors. This represents a major commitment to polar operations which North America cannot afford to ignore."

"The ice is no longer protecting the continent's back door," Reynolds says, "and even sovereignty over Arctic territories is coming into question. These are issues that will only become more significant as resources dwindle and the polar world opens up. The writing has been on the wall for some time, and as the colossal Russian nuclear icebreaker so assertively attests, other nations have been preparing much more vigorously than we have."

A reception will follow the Icebreaker lecture, which begins at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 27, 2008.

For more information or media inquiries, please contact the Exhibit Museum at (734) 764-0478. To inquire about scheduling Dr. Reynolds for a presentation, please contact Phaeton Group at (502) 412-3880.