Good Thinking

Father and son South Pole expedition to rely solely on renewable energy

Robert and Barney Swan training for the SPEC walk to the South Pole
2041
Robert and Barney Swan training for the SPEC walk to the South Pole
2041

A dramatic demonstration of sustainable technology starts in Antarctica on November 15 as father and son team Robert and Barney Swan set out on the first attempt to walk to the South Pole using only renewable energy sources. The eight-week expedition, called the South Pole Energy Challenge, will use solar panels, wind power, and an advanced biofuel to provide the team with all their energy needs in the most inhospitable place on Earth.

There have been any number of demonstrations of the renewable energy in recent years from boats to airplanes, but Antarctica is in a completely different league. The icebound continent is famous as one of the most hostile environments on Earth. The combination of subzero temperatures with high altitudes and weather than can go from clear skies to whiteout blizzards without warning not only pose the threat of crippling frostbite and hypothermia, but of a constant toll on the human body including respiratory difficulties and a depressed immune system that can be just as fatal if the proper precautions aren't taken.

In this context, relying on renewable energy sources on a walk to the South Pole isn't just a demonstration of what is possible, it's demonstration of faith that the sources are up to the job in a situation where failure could result in the risk of freezing or dying of dehydration.

The SPEC expedition is made up of Robert Swan oBE, who was the first person to walk to both the North and South Poles, his son Barney, who will be expedition leader, expedition guide Martin Barnett, and documentary filmmaker Kyle O'Donoghue. For their 600 miles (965 km) journey, the equipment on their man-hauled sledges will include wind technology to power their electronics, solar panels to melt snow for drinking water, and an unidentified advanced biofuel made from wood chips that was developed especially by the Shell Technology Centre in Bangalore, India for cooking and heating.

"There is no silver bullet solution to managing the challenges of climate change," says the senior Swab, "and we must meet this challenge through collaboration amongst all players in society – governments, entrepreneurs and industry – to provide a mixture of cleaner energy solutions as we work towards a low carbon future.

"Increasing the use of renewable sources of energy is essential to reducing CO₂ emissions. By putting these clean energies to the test in Antarctica, the Earth's harshest wilderness, Barney and I want to prove that they can be developed for use anywhere, and therefore play a crucial part in helping the planet transition to a lower-carbon future."

Source: 2041

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4 comments
CAVUMark
Good luck.
aksdad
The key to their success is the “advanced biofuel”; what they’ll use to heat their food and water. Biofuels have been around for a long time but they’re not very practical because producing them is resource-intensive and inefficient, which also means expensive. You need to dedicate huge swaths of land for feed stock that would otherwise be used to produce food crops. Displacing crops to feed people with ones that fuel transportation seems like not the best idea ever.
saveenergy
Expedition to rely solely on renewable energy!!!…Yep…as long as you don’t count - The copious amount of fuels & infrastructure that get them to & back from Antarctica; The oil used to produce all the plastics in their kit (sleds, clothing, poles, ropes, goggles, communications equipment….); The fuel used to make & launch the satellites for their sat-navs & telecoms, & the massive amounts of fuel & resources to pull them out if they get in bother.
For people claiming to be looking for a “low carbon future” they have one hell of a carbon footprint, just like the other hypocrites Al Gore, DeCaprio, David Suzuki, Prince Charles, Chris Tuney….
Nothing wrong with testing stuff in harshest wilderness, but tell the truth, please don’t mislead us; Remember ‘A half truth is still a whole lie.’
rgorman
In 1911 Roald Amundsen used crude sails to assist them and their dogs propelling their sleds to and from teh north poles. Nowadays we have parasails to provide pull far more efficiently. The article did not mention parasailing but you can get an immense thrust from the wind with them. A parasail weighs very little.