Concordia Base Log
By: Adrianos Golemis, ESA research MD
Time: L+206 (June 2014)
Week: 30
Temperature: - 69˚C
Sunlight: None
(24-hour darkness)
Morale: OK (at times great, at times bad)
Log Entry #14 – White
is the new Green
Living in
such a special environment as Antarctica, you can imagine that our resources
are scanty and the need to plan carefully what we consume is inexorable. What
is more, Antarctica is unique as a continent considering the internationally
agreed legislation that governs it; laws that prohibit bearing arms or
introducing new animal species that could imbalance the local ecosystem, and
call for particular waste management. In fact, Antarctica is a continent
devoted to preservation of the environment, scientific research and peaceful
co-existence and it was a wise choice on behalf of humanity to render it thus.
Having briefly worked for Greenpeace in the past and sharing the vision for a
world with excellent future prospects (rather than a dismal tomorrow), these
principles attracted me when I began to expand my knowledge about Antarctica.
Ϡ It’s
the end of the world as we know it, REM (considered the Greenpeace
anthem):
In
accordance with international law, all waste produced in Antarctica must be
transferred outside the continent, back to the country whose citizens created
it. For this reason we always separate paper, aluminum, steel, glass and
plastic when we throw something away in our everyday life at the Station
(Picture #60). These will be loaded on containers that will traverse 1,100 km
through the continent to end up at the Antarctic coast, then to be carried by
ships and moved to Australia or Europe, where they will be recycled.
Picture #60: Recycling in Antarctica? Yes!
In order
to reduce the volume of organic waste, a biological disintegrator has been
installed at Concordia Station: This elegant solution exploits the capability
of bacteria to digest organic waste, thereby vastly decreasing its mass
(Picture #61).
Picture #61: The waste
compactor and disintegrator devices. Feed them well!
Other
than metal, plastic, paper and glass, we recycle… water! That’s right,
sophisticated equipment co-developed by ESA is operated a few times a week at
Concordia Station to filter, clean and re-use the water available for showering
and washing our clothes or the dishes or even the floors (Picture #62). This
machinery is not too different than what is used on the International Space
Station (ISS). But why bother recycle water since you have so much ice around?
Well, first of all, according to the Antarctic Treaty, waste water must be
carried back to Australia for disposal, so recycling the better part of it
saves a lot of resources. Secondly, melting the ice from outside to turn it to
potable water is not that easy. We only have one vehicle to excavate and put
the ice in our melter. Should that one fail, we can either use recycled water
or dig with our bare hands to carry and melt a tiny amount each time! And trust
me, digging at -75 degrees Celsius is not a dreamy experience, so I am really
glad we have this safer back-up option. Last, the quality of the machine’s filtering
is tested constantly. With a few improvements, the technology and know-how will
be mature to be used in other environments in need. Morocco is already testing
the same technology from ESA to provide and recycle water at one of its regions
that is poor in hydration.
Picture #62: The Grey Water
Recycling Unit at Concordia Station (up & down).
Can you count the filters?
Can you count the filters?
There is
also a big effort to be efficient as far as energy consumption is concerned. In
our case, sadly, Concordia Station cannot depend unilaterally on reusable forms
of energy: On the plateau of Dome Circe, where our base is situated, there is
hardly any wind and use of solar power is impossible during the winter, when
the sun does not rise above the horizon. As you can imagine, there are also no
streams to provide for hydroelectric power.
Despite
the fact that we rely on traditional energy production, we do our best with
regards to efficiency. The two towers of our base are round, since it is easier
to heat them in this way and demands less fuel. Energy consumption is closely
monitored and adjusted – and we all try to be reasonable in our needs and careful
in our everyday activities. No unnecessary devices must be switched on, no
lights when we all go to sleep. The external scientific shelters are only
heated up to 10 degrees Celsius, not more, since they are not used every day. Laundry should be done only when enough
clothes to fill the machine are gathered. All these might seem trivial rules
that a lot of people also apply to their homes in order to reduce their
electricity bill – yet here they are much more serious implications hanging over
us should we go off the limit here. And still efficiency is not primarily about
paying less to our electricity provider in Europe or surviving with just enough
fuel in Antarctica for a year. There is a far more important goal to be
achieved: Preservation of our climate as we know it (and like it) around the
globe, reducing global warming, and bequeath a healthy planet to the next
generations.
I
sincerely hope that in the future Antarctic Stations will become even more
environment-friendly. Perhaps it is only fair that the wind of change starts to
blow from here, from the continent most prone to environmental disasters due to
the melting of ice and the ozone hole, which lies directly above us. An
interesting fact is that our remote Station is built upon 3233m of ice, there
is no solid ground beneath us. Think about it, should human activity and air
pollution continue unaltered, global warming would thwart the ice shelves and
Concordia Station would be afloat amidst the waves while our homes in Europe
would probably be below the new, elevated, sea level!
In
general, though, Antarctic Stations already operate at a high standard as far
as caring about the environment and its resources are concerned. It is time for
the rest of the globe to follow. Being a doctor, one of my favourite quotations
comes from Desiderius Erasmus and reads “prevention is the best cure”. Instead
of continuing to accumulate waste and misuse the resources of our planet, which
will inevitably lead us soon to harsh situations requiring a “cure”, we must
for the first time perhaps try to be insightful and think in the long term:
recycle what we can, preserve what we must, utilize clean energy and invest in sustainable
development. Yes, the investment is greater and more difficult – but it will
pay us back many times in the end.
On
Thursday, June 5, it is the international celebration for the World Environment
Day (WED). ESA is participating actively in an event named “Raise your voice,
not the sea level!”. A live interview by ESA Astronaut Alexander Gerst will be
conducted from space on the matter.
Pictures #63 and #64: Concordia Station, lonely amidst the
infinite white.
Help us keep it above the waves!
Help us keep it above the waves!
(This action for the World Environment Day was inspired by ESA's Mel Amancio).
The 5th
of June can be a good reminder on how to become more responsible with respect
to the environment in the daily activities, all of us. Please think of our tiny
home in Antarctica, in danger of sinking beyond the sea should our current mentality of greed and disposal
rather than reuse not change for the better! And remember – great changes rise
from small efforts done by many of us, on a constant basis. Let’s stand up to
the challenge of our times. ҉
[Watch a short version of this entry on the UN World Environment Page here:]
No comments:
Post a Comment