Here, there are many ways to fail. Frostbite, injury from a fall, broken gear, not making enough miles, snow blindness, altitude sickness... To succeed requires an equally long list of skills and knowledge.

From the beginning of our training, I tried to emphasize finding systems to save energy, stay warm and be safe. Eating during our breaks can be more of an adventure than skiing. Clif bars, salami, cheese, a few pieces of candy, a chocolate bar all need to be consumed while hunkered down on your sled, wind howling, frozen goggles and parka ruff getting in everything.

Normally, I advise my team to put everything in different pockets and pull them out the appropriate times.

For Dong, this system didn't quite work. Food was frozen or hard to grab with big gloves. Enter new plan. Dong, now takes his daily allowance of nuts, energy bars, Clif shot bloks, cheese and whatever else he can find and breaks it up into small pieces until it fills an entire nalgene water bottle. Now at each break, he simply opens up the bottle and 'drinks' his snacks.

While Dong is the least experienced of our small group, his ability to observe, plan, modify and execute are critical polar skills. Bill and I are now anxiously awaiting Dong's next system overhaul.

Weather wise, tody was almost the exact opposite of yesterday. Good visibility, hard snow, even some sun in the afternoon. We made a beeline for the patriot hills covering 8.28 nautical milles in 5 hours.

Despite Dong's recent success in systems modification, his ability to judge our proximity to the nearby mountains needs work. "Three miles," he calculated.

For Dong, and most other polar novices, distances are difficult to judge due to the pristine quality of the air here.

Recently, the United States declared the odds of a binding agreement on global warming at Copenhagen on par with the odds of peace in the Middle East or resolution to College football's Bowl Championship Series controversy. While we can't give up on Copenhagen or what may follow, these latest developments make it clear that once again its time to put our hope in the Clean Air Act.

The Clean Air Act has protected the air we breathe for four decades. By curbing air pollution, it is directly responsible for saving many thousands of lives, improving health, and decreasing hospitalizations, illness, and lost school and work days. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) projects that in 2010 alone, the Clean Air Act will save 23,000 lives and prevent 1.7 million asthma attacks, 4.1 million lost work days, and over 68,000 hospitalizations and emergency room visits.

The Act has achieved these successes while saving us money and protecting our economy. In its first two decades alone, it created benefits valued at $22.2 trillion, 42 times greater than the estimated costs of its regulations.

Despite this success and despite the success that will come when the Environmental Protection Agency starts using the Clean Air Act to reduce greenhouse gas pollution, the Clean Air Act is under attack.

Both the house and senate global warming bills bar EPA from setting an overall cap on the amount of carbon pollution that may exist in the ambient air under the Act's National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) provision. Now, more than ever, is the time to enforce the Clean Air Act, not to gut it.

The Road Map to 350ppm: The Clean Air Act

The Clean Air Act provides a comprehensive system of pollution control with a proven track record of success for the grave problem of global warming and carbon pollution that can work now or with new climate legislation. Now is the time to enforce the Clean Air Act.

For the link to all the things you can do, go to:

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2167/t/5243/content.jsp?content_KEY=3D663 5

Image: Dong on the back of his sled during a rest break - another new system.

Remember, it's cool to be cold. Save the Poles. Save the planet.

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