As a scientist investigating climate change, I’m embarrassed by the high carbon footprint I have when I travel to, and work in, Antarctica. Researchers based in the UK regularly take four or five flights to reach the continent, and the stations we visit rely on electricity from fossil fuels. Our food is shipped in, and our waste is returned by ship to South Africa, South America, or New Zealand. When we venture further afield for research and set up a temporary camp, a portable generator is flown in with us, along with our snowmobiles. Antarctica is the most remote and inhospitable place on Earth, so it’s no surprise that people based there have struggled to break out of convenient habits. It’s cold. There are 24 hours of darkness in winter. Icicles build up on solar panels operating during the summer months, and the concrete foundations for wind turbines won’t set in the cold. It’s expensive to ship in renewable energy components, and it’s difficult to find warm and dry places to keep large batteries for storing energy. These challenges are real, and yet, I’ve seen how they can be overcome at Antarctica’s only zero-emission research base, the Princess Elisabeth […]
Latest Articles
How to Rewild a Country: The Story of Argentina
Takeaways: Qaramta is Argentina's largest known jaguar and is the great hope of conservationists trying to turn the tide on decades of decline for...
5 Unusual Waste Products That Have Been Recycled Into Something New
Takeaways: Transitioning to a circular economy (minimizing resources, reducing waste and carbon emissions) is the way forward to protecting the planet.
Belgian company PermaFungi...
Nestlé Has Cut Greenhouse Gases by 4 Million Tons Since 2018. How?
Takeaways: Nestle's mission is to be environmentally sustainable and is working towards net-zero emissions by 2050.
Some of the things the company is doing...
Weaving Food in Antimicrobial Threads Could Replace Plastic Wrap and Cut Waste
Takeaways: Researchers from Harvard University may have found a way to tackle food waste sustainably.
They have created an antimicrobial thread which coats the...
Uber Goes Full-Throttle on Electric Vehicles
Takeaways: Uber is committing to being a fully electric, zero-emission platform by 2030 in the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
The company hopes to transition...
IKEA Focuses on Forestry Management, Energy Efficiency, Adding Renewables
Takeaways: To reduce their CO2 emissions, IKEA makes furniture from wood harvested from rainforest nations.
As of 2017, the company has sourced over half of...