35. Melissa Schäfer och Fredrik Granath: Bortom Isbjörnens Rike, Short (In English)

Today’s episode is truly important and I jumped at the opportunity to interview Melissa and Fredrik when I first heard of their book “Bortom Isbjörnens Rike”, released just a week ago (mid-October). It was just awarded the prestigious prize Panda Book of the Year by the World Wildlife Federation (WWF) and Melissa and Fredrik were handed the prize directly from the Swedish king Carl Gustav XVI.

Fredrik first visited Svalbard in the Arctic ocean 15 years ago and instantly fell in love with the dramatic nature and this is also when he started to develop his love and respect for the polar bear. Short after he wrote his first book “Vanishing World” (Värld av is) describing the threatened arctic environment. The book was a huge success and released in 40 countries in 10 languages.

Melissa who is Fredrik’s partner is 20 years younger but has had a passion for polar bears since her childhood. Her other passion was photography and it was the combination of the two that led her to finding Fredrik five years ago on Instagram.

In today’s episode we talk about their journeys to the arctic region and their meetings with polar bears. We talk both about the amazing wonders of the trips as well as some of the hardships. And of course we talk about the notable effect of global warming and how it effects polar bears and the whole eco system in the region. We discuss what we all can do to participate in the fight for a better planet, how we can “vote with our wallets” and actually make a change. I strongly recommend all listeners to go into the website of Melissa and Fredrik (www.themotherbear.com) where you read more and see some amazing images as well as their Instagram accounts.

Go and buy Melissas and Fredriks book now if you have the chance. And think about how you can do small sustainable changes regarding what you eat and what you shop.

Love, peace and understanding!

//Johannes

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