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Antarctica has become the first place on earth where a zero-emission polar research station was opened on Sunday (February 15). According to scientists, the opening up of a carbon-free polar station has proved the fact that alternative energy is viable even in the coldest regions. According to station's project director, Alain Hubert, the setting up of polar station in Antarctica has paved the way to come up with such stations in other parts of the world. He believes that modern science has the capacity, the technology and the knowledge to change the world for better.
The need of alternate energy sources has surfaced when the governments have seen that greenhouse gas emissions trigger global warming which is currently one of the dreaded threats to humanity. Although the weather conditions are not favorable in Antarctica but the region is advancing in terms of renewable energies. The solar panels on the Antarctic Peninsula can collect as much energy in a year as many places in Europe.
According to Thomas Leysen, chairman of Belgium's Umicore, it made good business sense for companies to help protect the environment. He warned that it will be dangerous to deal in an unsustainable way with our planet as it may spell doom which will be worse than current economic crisis. Scientists claim that increasing global warming can speed up melting at Antarctica which is the world's largest repository of fresh water, raising sea levels and altering shorelines. It is presumed that if Antarctica ever melted, world sea levels would rise by about 57 meters.
