One argument preventing more widespread use of renewable energy sources is that they may not be reliable or available in many areas. Take for example solar energy. It won’t work well in areas that don’t receive much sun, right?
With the recent opening of Belgium’s Princess Elisabeth station in East Antarctica, scientists now feel they have proof that there might not be as much strength to that argument as previously thought. Surrounded by a vast, icy emptiness, the new station is carbon-free, releasing no greenhouse gases (which contribute to climate change) and is powered solely by the sun and wind. Within the station, water is recycled through the use of micro-organisms. Scientists believe that if renewable energy can be used in such a harsh environment, what’s to stop it from being used in more habitable parts of the globe.
Now that the station is up and running, it will serve as a research lab for global scientists studying the Antarctic ice shelf. The continent is extremely vulnerable to warming temperatures and melting of Antarctica ice shelves increases the flooding threat for many coastal populations.
