Marine Protected Areas and low carbon economies. In 2009 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Pugh took the evidence of witnesses from across Africa on the effects of climate change at the Pan-African Climate and Poverty Hearings. The evidence was presented to the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference. Polar Defense Project In 2008 Pugh founded the Polar Defense Project to campaign for greater protection for the Arctic and a resolution of the maritime boundary disputes. In 2009 it won the Best Project for the Environment at the inaugural Beyond Sport Awards. BP oil disaster Pugh was outspoken on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, calling for the criminal prosecution of top BP executives in a feature in Business Day. Fracking for gas in the Karoo Pugh opposes fracking for gas in the Karoo region of South Africa. He made a public speech to Royal Dutch Shell in 2011 entitled "Standing up to Goliath". Plastic pollution In 2018 Pugh was listed as the 3rd most influential person in the world discussing how to tackle plastic pollution on social media. Media Pugh has appeared on numerous TV shows including Good Morning America, Jay Leno, Richard & Judy, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and BBC Breakfast. He has also been featured by Dr. Sanjay Gupta on Vital Signs on CNN, ADN on France 2, Carte Blanche and Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. In 2009 Pugh starred in Robson Green's Wild Swimming Adventure where he trained the English actor to swim across the icy waters of Llyn Llydaw, a lake on Snowdon in Wales. In 2013 he appeared on the front of The Big Issue holding a northern rockhopper penguin in an issue dedicated to ocean issues. Books In 2010 Pugh's autobiography "Achieving the Impossible" was published by Simon & Schuster. It quickly became a No. 1 best-seller. In 2013 Pugh wrote a second book entitled "21 Yaks and a Speedo". The title is a reference to his swim on Mt. Everest. The book is a collection of 21 short stories about his expeditions and the lessons he has learnt from them. It was published by Jonathan Ball Publishers. The Financial Times described the book as "compelling" and Nobel Peace Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu said "The book made me want to stand a little taller." Awards 2019 - The Mungo Park Medal from the Royal Scottish