Starting this Friday, the Scott Polar Research Institute is launching its Face To Face exhibition of historic and contemporary polar portraits.

Contributing photographer Martin Hartley has given me a sneak peek of some of his images that will be appearing alongside a selection of the institute's 20,000 glass plate negatives, magic lantern slides and daguerreotypes going back as far as 1845. All I can say is that it's going to be well worth the trip to Cambridge to see them.

A collection of unique polar camera equipment will also be on display.

A few months ago I was asked to update my introductory chapter on the nature of leadership for the Young Explorers' Trust's online expedition manual, which contains useful information for prospective expeditioners.

And since it's that time of year when thousands of young people are preparing to temporarily swap school and university life for expedition life, it seems like a good time to highlight this free resource.

Antony Jinman, a member of last year's charity trek on Baffin Island, has just alerted me to a developing situation in the Arctic settlement of Pangnirtung, which was the starting point for our expedition.

According to a news report, a swollen river is causing giant cracks and sinkholes to form in the vicinity of the town. In one instance, a 10 metre channel has cut through the permafrost to the bedrock. This has damaged the two bridges that link the houses to the water reservoir and sewage treatment facility.

A team of geotechnical experts has been dispatched to Pangnirtung, but bad weather has grounded all flights.

Round-the-world cyclist Al Humphreys is launching his new book, 'Thunder & Sunshine', with talks in London, Bristol and Darlington over the next few days to coincide with national bike week.

Catch Al in Britain while you can: he's off on an Antarctic expedition with Ben Saunders in the autumn.

My good friend Peter Stewart, who trekked around Peru's Cordillera Huayhuash with me a few years ago, is currently doing a stint in the Congo. In his latest blog post, Peter describes the consumables taken to Africa from Britain that he has now brought home with him for proper disposal. Around four kilos of batteries, dental floss, razors and assorted non-biodegradable items have made the round trip.

Of course, this represents just a drop in the ocean of rubbish that plagues our planet. Some people may even dismiss Peter's efforts as a token gesture.

But what if we all did this? What if we all brought used toothpaste tubes and empty pill containers back home with us rather than leaving them to rot in landfills or on hillsides in countries that have little or no ability to dispose of their own rubbish, let alone ours?

Better still, what if ever shopper removed one of the three layers of cellophane, plastic and cardboard surrounding a box of recently purchased cakes, and left the unnecessary packaging at the shop counter? If millions of individuals made such a token gesture tomorrow, you can bet your bottom dollar that within hours the staff at large supermarket chains would be wading through a sea of wrappers and pressurising manufacturers to reduce the amount of packaging.

Yes, I have heard the argument that consumers (think about that word for a moment) demand virgin products seemingly untouched by other humans, and also that packaging is necessary to prevent crushing. But come on, we put men on the moon. It's containers we're talking about here, not a cure for cancer. Surely intelligent packaging is possible?

What if every shop sold plastic bags for a pound or a dollar rather than handing them out for free (or charging just a few pence)? What if they were eliminated altogether? If Bangladesh can ban them, can't we? Is it really that inconvenient to travel to the shopping mall with an empty cotton bag or recycled rucksack?

The European Space Agency (ESA) is currently seeking individuals to join its space programme. Four applicants will deploy to the International Space Station. If only I had paid more attention in science classes at school. And the last time I checked my résumé I hadn't been an engineer or test pilot either. As much as I would love to, it's clear that my applying would be a waste of a stamp. But if you have the credentials the ESA are looking for, why not give it a go?