The leading media outlet dedicated to driving sustainability mainstream, Treehugger, published an article about the 2041 e-Base project, an initiative that polar explorer and environmental leader Robert Swan who is the first man in history to live in Antarctica, relying solely on renewable energy. Digital Explorer’s founder, Jamie Buchanan-Dunlop, coordinated the live video chats between Swan and schools in London. ‘E-Base goes live’ is the first real time event connecting Antarctica to educational communities.

Swan founded 2041 (the year when the Environmental Protocol of the Antarctic Treaty will be reviewed) to persevere Antarctica by the promotion of recycling, renewable energy and sustainability to combat the effects of climate change.

The article highlights the originality and importance of this initiative:

“Why did he call the project 2041? Because that's the year of the review of the Environmental Protocol of the Antarctic Treaty. By protecting this treaty, 2041 works towards nobody ever needing to exploit the last great continent on Earth for minerals and fossil fuel. Part of the project is the E-Base, a sustainable green building constructed from post-consumer recycled and renewable materials.

"Here at our 2041 E-Base we are using green, innovative and sustainable materials and applying them to the cleanest coldest place on earth. The E-Base will serve as a model globally and locally," says Robert Swan.

So in March this year, Robert Swan and his troop will go and live at the E-Base in Antarctica, solely on renewable wind and solar energy for two weeks. This will be Antarctica's first dedicated educational base, highlighting the importance of sustainable energy sources and the preservation of the last great wilderness on the planet. The team will broadcast their daily experiences of what it is like to live on renewable energy in one of the harshest environments on the planet via a cutting-edge interactive website, featuring daily video dispatches, photographs and live text and video chats every day. The E-Base works closely with several schools and organisations around the world to inspire and educate the public on the issue of climate change and promote sustainability.

One of the teachers involved, Jamie Buchanan-Dunlop, Humanities Teacher at Crown Woods School in Eltham, London, will be coordinating a live video chat between Swan and pupils at Crown Woods:

It's a hugely exciting project. I never thought it would be possible to have someone of Robert Swan's stature and passion inspire the pupils at Crown Woods. To have him engage them on the issue of climate change live from Antarctica is truly remarkable.”

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12 February 2008