This stark message came from polar explorer Hannah McKeand, while speaking recently to the local business community, members of the public and Bayer employees at Bayer’s head office in Newbury recently. Hannah was recounting her experiences from her travels to both the North and South Poles, and had striking ariel photographs of the polar ice caps to prove her point.

Hannah, who currently holds the record for skiing to the South Pole solo, gave a fascinating insight into the hardship of tackling such an inhospitable environment and how sheer dedication and willpower got her through. She was also keen to impart how the impact of climate change is having devastating effects on the Polar landscape and how we all need to work together to stand a chance of making a difference.

“I have been able to meet people who have made it their life’s work to accurately record the damage being done to our Polar regions, with devastating consequences for the rest of the planet.

“Temperatures in the Arctic have risen by 2.5 degrees over the past 100 years, which has a striking visual effect on our melting icecaps not to mention the evocative symbol of the Arctic – the Polar bear. The plight of this animal is indicative of the fact it is losing its hunting grounds at an alarming rate which means they are being wiped out due to starvation and exhaustion.”

Bayer CEO, Martin Dawkins, also addressed the audience, giving an overview of the company’s climate change aims, plus an insight into how specific ‘lighthouse’ projects from around the world, including the EcoCommercial building in India and the development of stress-tolerant plants, are already making a difference.

Martin said: “This is the first time we have joined forces with someone who can give their first hand knowledge of how climate change is affecting our planet. The onus is on all of us – individually and as a company – to do our part to slow down the speed at which our world is changing. We all have a moral duty to make improvements for future generations.”

Hannah was keen to highlight how by all doing our bit, we can make a difference:

• Lighting accounts for one fifth of all energy consumption in the western world, so choose energy efficient light bulbs for domestic and business use, where possible. And switch off lights when not required. T
• urn down your thermostat by a few degrees, to minimise CO2 emissions If everyone put an insulation jacket on their hot water tank, around 740,000 tonnes of CO2 can be saved in just one year
• A photocopier left on overnight uses enough energy to produce 1,500 copies

Contact:

Steve Painter, Phone: 01635 563524, Fax: 01635 563513

e-mail: steve.painter.sp@bayer.co.uk

Andrea Postles, Phone: 01635 563031, Fax: 01635 563513

e-mail: andrea.postles.ap@bayer.co.uk

Notes for Editors:

Bayer: Science For A Better Life

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, nutrition and high-tech materials. The company’s products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At the same time Bayer creates value through innovation, growth and improved earning power. The Group is committed to the principles of sustainable development and acknowledges and accepts its role as a socially and ethically responsible “corporate citizen”. Economy, ecology and social responsibility are corporate policy objectives of equal rank. In fiscal 2007, Bayer employed 106,200 people and had sales of €32.4 billion. Capital expenditures amounted to €1.9 billion, the R&D budget to €2.6 billion. More information is available on the Internet at www.bayer.com

For more information, go to www.bayer.co.uk For news releases, background material and graphics on Bayer worldwide, go to www.press.bayer.com

Hannah Mckeand For more information about Hannah McKeand, please go to www.adventurehannah.com

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