25 Dec Day 34 of SPEC

Tonight I thought we would take a moment to remind ourselves WHY…the SPEC Team are skiing across Antarctica.

It’s the highest, driest, coldest and windiest place on earth…east of the sun, west of the moon and south of everything else.

Our mission is that we can make a journey, 600 miles, 65 days on skis using only renewable energy. Not just to show the technology but to remind ourselves that renewable energy can save lives, eliminate poverty and create water where there may be none available.

One-third of the food we currently produce in the world is wasted and food insecurity remains a pressing challenge. Surely, it is a paradox that the world produces enough food to feed everyone, yet 12% of the world population is estimated to be malnourished? Or that sub-Saharan Africa, which experiences food insecurity, could actually meet the minimum annual food requirements of at least 48 million people if after harvest grain losses could be avoided ?

So please know that Team SPEC are fully aware that sustainable energy can greatly help reduce loss and feed the starving around the world. We know that the UN is an old hand when it comes to sustainable energy initiatives and we have taken that initiative to Antarctica. With the support of our incredible sponsors and in particular Shell, Commvault, Judith Neilson and Hooxi Water we have been able to amplify this message and hopefully gain more awareness for the technology that is already available and what can be done to help others in need.

UNEP’s for example invited partners and industry to work together to work to find a better refrigeration solution in 2001. The project partners gave themselves the sole mandate to develop a technology that would serve the purpose, make it freely available to interested manufacturers worldwide, and promote its uptake internationally. They were able to develop a prototype unit utilizing solar chill technology A unique feature of the technology was that the energy of the sun is stored in the ice instead of in batteries. The equipment is powered by renewable energy from the sun collected via photovoltaic solar panels.

There are so many people working to find solutions and at this festive time of year take a moment to think of those we might help and thank those who never give up trying. Thank you….Team SPEC…

Anne K – HQ support