Free Thinking: Antarctica: Testing Ground for the Human Species

One hundred years ago, Ernest Shackleton set out on his Trans-Antarctic expedition, which ended when his ship Endurance became trapped in packed ice. The lure of this polar region remains strong both in people's imaginations and in terms of understanding what is happening to the planet. It is seen both as an untapped source of resources and a pristine landscape that must be preserved. Rana Mitter is joined by writer Meredith Hooper, who has visited Antarctica under the auspices of three governments, Australia, UK and USA; Ben Saunders, who recently completed the longest human-powered polar exploration in history, to the South Pole and back, retracing Captain Scott's Terra Nova expedition; architect Hugh Broughton, the designer behind Halley VI, the UK's scientific base on the Brent Ice Shelf; and Jonathan Bamber, one of the world's leading experts on ice