Thin Ice.earth

Thin Ice.earth

Thin Ice.earth invites you to join The Next Great Adventure: Learning to Live Sustainably on Earth. Feedspot ranks this as #9 among "45 Best Antarctica Podcasts" in their March 2026 rankings. Our mission is to help protect Antarctica through sustainable practices in the civilized world, and we share stories of people who are helping lead the way. Co-hosts Robert Swan, OBE, (the first person to walk to the South and North Poles) and Dan Smith, (Ordinary American Joe), pick up where their "Undaunted" podcast left off. So, jump on in -- the water's icy but fine -- and join us on the journey to protect what's left of the wild and restore what's been lost. You can also follow the story online at https://thinice.earth.

Episodes

March 22, 2026 29 mins

Season 2 of Thin Ice begins by revisiting the past to gain a new perspective on the future. 

Forty years after one of the most defining and disruptive moments of his life, polar explorer Robert Swan returns to the Ross Sea region of Antarctica. This time, not as a young man chasing history, but as a witness revisiting Cape Evans, the site of his original South Pole expedition, and the waters where his ship, Southern Quest, was lost ...

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Recorded December 11 from Union Glacier Camp in Antarctica, this episode explores one of the biggest, and least discussed, climate challenges: heating and cooling the world's buildings. This source emits an estimated 15% or more of global greenhouse gas emissions, including the impact of leaked refrigerant gases, which have much higher Global Warming Potential than C02. And the problem is accelerating fast: The world is expect...

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In this episode of Thin Ice, co-hosts Robert Swan, OBE, and Dan Smith, OJ (Ordinary Joe) explore the fascinating intersection of exploration, technology and sustainability. Robert reflects on the 40th anniversary of his historic South Pole expedition, when he and his team navigated to the South Pole with just a sextant, a watch and sheer determination. No GPS, no radio and no backup. Robert reminisced (and recorded this episode) wh...

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September 21, 2025 33 mins

Where does a 5-ton elephant eat? Anywhere it wants to, including the fields of small farmers. Elephant incursions on small farms have often provoked violent attacks by humans protecting their livelihood, which often spurs counterattacks by elephants fighting for their own lives and families. The result: death all around.


This episode looks at creative actions in Assam, India, where violent blows between species are being replac...

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“The Good Seed” tells the story of 30-year-old Barney Swan, who launched an effort several years ago to regenerate 527 razed acres of Australia’s Daintree Rainforest. Born in London but reared among the wild things of the world’s oldest rainforest, a young Barney also accompanied his father – Robert Swan, OBE – on numerous Antarctic expeditions and ocean voyages before he turned 20. 


As an adult, Barney had a mad idea (his word...

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In “The Sinking of Southern Quest: May Day M’aider Part 2,” Robert Swan and William Fenton share what happened after their ship was trapped in Antarctic pack ice in 1986 (the title is a bit of a spoiler). They also recount the James Bond-style resistance from government agencies that opposed the first private expedition to the South Pole in the modern era. 



In spite of all obstacles, the “In the Footsteps of Scott” expedit...

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May 1, 2025 44 mins

It’s May Day — a time to honor the bounty of nature and hard work, and a distress call derived from French, m’aider ("help me"). So, this is a perfect day to launch Thin Ice, which celebrates nature and the hard work of preserving wild spaces while sounding an international plea for action. 



Co-hosts Robert Swan (the first person to walk to both the South and North Poles) and Dan Smith share stories from the wild...

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April 27, 2025 1 min

The water is frosty but fine in this teaser episode introducing Thin Ice. Wet your whistle and jump on in!

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Robert Swand Dan Smith

Robert Swand Dan Smith

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